The Impact of Volunteer Wildlife Caregiving on Meaning in Life in Mid-Aged and Older Australians

Meaning in life is a key contributor to healthy aging, yet the mechanisms through which it is sustained remain underexplored. This study investigated the impact of volunteer wildlife caregiving on meaning in life among aging Australians, focusing on the three dimensions of coherence, purpose, and significance as conceptualized by the Three-Dimensional Meaning in Life framework. Eighteen participants (M age = 58.83, range 40-82; 13 female) completed a survey and semi-structured interviews about how their wildlife caring impacted coherence, purpose, and significance. Quantitative analyses revealed no significant differences in meaning in life scores by duration of volunteering. Qualitative thematic analysis, conducted using the Leximancer tool, indicated that coherence was supported by alignment with personal values such as past roles or conservation; purpose by passion, daily motivation, and identity; and significance by experiences of death and a sense of achievement. Findings highlight the centrality of animals in fostering meaningful, value-driven, and emotionally enriching experiences. Purpose and significance emerged as particularly salient for participants, reflecting motivational and evaluative aspects of meaning in life. These results demonstrate that wildlife caregiving can promote meaning in life, offering insights into strategies that may support such volunteering activities to contribute to aging well.