WA Wildlife

What WA Wildlife does

WA Wildlife (legally Native ARC Incorporated) is a Western Australian nonprofit organisation, founded in 1998 and rebranded from Native ARC to WA Wildlife in 2021, that operates an integrated rescue-to-release model for sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife from a single 172 Hope Road, Bibra Lake site. The core operating stack comprises a purpose-built 700m² WA Wildlife Hospital (the first wildlife veterinary hospital licensed in WA in 2018, capacity up to 10,000 animals per year), the WA Wildlife Ambulance (the only wildlife rescue service in WA staffed by paid Rescue Officers, launched February 2021), licensed wildlife rehabilitation enclosures, and Western Australia's first dedicated Marine Turtle ICU Facility and Reptile Discovery Centre (launched 31 October 2024). Supporting services include the Wildcare Helpline (operated under a DBCA service contract), a wildlife research programme collaborating with Murdoch University and Wildlife Health Australia, daily wildlife tours, nocturnal Nightstalk Tours, school excursions and incursions, school holiday programmes, veterinary professional training, venue hire, two retail Op Shops (Hilton from November 2021 and Yangebup from June 2023), corporate volunteering, and a Containers for Change recycling scheme.

The organisation is funded almost entirely outside the State and Federal operating budgets: the City of Cockburn has been the primary sponsor since 2011 and funded the hospital building; Lotterywest funded the hospital fit-out; the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife funded the ambulance; State NRM funded the Marine Turtle ICU. Recurring revenue is generated through tax-deductible community donations and bequests, financial memberships ($20-$50/year), tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum $100,000+ down to Friends under $9,000), education programmes ($15/student), venue hire ($24-$40/hour), and Op Shop retail. The workforce is 27 paid staff supplemented by 550+ volunteers operating across hospital, rehabilitation and retail.

Service reach is concentrated in Western Australia, with 6,500+ animals treated annually across 280 species — more than double any other wildlife rehabilitation facility in the state — and a 2025 'Step Up for Wildlife' campaign explicitly lobbying for sustainable State Government operating funding to secure the organisation's future.

Name

WA Wildlife

Legal name

Native ARC Incorporated

Website

https://wawildlife.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WA Wildlife (Native ARC Incorporated) is a Western Australia nonprofit operating an integrated wildlife rescue, veterinary hospital, rehabilitation, and release service from Bibra Lake, treating 6,500+ animals annually across 280 species, supported by 27 paid staff and 550+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife rescue services
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Veterinary wildlife hospital
• Conservation education programs
• Animal welfare nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Bibra Lake

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Bequests: Community donations are the primary funding source. Donations to Native ARC Incorporated (ABN: 83 2756 254 69) cover veterinarian salaries, food, medications, housing, heating, and other running costs. All donations over AU$2.00 are tax deductible. Also accepts bequests through wills.
2. Membership Fees: Annual financial memberships: Single $30, Student $20, Senior $20, Family $50. Members receive a free tour of their choice and can attend General and Annual General Meetings.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers: Platinum ($100,000+), Gold ($75,000), Silver ($50,000), Bronze ($25,000), Supporters ($10,000), Friends (under $9,000). Sponsors fund specific programs, staff salaries, infrastructure, and operational costs.
4. Education Tours and Programs: Revenue from daily wildlife tours, nocturnal nightstalk tours, school holiday programs, school excursions and incursions ($15/student, $300 minimum), and professional veterinary training courses.
5. Venue Hire: WA Wildlife Education & Training Centre available for hire at $40/hour (standard) or $24/hour (non-profit rate). Includes facilities for community events, workshops, presentations, and corporate functions up to 89 guests.
6. Op Shop Sales: Two Op Shops (Hilton and Yangebup) sell second-hand merchandise including clothing, books, DVDs, homewares, bric-a-brac, shoes, bags, stationery, and antiques.
7. Containers for Change: Participates in WA container recycling scheme. Receives 10c refund per accepted container returned with WA Wildlife's ID Number C10281654.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WA Wildlife operates a 24/7 wildlife rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation service for sick, injured, and orphaned native Australian wildlife in the Perth metropolitan area. The organization runs a licensed veterinary wildlife hospital at its Bibra Lake headquarters, supported by a trained rescue officer network, and complements rescue operations with public education programs, school bookings, guided tours, corporate volunteering experiences, and venue hire. Services are delivered free to the public, with revenue sourced from donations, memberships, sponsorships, education fees, and venue hire.

