Frequently asked questions

Effective for all experiences and special events at Australian Wildlife Sanctuary. General Experiences Cancellations 7 days or more prior to your booking will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations within 7 days of the booking are non-refundable. No credits or rescheduling are available within 7 days, except where required by Australian Consumer Law. Requests to postpone or transfer a booking to another guest must be approved by Sanctuary management, and must be made more than 7 days before your booking date. Special Events Bookings for Wild Night Out, The Enchanted Sanctuary, Owloween, and similar ticketed events are: Non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled for change of mind, change of circumstances, or non-attendance. If weather or unforeseen circumstances require postponement, ticket holders will receive a credit voucher that can be redeemed for any available session within the same event season. Refunds will not be issued. Credit vouchers must be redeemed within the same event season and are not valid for any other product or event.. We are committed to meeting our obligations under the Australian Consumer Law, including providing a remedy if your experience is significantly affected by circumstances within our control. For assistance, contact us at info@australianwildlifesanctuary.com.au

Animal Welfare The sanctuary is a working wildlife environment. Animal welfare is our highest priority. Animal participation, interactions and sightings cannot be guaranteed and may vary on the day. Participant Safety All participants must wear suitable clothing for outdoor conditions, including enclosed footwear. We reserve the right to refuse entry if attire is deemed unsafe or unsuitable. Weather Conditions Experiences operate in most weather conditions. In cases of severe weather (e.g. storms, extreme heat or high winds), sessions may be modified, delayed or cancelled at management discretion. Where possible, activities may be moved to sheltered areas. We recommend bringing appropriate weather protection. Illness Participants who are unwell (including cold or flu-like symptoms) must not attend. Suitability Experiences involve close proximity to animals and may not be suitable for everyone. Please contact us in advance if you have concerns. Accessibility Some areas of the sanctuary may not be suitable for wheelchairs or limited mobility. Please contact us prior to booking to discuss accessibility. Participants All persons entering the sanctuary as part of an experience or event must be booked participants. General observation without participation is not permitted. Behaviour Participants must follow all staff instructions at all times. For safety and animal welfare, participants must not: enter enclosures unless directed touch or feed animals unless instructed chase, harass or interfere with animals Failure to comply may result in removal from the experience without refund. Assumption of Risk By attending, participants acknowledge that interactions with animals and outdoor environments carry inherent risks. Participation is at your own risk. Allergies & Food Food containing nuts or traces of nuts must not be brought into the sanctuary. The sanctuary does use nut-based products for animal care. Participants with severe allergies must carry appropriate medication (e.g. EpiPen) at all times. Late Arrival Late arrivals may miss part or all of the experience. Lost time cannot be extended or refunded. Smoke-Free Environment Smoking, vaping and e-cigarette use are not permitted within the sanctuary. Alcohol & Substances Alcohol is not permitted unless approved in writing. Anyone suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be refused entry or asked to leave without refund. Supervision of Children Children and dependants must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times, unless the experience specifically states otherwise. Photography & Media Photography is welcome where permitted, but must be respectful and follow staff directions. Flash may be restricted. By attending, you consent to photos or video being taken and potentially used for promotional purposes. CCTV The sanctuary operates CCTV for safety and security purposes. Liability To the extent permitted by law, the sanctuary is not liable for loss, damage or injury arising from participation in an experience or event.

Australian Wildlife Experience – Terms & Conditions Duration Approximately 60–90 minutes. Ages Suitable for all ages. All participants must be comfortable and respectful around animals. Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. Group Size This is a private experience for your group. Group size limits apply at time of booking. Exclusivity Your booking is exclusive to your group — no mixed bookings. Experience Inclusions This is a ranger-led experience. Animal interactions and sightings may vary depending on the day, weather, and animal welfare requirements. Animal Welfare & Safety Animal welfare is our highest priority. All interactions are supervised and may be modified or restricted at any time. Guests must follow all staff directions. Photography Photography is welcome. Flash may be restricted in certain areas for animal welfare. Optional Upgrades Additional animal encounters (e.g. quokka, glider, crocodile) may be available as optional upgrades and are subject to availability. General The sanctuary is a natural environment. While we aim to provide a great experience, animal behaviour and sightings cannot be guaranteed. Ultimate Birthday Party – Terms & Conditions Duration Up to 3 hours. Ages Suitable for all ages. All children must be comfortable and respectful around animals. Children aged 3 and under are free with a paying parent/guardian (1:1 ratio) and are not counted in participant numbers. Group Size Includes up to 20 participants. Additional participants can be added up to a maximum of 40. Exclusivity This is a private experience for your group only. No other groups will be combined with your booking. Catering Catering is not provided. The party organiser is responsible for all food and drinks. A BBQ and fridge may be available on request and must be arranged in advance. Decorations Decorations are permitted but must be fully removed at the end of the event. Balloons are not permitted, except foil balloons which must be securely anchored and removed after the event. Animal Welfare & Behaviour All guests must follow staff instructions and behave appropriately around animals at all times. For safety and animal welfare, access to certain areas or interactions may be restricted at staff discretion. General The sanctuary is a working wildlife environment. Experiences may vary slightly depending on animal needs and conditions on the day. Junior Rangers – Terms & Conditions Duration 4 hours (including breaks). Ages 7–14 years only. Participants must be comfortable around animals and able to follow instructions. Supervision All participants are supervised by trained sanctuary staff (all WWC cleared). Parents/guardians do not accompany children during the program. Behaviour Requirements Participants must follow all instructions, behave respectfully, and engage safely with animals and other participants. Failure to do so may result in removal from the program. Photography Participants are not permitted to use phones or cameras during the program to ensure full engagement. Staff will take photos during the session, which will be shared with parents after the experience. These may include other participants. Photo links can take up to 7 days to be sent Animal Welfare & Safety All activities are conducted with animal welfare as the top priority. Some interactions may vary depending on the animals and conditions on the day. General This is an interactive, hands-on program. Activities may vary depending on weather, animal needs, and operational requirements.

