Kuranda Venom Zoo 2007 - Promoter with a lizard at the Railway Station

November 2007

Kuranda Venom Zoo is an odd however interesting venture. They focus on breeding for research and the pet trade. Exhibition is second and it shows on the cheapish appearance. You get your own guide and are not allowed to wander around alone; I assume because the exhibits did not seem sturdy. In fact many could have been bought in a pet-shop at best and been home-made at worst. Zoo visitors have long since proved that they can injure or kill themselves at sturdier exhibits than featured here.

Presenter with a lizard at the Railway Station.

He's promoting a Venom Zoo - with a lizard?

I visited in 2005. Their exhibits were very cheap then too. I also had a guide who had memorised the talk, could probably answer the usual questions but was unable to answer mine. And there were some mistakes in what she said too.

If I went back to Kuranda, I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't get to visit the Venom Zoo again.

True, same if I went back to Kuranda, the Venom Zoo is a 'get it done and over with' thing, nothing your mouth will water over. It is an odd venture and I remember the feeling I had in my stomach upon exiting was in no way comparable to the one I had when I left the other collections in Kuranda.

I say: go there so you can claim to have visited five collections in one day in one town (one day would be too tight I guess to add the Cairns Safari Reserve, not far away) but not for another reason really.