Product overview

WA Wildlife is a wildlife rescue, treatment and rehabilitation organization operating a unified service model where every stage of care happens on-site. The core offerings include the WA Wildlife Hospital (purpose-built veterinary facility), WA Wildlife Ambulance (rescue service with paid officers), Wildlife Rehabilitation (purpose-built enclosures), Marine Turtle ICU Facility, Wildcare Helpline, and Wildlife Research programs. Supporting services include education programs (Discovery Tours, Nocturnal Nightstalk Tours, School Excursions/Incursions, School Holiday Programs), Professional Training for veterinarians, Venue Hire, Op Shops, Corporate Volunteering, and various fundraising programs (Donations, Memberships, Containers for Change). The organization is Western Australia's busiest rescue-to-release wildlife organization, treating over 6,500 animals annually across 280 species.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Wildlife Rescue Hotline

Quantifiable outcome

• 6500+ animals treated annually across 280+ species
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship/primary, major and minor.

• AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Marine turtles treated and stabilized at WA Wildlife Marine Turtle ICU Facility are transferred to AQWA for long-term rehabilitation and release. Partnership enables complete care pathway for marine turtle species.
• City of Cockburnflagship/primaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Primary sponsor since 2011. Funded construction of WA Wildlife Hospital and Education & Training Centre as part of Native ARC redevelopment project. Located on A-class reserve managed by City of Cockburn. Strong focus on environmental management enabling organizational growth.
• AnimaliuscoreTechnology or IntegrationBronze sponsor ($25,000 annually). Specialist veterinary imaging provider enabling CT scans to diagnose internal injuries and assess complex conditions in wildlife patients.
• Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)flagship/primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBCA owns the Wildcare Helpline which WA Wildlife manages and operates. Volunteer operators connect public with licensed wildlife rehabilitators statewide. DBCA also licenses WA Wildlife operations.
• Wildlife Health AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWA Wildlife participates in Sentinel Clinic Disease Surveillance program coordinated by Wildlife Health Australia. Collaborates on sample collection and reporting of wildlife health cases relevant to WA.
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWA Wildlife is a member of the WA Wildlife Health Reference Group chaired by DPIRD. Veterinarians work closely with DPIRD on wildlife disease surveillance and reporting.
• Murdoch UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in wildlife research projects. WA Wildlife veterinarians work with Murdoch University on disease surveillance and reporting. Also accepts veterinary student work experience placements.
• Containers for ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWA container recycling scheme. WA Wildlife receives 10c refund per container returned with their ID Number C10281654. 260 refund points available across WA. Raised over $11,400 since 2021.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife Victoria: Statewide wildlife rescue and rehabilitation network in Victoria operating a 24/7 rescue hotline connecting public with volunteer rehabilitators — a direct analogue to WA Wildlife's Wildcare Helpline service.
• Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital: Purpose-built wildlife hospital in Queensland founded by the Irwin family, treating thousands of native animals each year. Operates a similar rescue-to-release mission with paid veterinary staff and a strong wildlife medicine training program.
• Sydney Wildlife Rescue: Largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisation in NSW, providing rescue, care, and release services for native wildlife across the Sydney region. Operates a similar nonprofit membership and volunteer-driven model.
• Currumbin Wildlife Hospital: One of Australia's largest wildlife hospitals, located at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland. Treats over 12,000 native animals annually — the closest functional analogue to WA Wildlife's integrated veterinary hospital model.
• Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital: Not-for-profit wildlife hospital in northern NSW providing free veterinary care to sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife. Operates a similar charity-funded model with corporate sponsorship and community fundraising.

Broad incumbents

• Zoos South Australia (Adelaide Zoo): Operator of Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park with veterinary and conservation programs. Provides wildlife hospital-adjacent services and species recovery work, but functions within a state-owned zoo portfolio rather than as an independent wildlife rescue charity.
• Healesville Sanctuary: Victorian wildlife sanctuary operated by Zoos Victoria with an on-site wildlife hospital treating native species. Comparable in offering wildlife hospital services plus public education, but part of a larger zoo network rather than an independent charity.
• RSPCA Australia: National peak body for animal welfare in Australia. Operates animal hospitals and shelters across states (though WA Wildlife handles wildlife rather than domestic animals). Relevant comparator for charity structure, fundraising model, and accreditation footprint.
• Taronga Wildlife Hospital: Wildlife hospital operated by Taronga Conservation Society within Taronga Zoo (NSW). Provides veterinary care and research for wildlife, but is embedded within a broader zoo and conservation portfolio rather than being a standalone wildlife-only charity.

Regional players

• Hunter Wildlife Rescue: Volunteer-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation service in the Hunter region of NSW. Comparable in operating model (volunteer rehabilitators, donation-funded, wildlife-only focus) but serves a different geographic territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wa-wildlife

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WA Wildlife