Pre-COVID, I had marked on my calendar that today was the day I was meant to visit David Fleay Wildlife Park to write a full review for ZooChat. Alas, the world had other ideas but I came up with the idea to use my most recent trip of the park (January 2019) and base a walk-through of the park off that. I don’t have many enclosure photos to support my review but in general, the park has some outstanding exhibits - applying the simple yet effective philosophy of using the pre-existing environment around them. Some parts of my visit are a bit hazy but I hope this review provides a good impression of what is, a fantastic facility. Opened the early 1950s, David Fleay Wildlife Park, was of course, opened by naturalist Dr. David Fleay who is well-known for breeding several Australian species for the first time in captivity like raptors and most notably platypus at Healesville. In the 1980s, the state government bought the park and continued Fleay’s legacy. The wildlife park itself is positioned along Tallebudgera Creek and prior to entering the entrance there are several trails along the mangroves and eucalyptus forests. A waterway – a series of dams and wetlands - runs throughout the entire zoo and creates a lovely continuity with the enclosures and species line-up. After paying a very reasonable $16.30 for student admission and walking through the informative visitor centre, the first couple of enclosures contained a few reptile species – Spotted Python, Coastal Carpet Python, Jungle Carpet Python, Southern Angle-headed Dragon, Green Tree Frog and Central Bearded Dragon. All of these enclosures were spacious if I recall correctly. Continuing along was a nicely-done enclosure for Koalas with large mature trees that actually gave the animals opportunities to climb and snooze at truly impressive heights. It was so great to see a decent koala enclosure after the monotony of the basic enclosure design that koalas seem to get too often. Other local zoos should take note! The nocturnal house was located opposite the koalas and opened at 10.30 during feeding time so visitors were able to get the best views of the animals [which certainly worked because I saw everything in one go]. Despite being of a modest size the nocturnal house was well-designed and each enclosure was lighted with different colours which helped improve visibility. The first exhibit contained the largest group of Spinifex Hopping Mice I had ever seen. They were, as all hopping mice usually are in nocturnal settings, very active. They had access to tall branches and were able to be seen at eye-level. Very cool. Opposite the mice was a nicely-furnished enclosure for a Bilby. Next to the bilby was the most impressive occupant of the building in my opinion - the wonderful Black-footed Tree Rat – Australia’s answer to the squirrel. The species was much larger than I expected and I spent a decent amount of time watching it consume its food. According to the native mammal thread only David Fleay and Territory Wildlife Park hold the species currently. Continuing on was a dimly-lit enclosure for the park’s resident male Platypus. It was a decent size if I remember correctly. Past a terrarium for a Green Tree Python, was a large enclosure for the always hyperactive Fat-tailed Dunnarts. The final enclosure contained a mix of Squirrel Glider and Long-nosed Potoroo. This was the enclosure their Greater Glider used to live in who was off-display during my visit, and now seems to be no longer part of their collection. Whilst I acknowledge nocturnal houses must be very expensive to run, a small park like David Fleay really showcases what can be done with such a wonderfully-planned building. Spinifex Hopping Mouse (Notomys alexis)- Nocturnal House by WhistlingKite24 posted 2 Feb 2019 at 7:42 PM Now is a good time to mention the extensive birdlife that can be found across park. The dams and smaller streams were teaming with life. The only captive waterbirds in the first part of the park were the Australian Pelicans and a male Australasian Darter. Wild bird species found across the dam area included moorhens, great egrets, magpie geese, whistling ducks, black ducks, bush stone curlews and my favourite – Nankeen/rufous night herons. The wild night herons were not shy at all and were especially emboldened during the bird show. More on that later. Wild Rufous Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) by WhistlingKite24 posted 2 Feb 2019 at 7:56 PM Wallaby Way was up next and was the zoo’s main macropod exhibit. It contained the standard mix of Emu, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Swamp Wallaby. In addition to these species, it also housed a female Eastern Wallaroo and Agile Wallaby – two species which as far as I know, cannot be found in any other south-east Queensland zoo. The enclosure itself again followed the principle of using the existing environment around them and therefore had several enormous eucalypts. Macropod Walk-through Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 1 Feb 