Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary will be showcased to audiences across Australia and potentially around the world, in a new eight-part television series set to air on Network 10 in September.
The Animal Sanctuary follows injured and orphaned wildlife from rescue and rehabilitation through to their return to the wild.
Bonorong, at Brighton about 30 minutes north of Hobart, carries out around 20,000 animal rescues a year.
Bonorong chief executive Matt Clement said the series was less about the sanctuary itself and more about the community behind it.
“It’s a story about the hundreds of volunteers, the volunteer rehabilitators and rescuers that go out and rescue and then actually raise injured and orphaned animals,” he told Pulse.
“It’s a collection of stories about individual animals and the journey that they go on, on their way back, hopefully to, you know, returning to the wild.”
The series was created by Tasmanian filmmaker Fraser Johnston of Spectral Media.
Clement said Johnston, who had wanted to tell Bonorong’s story for some time, was the one who approached investors to gauge interest in the project.
“We’ve been really surprised because the interest in what we do has just surpassed all our expectations really,” he said.
Clement said the series would also tell a broader conservation story while showcasing Tasmania’s unique wildlife and landscapes to potential visitors.
“Tassie is still home to some of the most unique animals on the planet,” he said.
“We get to show off the national parks and the beautiful coast and hopefully that’s going to attract people to come here and actually be part of that story with us.”
The Tasmanian Government contributed $400,000 towards production after providing $20,000 in development funding in 2023, while Tourism Tasmania invested a further $100,000.
Minister for Arts Roger Jaensch said the investment would help share Tasmania’s stories with wider audiences.
Filming wrapped after a three-month shoot, with the series expected to premiere on Network 10 in September.
