Restoring Two Thumbs Wildlife Sanctuary

Following its destruction due to bushfires, IFAW is helping to revive this haven for Australia’s native wildlife. 

Problem 

Two Thumbs Wildlife Sanctuary in southern New South Wales was devastated by the Black Summer bushfires. On 23 January 2020, sanctuary owner James Fitzgerald lost his home, his life’s work, and many of the animals in his care.  

James, a volunteer firefighter himself, had spent the previous few weeks fighting fires and rescuing wildlife. He had been taking a koala to the veterinarian when the winds changed and the fire engulfed his property. 

In a double tragedy, a firefighting air tanker crashed on a neighbouring property while trying to protect the sanctuary. All three American crewmembers were killed: Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson, and Rick DeMorgan. 

James embarked a mission to find and save any surviving animals and to restore the sanctuary. We have been by his side every step of the way. 

Solution

Immediately after the fires, we deployed IFAW x UniSC koala detection dog Bear, along with his handler and researcher Dr Romane Cristescu and a heat seeking drone. ‘Team Bear’ spent weeks searching the scorched landscape for koala survivors, prepared for the effort to be in vain, but hopeful nonetheless. Bear is trained to detect live koalas through the scent of their fur, which makes him a valuable asset in search and rescue missions.  

In total, eight koalas were found and rescued, many of which would not have been found without Bear. James named three of the rescued koalas after the pilots that lost their lives. One was named Bear, after his rescuer. Mother and daughter Jessie and Amelia (and a surprise pouch joey, Jazz) were also among those rescued. Eventually, several of these koalas were able to return to the wild, completing the rescue–rehabilitation–release cycle. 

IFAW also helped fund a new koala enclosure on the property and worked with ecologists from Habitat Innovation and Management to plan the sanctuary’s restoration. This has included installing a range of unique modular Habitat nest boxes and dens to encourage animals and birds, including endangered gang-gang cockatoos and greater gliders, to return home to the sanctuary. 

Impact 

Recent footage from cameras sited around the nest boxes and dens have shown dozens of native animals returning to the area, and when Team Bear returned in late 2024, they found 18 koalas, including four joeys, in just one section of the sanctuary.  

James’s dream of Two Thumbs once again being a refuge for wildlife is coming true. Our conservation work has helped provide space for native animals, both those living in the wild and those being rehabilitated, to thrive once again. 

• 125 Habitat nest boxes installed in trees for birds, gliders, possums, and microbats  
• 6 species to date spotted using the nest boxes 
• 20 augmented natural tree hollows 
• 20 dens built into the ground 
• 29 native species spotted checking out the dens, with about half using them 
• 3 raptor platforms built for native birds 
• 2,000 native grasses and trees planted 

In addition, we’ve worked to curb soil erosion to protect against further degradation. 

And it is not only the landscape that is recovering. After IFAW’s latest visit to the sanctuary, we received the following message from James: 

‘Since the fires, I have only gone into the bush to help with research projects. I used to enjoy the bush, both day and night. But for the last five years, it has been too sad. After what you found in December 2024, I think I can go back into the bush again with enthusiasm for what I might find, instead of dreading the “ghost forest” that was left behind after the Black Summer bushfires. Thank you—you have really made a difference.’