The Australian Wildlife Foundation Ltd (trading as Australian Wildlife Sanctuary) is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. What we collect We collect personal information necessary to operate our services, including your name, contact details, payment details, booking or donation history, and any information you provide when contacting us. We may also capture photos or video at the sanctuary or events. Where relevant, we may collect limited sensitive information (e.g. medical details for safety) with your consent or where required by law. You may choose to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym where practical, however this may limit our ability to provide services. How we collect information We collect information directly from you, through bookings, forms, communications, our website, and interactions with our services. We may also collect information from public sources or where required by law. Why we collect and use it We use your information to: process bookings, donations and enquiries communicate with you about your visit, events or updates provide and improve our services support conservation, education and community activities meet legal and regulatory obligations If you do not provide required information, we may not be able to deliver services to you. We may send you marketing communications where permitted. You can opt out at any time. Disclosure of information We may disclose your information to: service providers, contractors and partners who assist our operations related organisations or trusted partners where required or authorised by law We do not sell your personal information. Overseas disclosure In limited cases, your information may be disclosed overseas (for example, through third-party service providers). Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate privacy protections are in place. Storage and security We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access or disclosure, including secure systems and restricted access. Access and correction You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information at any time by contacting us. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. Complaints If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact us. We will investigate and respond promptly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Contact us Brad Wilson Email: info@australianwildlifesanctuary.com.au Phone: 02 4210 4116 Address: 3105 Remembrance Driveway, Bargo NSW 2574 Updates This policy may be updated from time to time and the latest version will be published on our website.

Yes, but only for booked experiences. The sanctuary is not open for general admission.

The sanctuary office is not staffed everyday, the best method of contact is via email or Facebook messenger. The sanctuary phone is rarely attended and we cant guarantee your call will be answered. If you need to speak directly to our team please send your phone number via email or Facebook messenger.

Yes, experiences can only be booked online.

The sanctuary is managed by a not-for-profit charity registered organisation. All funds raised from booked experiences, donations and gift shop sales are used directly towards the running expenses of the sanctuary and its resident animals.

Yes, we accept EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard. We do not accept American Express.

Yes, we accept PayPal payments for online bookings.

We are unable to accept any pets in our sanctuary due to biosecurity and animal safety reasons. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility at the sanctuary.

Definitely, visitors are more than welcome to bring their own food and drink into the sanctuary. Alcohol is not permitted. Please keep in mind that you are only in the sanctuary whilst your experience is happening there is no picnic options after your experience or breaks during your experience except for birthday parties and excursions.

No. due to work health and safety policies smoking is not permitted at the Australian Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a designated smoking area at the southern section of the carpark near the waste bins.

Yes you can purchase wildlife experiences as a gift through our booking platform. There is an option to purchase as a gift on each experiences booking page.

During your booked experience there may be opportunities to feed our animals. This is dependant on if our animals are wanting to participate.

Yes, to book the sanctuary for a birthday party click on the menu option, BOOK your WILD EXPERIENCE.

Please contact us for events and group bookings.

You may meet a range of Australian Native animals please check the booking page of each experience for more information. Animal welfare is our priority and we cannot guarantee that our animals will participate in any experience.

Please click on the WILD Ed menu option and scroll to the bottom for more details.

The WILD Rover is our mobile education unit that can attend school incursions. Please click on the WILDLIFE EDUCATION menu option and scroll to the bottom for more details.

No, we are currently not accepting volunteer placement.

Experience's are not suitable for wheelchairs, walking aids, or people with compromised mobility. Please contact us for more information if required.

The sanctuary currently does not offer general admission and operate booked experiences only therefore we cannot offer concessional rates or complimentary participation for carers in these experiences. Please contact us for more information if required.

Yes, the sanctuary was destroyed by the 2019 bush fires. We lost 9 buildings and a large amount of infrastructure. 95% of the sanctuary was destroyed. We have been rebuilding the sanctuary since the bush fires and this will continue for many years. No animals were injured by the fires due to being evacuated. You can support our recovery by making a DONATION.

The sanctuary is only open for booked experiences. Once a booking is made our address and directions are provided on the booking confirmation.