BONORONG WILDLIFE SANCTUARY & HOSPITAL

In 2021, I travelled to Tasmania for the first time. Whilst searching for a lot of different native, nocturnal species to photograph, I witnessed a mass of animals that had sadly succumbed to car strikes.

Before my visit to the island state I did not appreciate the sheer scale of this issue, Tasmania has a reputation for being the ‘roadkill capital of the world’. It is reckoned that up to half a million animals are fatally hit by cars every year. An appalling statistic by any means, especially so, given the population of the state currently lies at just over half a million people.

Feeling helpless, I reached out to Bonorong and offered my photographic services in the hope I could do anything positive to help spread awareness.

Initially, what I expected to be a week working closely with the incredible veterinary team, snowballed into ten months documenting all aspects of the organisation and its members.

Whilst car strikes are a major share of the patients seen by the team at the hospital, there are many other causes for injury and illness. Some of which are, cat and dog attacks, debris and litter entanglement or consumption, people negligently feeding wildlife, lawnmowers and garden machinery, and very sadly, illegal shooting.

Witnessing the critical work that every individual takes on here was truly inspirational, and the primary reason for my extended stay volunteering. I honestly can’t say enough about this incredible organisation.