Native Animal Education Sanctuary Ltd. are the owners of Cowsnest Community Farm and Wildlife Refuge a property situated in Candelo, New South Wales. The land is currently used as a wildlife sanctuary as well as for wildlife rehabilitation, education, agriculture and recreation with 500 acres of steep bush, 250 acres of farmland and 57 acres of feral animal proof wildlife enclosure (a halfway house for orphaned and injured native animals on their way to release). The owner’s future intentions are to continue to use Cowsnest for wildlife rehabilitation, craft workshops, catering for events, cow milking, cheese making and poultry care. There is a Voluntary Conservation Agreement on 500 acres of the property’s steep bush.
Cowsnest spans 331 hectares across Dry schlerophyll forest, Brogo Wetvine Forest and pasture.
An extensive number of wildlife species can be found at Cowsnest, including eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), red-necked wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus), wallaroos/euros (Osphranter robustus), long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta), bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), feathertail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus), grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus), little red flying-foxes (Pteropus scapulatus), microbat species, gang-gang cockatoos (Callocephalon fimbriatum), galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), little corellas (Cacatua sanguinea), long-billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris), crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans), king parrots (Alisterus scapularis), white-headed pigeons (Columba leucomela), crested pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes), wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata), pacific black ducks (Anas superciliosa), Australasian grebes (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), common bronzewings (Phaps chalcoptera), eastern brown snakes (Pseudonaja textilis), red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus), lace monitors (Varanus varius), eastern blue tongued skinks (Tiliqua scincoides), eastern long-necked turtles (Chelodina longicollis), short-finned eels (Anguilla australis) and long-finned eels (Anguilla reinhardtii).
