Doing time, saving wildlife

17 JULY 2025

It’s a role reversal at the Wildlife Centre in the grounds of the Francis Greenway Correctional Complex. The men in green are walking around with wheelbarrows and tools, busy with a full day of jobs. The animals are behind bars, being rehabilitated and looked after.

The Wildlife Care Centre protects and conserves Australian wildlife and provides minimum-security male inmates with formal training courses provided by TAFE NSW.

Established in the late 1990s by former Commissioner Ron Woodham, the centre is designed to assist inmates with their rehabilitation and reintegration to the community by developing skills in animal care and management. Inmates begin by working in prison industries before transitioning to the centre, where they receive training designed to help them secure employment upon their release.

“I’d like to work with animals when I get out, I’ve done a few of the courses here,” says Beau*

“I’d start off volunteering, because I love animals and being here with them has changed me. You should have seen me when I first came in but now, I am so peaceful. It is rehab for us, not just the animals.”

Helping them heal

Animals are brought to the centre for various reasons, including customs seizures, trafficking, surrendered or abandoned pets, and injured rescues requiring treatment and rehabilitation.

Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong believes the work helps not only the animals but also has a positive impact on the inmates.

“The Wildlife Care Centre provides an opportunity to train inmates to look after injured animals, giving them a sense of responsibility while instilling empathy and compassion – all things critical to an inmate’s rehabilitation,” he said.

“The work and training provided to inmates is vitally important to their future employment prospects while in custody. We want to train, educate, and provide them with as many skills as possible so they can leave custody with the best opportunity to secure employment.”

Good for one, good for all

Animals ask no questions and pass no judgement, making them ideal company for all of us. It is not only the inmates at the centre who enjoy vocational training and spending time with the reptiles, birds, wombats and kangaroos, the officers have benefitted from the training and working with ‘inmates’ of a four-legged, feathered or scaled variety too.

*Name changed