2019 at 10:36 AM The majority of the visitor paths were wooden boardwalks over wetlands. I remember being very impressed on how well the park managed to almost blend each enclosure into the environment. There were exhibits for Black Swan, Brolga [a species the park has bred several times], Freshwater Crocodile and a pair of Saltwater Crocodile. All were naturalistic as possible. The final enclosure along this pathway was a sloping enclosure for a pair of Dingoes. Up next was an outstanding enclosure for Southern Cassowary – easily one of the best, if not the best exhibit I have seen for the species so far. The cassowary was dwarfed by enormous fig trees and the enclosure had dense foliage surrounding it. Nearby was the area in which the wild Red-legged Pademelons congregated. They were quite skittish but there seems to be quite a few of them. Continuing the rainforest theme was an enclosure for Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. I remember there being several tall trees and structures for climbing. Almost completing the full circuit of the park are arguably two of the main reasons a ZooChatter would visit David Fleay - a set of enclosures for Bridled Nailtail Wallaby and Proserpine Rock Wallaby. For those who don’t know, David Fleay is the only zoo that has either of these species. Both enclosures were nicely done – the nailtails had a sloped exhibit with thickly-planted grasses and the group of rock wallabies [I counted four] had access to a large rock pile. The final enclosure on my round was an open-topped exhibit for some Lace Monitors. Proserpine Rock Wallaby (Petrogale persephone) by WhistlingKite24 posted 1 Feb 2019 at 10:48 AM Proserpine Rock Wallaby (Petrogale persephone) by WhistlingKite24 posted 1 Feb 2019 at 10:49 AM Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) by WhistlingKite24 posted 2 Feb 2019 at 7:38 PM I also attended two shows. The first show was called Creatures of the Night and was located in a dark building with a raised seating area. I saw the following species: Short-eared Brushtail Possum [grey morph], Common Ringtail Possum, Bush Stone Curlew, Squirrel Glider and Tawny Frogmouth. The possums emerged from a small hole and walked across a set of branches, received a reward and went back into another hole through the wall. Such a fantastic way to view Australian nocturnal life. The second show for the day was a bird show which feature the wild waterbirds including the very bold night herons, and the captive Australian Pelicans. Also, a Mary River Turtle slowly emerged from the water. The presenter said it was believed that the turtle was part of Dr. David Fleay’s personal collection. The show also included a few raptors: Black Kites, a Barking Owl and a very vocal White-bellied Sea Eagle. I also saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos in off-display enclosures from one of the visitor pathways. Great Egrets (Ardea alba) by WhistlingKite24 posted 2 Feb 2019 at 7:57 PM David Fleay Wildlife Park manages to almost blur the line between their captive and wild animals, providing a uniquely immersive experience. Despite only being a wildlife park of a modest size, David Fleay delivers an authentic opportunity to view animals in incredibly naturalist settings. I also found myself thinking throughout my visit, “oh, wouldn’t that look great in zoo A” or “why doesn’t zoo B do that?”, which goes to show how innovative the park really turns out to be. Throw in a few mammalian rarities (even by Australian standards) into the mix and you have an incredibly enjoyable day out. I highly recommend a visit. Species list is below and more photos can be found here: David Fleay Wildlife Park - ZooChat
This is a species list of the animals I saw on 31st January 2019: Mammals Platypus Fat-tailed Dunnart Greater Bilby Koala Short-eared Brushtail Possum Common Ringtail Possum Squirrel Glider Long-nosed Potoroo Eastern Grey Kangaroo Eastern Wallaroo Agile Wallaby Swamp Wallaby Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Proserpine Rock Wallaby Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo Black-footed Tree Rat Spinifex Hopping Mouse Dingo [The park also has wild Red-legged Pademelons that are fed by the keepers]. Birds Emu Southern Cassowary Black Swan Tawny Frogmouth Bush Stone Curlew Australasian Darter Australian Pelican Wedge-tailed Eagle Black Kite White-tailed Sea Eagle Barking Owl Red-tailed Black Cockatoo [The park also has several wild waterbird species that are fed during a daily show]. Reptiles Freshwater Crocodile Saltwater Crocodile Mary River Turtle Southern Angle-headed Dragon Central Bearded Dragon Lace Monitor Spotted Python Coastal Carpet Python (M. s. mcdowelli) Jungle Carpet Python (M. s. cheynei) Green Tree Python Amphibians Green Tree Frog
For anyone curious in seeing what David Fleay Wildlife Park was like back in the early 1980s I highly recommend this YouTube documentary. Note the Victoria Crowned Pigeons at 19:52 - a species that is unfortunately no longer found in Australian zoos.
