Zoos in Australia

Australia has a wealth of public and private zoos. Many include exotic (to us) species such as big cats and elephants, while others focus on Australian animals and birds. Some emphasise their breeding programs for endangered animals.

Adelaide Zoo

Adelaide Zoo is home to 1,800 animals. Don’t miss Wang Wang and Funi, Australia’s only giant pandas and the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere. For something special, go on a behind the scenes tour and learn more about the pandas.

Adelaide Zoo is a 15 minute walk from the centre of Adelaide, and adjacent to the famous Adelaide Botanic Garden. Free guided walks and daily keeper talks make this a special experience. Dine in the bistro or relax on the central lawns. There is a range of gifts and mementos in the gift shops.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo is located on the Queensland Sunshine Coast near the Glasshouse Mountains north of Brisbane. It is one of Australia’s most popular tourist attractions, and the Home of The Crocodile Hunter, the late Steve Irwin.

The Zoo has its origin back in 1970 when Steve Irwin’s parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, bought four acres of land and started building the Beerwah Reptile Park. The park grew and stock increased, and in 1980 was renamed to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. During the 1980s Steve and Bob Irwin spent much of their time capturing rogue crocodiles together with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Some of these crocodiles were relocated to the wild, and some which could not be released were brought to the Irwins’ Park. In 1987 they opened a Crocodile Environmental Park on their property to assist with protection of the saltwater crocodile. The Crocodile Environmental Park became very popular especially for its display of crocodile feeding within the park. In 1991 Steve Irwin took over management of the zoo, and in 1992, the park was renamed to Australia Zoo. The park went from strength under the management of Steve and Terri Irwin, and Steve’s fame as The Crocodile Hunter increased the profile of the park as a tourist attraction for local and international travelers. The Zoo now cover over 29 hectares with plans for further expansion, and maintains over 1000 animals

Monarto Zoo

Monarto is a 1,000 hectare open range zoo and is home to animals from all over the world. Stroll around the park on the walking trails or take the Zu-Loop Shuttle, which is a free hop-off, hop-on service to all the special Wildlife Viewing Platforms.

See lions, cheetahs, giraffe, African wild dogs and more. Rare animals include black rhinoceros and Prezwelki’s horse.

The zoo offers behind the scenes tours, where small groups can get up close to the animals. Last entry to Monarto Zoo is 3.00pm.

Monarto Zoo is just a short 50 minute drive down the main interstate freeway and only 15 minutes from the mighty Murray River with a range of great accommodation, including bed and breakfasts and houseboats.

Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo is located in Royal Park about 4km north of the city centre. The Zoo has over 300 species of animals from all over the world in lush landscaped grounds.

Melbourne Zoo opened in 1862 on the Royal Park site, and is Australia’s oldest zoo. Melbourne Zoo was modeled on London Zoo, with formal Victorian gardens. In the early days the animals were housed in old circus cages. Picnic grounds and enhanced landscaping were added as the Zoo increased in popularity. In 1934, the Zoo introduced a collection Australian wildlife featuring kangaroos, platypus, koalas, and other native animals. The Zoo has changed dramatically over the last hundred years with exhibits renovated and new developments added such as the Trail of the Elephants, the Orangutan Sanctuary and the exhibit for Australian Fur Seals, Fairy Penguins and other marine life added recently.

Cairns Tropical Zoo

Cairns Tropical Zoo is situated about 20 minutes drive from the centre of Cairns in north Queensland. The Zoo features a range of Australian and exotic animals, housed amongst six hectares of tropical gardens. Many of the animals are indigenous to the northern wet tropics. The Zoo opened in 1980, and is part of the Wildlife Tropical North Queensland Group owned and operated by the Freeman family. (The park used to be known as Wild World – The Tropical Zoo).

Visitors can walk through the kangaroo enclosure where about sixty Eastern Grey kangaroos roam freely and meet visitors. You can buy bags of kangaroo at the Zoo shop to hand feed the kangaroos. Throughout the day there are various shows and presentations including bird feeding in the walk-through aviary, Red Panda presentation, snake show, free flight bird show, Pelican feeding, Koala keeper talk and a Crocodile show. Visitors can have their photo taken with a Koala or Boa Constrictor (additional cost), and there are also free Wombat and Crocodile photo opportunities.

Darling Downs Zoo

The Darling Downs Zoo is a small regional zoo situated on the eastern Darling Downs in Queensland, between Toowoomba and Warwick. The zoo is privately owned by Steve and Stephanie Robinson who have extensive animal keeping experience from their Robinson circus background.

The zoo which opened in 2005 features animals from Africa, South America, South-east Asia as well as Australia. The aim is to eventually display representatives of the reptile, bird and mammal life of each of these regions of the world.

Mansfield Zoo

Mansfield Zoo is located in North Eastern Victoria, about 10 minutes drive from Mansfield and 40 minutes from Mt Buller. The Zoo lies in the Delatite Valley, with views out to the Alpine Ranges including Mt Timbertop, Mt Buller and Mt Stirling.

Mansfield Zoo opened in 2000 as a wildlife park with deer and some Australian native animals. The Zoo has grown and now has over 100 native and exotic animals on 30 acres of parkland. Most of the animals can be hand-fed by visitors, including kangaroos, deer and monkeys. A Zoo Keeper takes visitors on guided tours around the zoo, a golf cart is available to take those with limited mobility around (or to give the kids a fun ride). The Zoo Keeper guided tours are held on weekends, Public Holiday and during the Victorian school holidays.