WPZ - My First Time » Western Plains Zoo

WPZ - My First Time
20-04-2008

I returned ftom my first trip to WPZ on Friday and wondered why I had never made the effort to go before! Admittedly the Sydney-Dubbo drive put me off a bit but it was worth the time in the car!
We did the early morning walk on Wed and that was brilliant! The best $10 I have ever spent! To wander "behind the scenes" was a fantastic experience.
We spent the day at the zoo, and made it back around to see the feeding of the African Wild Dogs. Amazing.
The next day we were booked on a Big Cat Encounter - we fed the lions. The girls were quite forthcoming to the fence for their chicken necks however he lazed at the back after giving us a welcome snarl. If anyone knows the names of the lions, please advise as I forgot in all the excitement. I love all animals, esp big cats and this experience gave my love for them such a boost, not to mention cementing my respect and admiration of them.
The following day we went on the Wild Safari Tour and that was even better than the early morning walk! To see the breeding areas and be told more about the conservation plans and the behind the scenes stuff was awe-inspiring.
I had ordered a telephoto lens for the trip but sadly it never arrived in time, however I still managed to take 300+ photos, including some "eyeball to eyeball" shots with the lion, tiger, wapiti and a spider monkey. Those experiences are utterly priceless.
Everyone should go there! You come away with such a strengthened conservation resolve ...
We're already planning our next trip out there!

20-04-2008

Glad to hear you enjoyed it - WPZ is one of my favourites.

I've been there twice - the first time it was 5 degrees celcius and it snowed at Orange and Bathurst on the way home, the second time it was 45 degrees !! Interesting experiencing the two extremes!

20-04-2008

Welcome to the Zoobeat forum, Glad you liked WPZ

21-04-2008

yeah i noticed in an article about werribee's hippos it mentioned harry moving to melbourne "for the warmer weather"!

which i figured was typo until i remembered that dubbo was inland. its over a thousand kilometers north of melbourne but actually gets colder because its so far inland... whereas we are warmed by the sea.

21-04-2008

We had glorious weather (nights around 8-9 degrees and sunny days at 24-25 degrees) so all the animals were out and about doing what they should, when they should.
Sadly the one-horned rhino and the addax were off exhibit tho ...

21-04-2008

I am going to a confrence there in May. I think we will also have opportunities for special tours. Can't wait.

21-04-2008

You missed the indian rhino....I would go just for him.

21-04-2008

He has on going access to his night quaters. Maybe he was on exhibit, just well not on exhibit.

22-04-2008

No there was a "Sorry - Unavailable" sign on his fence.
We'll just have to go back to Dubbo!
I'd like the experience to feed the tiger anyway so any excuse will do!
Monty, do the early morning walk &/or the Wild Safari Tour if you have the chance. Both are so interesting!

22-04-2008

I first visited WPZ about 21 years ago. Memorable!

Hired a push-bike - put my little daughter in the kid's seat and took off. I hadn't been on a pushbike for many years, so I was a little out of control - rode through a bush! "Wanna get off" wailed my daughter, but we persevered. The further I rode the smaller the seat seemed to be! (Ouch!)

Came up over the top of a hill, pedalling madly, and down below was a herd of African elephants - just magic! (There were 4 or 5 of them in those days.) It was one of those moments when I knew how important zoos are to people like me, people with kids and mortgages and not much chance of ever seeing elephants in the wild.(Well, in those days, anyway.)

22-04-2008

I think they probably still have the same bike you hired back then! We skipped the bike but there were lots of little boys more interested in what they could do with the rear wheel of their BMX in the dirt than the endangered animal infront of them - I found that sad.