What is the minimum age to join the tour?

The structured minimum age is 4, but the sanctuary recommends the experience for children aged six and older; all children must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Is the sanctuary wheelchair accessible?

Yes — Hills Wildlife Sanctuary notes the site is wheelchair and pram friendly, though some areas may require assistance.

When do I get the exact meeting address?

The sanctuary shares its full address and meeting instructions only after you confirm a booking.

Can I take photos or video during the tour?

Guests are welcome to photograph and film for personal use unless staff advise otherwise; attendees should also note they may be photographed for promotional use unless they opt out.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel or rebook free of charge up to 14 days before the tour.

Are tours guaranteed to run each day?

Tours are strictly limited and subject to availability; they may be postponed, rescheduled or cancelled for heavy rain, extreme heat, animal welfare or operational reasons.

Behind the Scenes at Hills Wildlife Sanctuary — Private Keeper-Led Australian Wildlife Tour

Set just outside Sydney in Dural, New South Wales, the Immersive Behind The Scenes Tour at Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a rare, keeper-led experience that places visitors inside a working rescue and rehabilitation facility. Over 2.5 hours you'll follow a personal keeper through quiet enclosures and interpretive areas to meet rescued native education animals — from startled magpies and cockatoos to wallabies and injured koalas — while staff explain rescue protocols, rehabilitation techniques and daily animal care. The sanctuary operates as a licensed Central Facility through the National Parks & Wildlife Service (Licence Number: MWL000100265) and as a member of the NSW Wildlife Council. That official standing shows in the careful routines you’ll witness: quarantine and treatment zones, enrichment sessions, and the small, exacting acts that decide whether an animal returns to the wild. This tour grants access to sections normally closed to the public, so you can see real conservation work rather than staged exhibits. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is set in semi-rural Dural, a pocket of northwestern Sydney where pockets of native eucalypt and dry woodland remain between horse paddocks and hobby farms. The landscape frames the sanctuary’s outdoor enclosures and aviaries and supports the native species under care. Guides highlight natural history as well as animal stories — the human decisions, local rescues and seasonal pressures that have shaped the sanctuary’s caseload. Practical details matter: the experience is limited to pre-booked groups, requires at least two paying guests, and is recommended for children aged six and older. The sanctuary is wheelchair and pram friendly, but staff may postpone tours in extreme weather or for animal welfare reasons. Guests are free to photograph and film for personal use unless staff instruct otherwise, and consent to being photographed for promotional use unless they opt out at check-in. Why book this? For travelers who want more than observation, this offering shifts you behind the rope: you’ll handle educational sessions, hear keeper anecdotes about individual rescues, and leave with an informed sense of how wildlife hospitals function in the Sydney region. It’s an efficient, intimate conservation lesson—ideal for families, wildlife enthusiasts and photographers seeking unvarnished glimpses of Australian fauna and the people dedicated to their care. On top of the animal encounters, the tour emphasizes behind-the-scenes practices: biosecurity routines, feeding regimes tailored to species, and the behavioural enrichment used to rehabilitate survivors of vehicle strikes, orphaning and habitat loss. Keepers will answer pragmatic questions about when a patient is fit for release and what follow-up monitoring involves. Because public access is tightly controlled, each visit increases transparency and community support for rescue work in the Hills region. Book early: slots are limited and the sanctuary shares its exact address only after confirmation.

Behind the Scenes at Hills Wildlife Sanctuary — Private Keeper-Led Australian Wildlife Tour

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