Wildlife Finishing School Possum Rehabilitation in the Adelaide Hills
SOWFI is thrilled to announce the launch of the Wildlife Finishing School, a dedicated possum pre-release rehabilitation facility located just 4 minutes outside Hahndorf in partnership with Habitat for Nature. This innovative project will significantly expand SOWFI’s capacity to care for and rehabilitate native possums while creating rewarding volunteer opportunities for the Hills community.
🐾 A Capacity-Building Project for Native Possum Rehabilitation The Wildlife Finishing School functions as a specialised pre-release boarding school for possums. Possums rescued due to injury, illness or displacement will spend their final rehabilitation phase in four large, custom-built aviaries where they can build strength, develop agility, practise natural behaviours and prepare for successful return to the wild. In line with South Australian Department for Environment and Water permit requirements, no wildlife will be released from the rehabilitation site itself — all animals return to their original rescue locations once fully prepared.
Thanks to generous support from Terra Artemis, the project has secured the necessary funding to bring this much-needed facility to life.
Why Possums Come Into Care Possums are among the most frequently rescued native wildlife species in South Australia. SOWFI responds to nearly 15,000 wildlife rescue calls each year via our 24/7 hotline, and in the Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker regions, around 45% of rescues involve possums.
Common reasons possums enter care include:
Vehicle collisions on busy roads
Attacks from pets, especially cats and dogs
Habitat loss due to urban development and tree removal
Orphaned joeys after loss of a mother
Entanglement in netting, fencing and garden materials
Heat stress or displacement
Urban expansion inevitably brings wildlife and people into closer contact — increasing stress and danger for native animals.
Conservation Status in South Australia Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
Found across the Mount Lofty Ranges and parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula
Dependent on dense vegetation and canopy connectivity.
Faces threats from habitat fragmentation and predation by feral animals.
While not formally listed as threatened, ringtails are increasingly vulnerable in urban and peri-urban zones.
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
Protected wildlife under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, and listed as Rare under the South Australian threatened species schedules due to reduced range and declining distribution in parts of the state.
Populations remain secure in areas such as the Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island, but have declined elsewhere.
Major threats include habitat loss, fragmentation, vehicle strikes, introduced predators (foxes, cats, dogs), and loss of tree hollows for shelter.
Although both species are legally protected, the brushtail possum’s rarity listing highlights the importance of rehabilitation efforts in supporting local biodiversity and sustainable wildlife populations.
🌱 Community & Conservation Benefits The Wildlife Finishing School will deliver a range of environmental and social outcomes: For Wildlife:
Increased rehabilitation capacity for injured and orphaned possums
Dedicated pre-release conditioning to improve survival rates
Support for broader conservation outcomes by contributing to healthy local populations
For the Community:
Expanded volunteering opportunities, even for people without space or facilities to care for wildlife at home
A community-centred space to learn about wildlife ecology and responsible coexistence
A facility potentially usable for temporary koala housing during bushfire emergencies
Wildlife rehabilitation plays a vital role in ecological health — supporting pollination, seed dispersal, insect control and overall biodiversity resilience.
SOWFI respectfully acknowledges the Peramangk people, the Traditional Custodians of the Adelaide Hills where the Wildlife Finishing School is located. We recognise their enduring connection to Country, wildlife and the natural environment, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
📣 Volunteer With Us – Expressions of Interest Now Open! SOWFI invites passionate individuals to be part of this exciting new chapter in wildlife care! Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or someone looking to contribute to local conservation efforts, we want to hear from you.
👉 Send your expression of interest to volunteer at the Wildlife Finishing School here: Contact & Volunteer Form
Volunteering at the Wildlife Finishing School offers hands-on experience in wildlife rehabilitation, community engagement, and conservation education — and makes a real difference to native wildlife survival.
💚 A Shared Vision for Wildlife “As more people and wildlife share the landscapes of the Adelaide Hills, the pressures on our native animals increase. The Wildlife Finishing School will provide a critical space for rehabilitation and recovery so that injured or displaced possums can return stronger and ready to thrive back in the bush.” — Danielle Clode, Australian author and Adelaide Hills local
Helping Wildlife. Supporting Volunteers. Strengthening Biodiversity. Supporting the health of Country by helping native wildlife recover and return to the landscapes where they belong. Join us in caring for South Australia’s possums — because every rescued animal counts.
