Chris Rafferty and Mark Hayman are the owners of Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary, a property located approximately 40km north east of Perth, Western Australia. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary and a registered charity, working to prevent and relieve the suffering of both native and farm animals. It is Chris and Mark’s intent to continue to use the property for education, and the protection and rehabilitation of all animals.
Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary covers 12.5 hectares of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and marri (Corymbia calophylla) woodlands with a sparse understorey, open paddock lands and large old growth jarrah trees.
More than half of Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary is bushland, providing a release site for rehabilitated native wildlife and a refuge for animals in the area. Wildlife species known to inhabit the property include brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus), western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), brush-tailed phascogales (Phascogale tapoatafa), dugites (Pseudonaja affinis), sand goannas (Varanus gouldii) and frogs (Litoria spp.). The sanctuary also supports assorted bird life ranging from red-tailed black-cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii), to red-capped parrots (Purpureicephalus spurius) and robins (Petroica spp.).