I have uploaded some photos of the main enclosures at David Fleay Wildlife Park. My review above should make a bit more sense with these images. Brolga Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:24 AM Koala Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:21 AM Freshwater Crocodile Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:28 AM Black Swan Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:27 AM Dingo Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:29 AM Cassowary Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:30 AM Cassowary Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:31 AM Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:35 AM Proserpine Rock Wallaby Enclosure by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:36 AM Squirrel Glider/Potoroo Enclosure - Nocturnal House by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:19 AM Bilby Enclosure - Nocturnal House by WhistlingKite24 posted 21 Jun 2020 at 11:20 AM More images of the enclosures can be found here: David Fleay Wildlife Park - ZooChat
Thank you very much @WhistlingKite24 for the review and all the photos. You made me discorvered a really nice park I didn't know before. The natural site looks fabulous and I love the idea to present native animals just in natural habitas. The only thing that I don't like too much is the noctural house. I like these type of presentation but the enclosures seem a little bit small in my opinion. Do you know if they breed some of their rarities ?
I’m glad you liked my review @Antoine. The main purpose of me writing these sorts of reviews is to give attention to zoos that don’t often get much coverage on ZooChat or haven’t received an update in a while. In regards to the nocturnal house, the only exhibit that was probably smaller than I remember was the Bilby enclosure (which seems to a common issue with Bilbies in nocturnal houses). I should also clarify that the Squirrel Glider/Potoroo enclosure pictured above is one mixed exhibit with two viewing windows. This particular enclosure extends a little further than the picture shows. The gliders also have access via small holes in the wall to go to an off-display area. In terms of what David Fleay has bred I’m not really sure. They have bred Bridled Nailtail Wallaby within the last six months though. They have also had success with breeding Brolgas in the past - which doesn’t seem to be as common as I once thought.
@WhistlingKite24 Thank you for your answer. It's a pleasure to watch photos and read comments on such nice and unknown park (from my european point of view). If you want to go on with others I will be very happy ! On the photos we saw few animals. Do they have some large groups particularly regarding the rarest species ?
I have posted reviews for most of my local zoos and three of the Sydney attractions (around 15 in total so far) - here are some of them if you are interested: A Review of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary [Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary] Another Review of Wildlife HQ [Wildlife HQ Zoo] A Review of Darling Downs Zoo [Darling Downs Zoo] A Review of Taronga Zoo [Taronga Zoo] A Review of WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo [Wild Life Sydney] In regards to the numbers of the rarer species, I saw five Bridled Nailtail Wallabies on my recent visit and I am sure they have more of this species. I didn't see many individuals of the other species like Short-eared Brushtail Possum, Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo or Proserpine Rock Wallaby. However, they do seem to have many off-display enclosures so there is always a possibility that more of each species are held off-display.
@WhistlingKite24 Thanks for all of your reviews. I have enjoyed them. What is your favorite platypus exhibit in the various zoos where you have seen them? Nobody has done a deep dive on platypus exhibit quality here to my knowledge (other than a lot of commentary on Healesville's weird outside exhibit before it was renovated), and would be interested in your assessment.
The last time I was there several Proserpine rock wallabies were being kept off display, I believe for breeding purposes. The enclosures are to the right hand side when you walk up the stairs to the building where the nocturnal show is. David Fleay's actually has quite a number of off display species, including the birds of prey used in the bird show, some red tailed black cockatoos (they were having significant problems with the cockatoos being attacked by a resident grey goshawk through the aviary wire), an old female dingo who was retired from public display due to her age (she might have passed away since the last time I saw her) and the old wedge tailed eagle pair (which may or may not still be alive, I haven't been there in a while so I can't verify). The birds of prey used in the show and the old wedge tailed eagle pair (if their still alive) can sometimes be seen in the aviaries up on the hill behind the Lumholtz tree kangaroo enclosure and the bridled nailtail wallaby enclosure.
I’m glad you liked my reviews and I’d be more than happy to share my impressions on the platypus exhibits I have seen so far. By my count, I have seen ten Platypus across six facilities. I unfortunately haven’t been to Healesville Sanctuary or the other places that house them so I cannot really comment on what they have to offer. Walkabout Creek Nature Centre (1 Exhibit, formerly 2) – This place is very small and its main drawcard is Platypus. They used to have two platypus enclosures but on my last visit they only had one Platypus on-display. The enclosure itself is pretty standard, maybe a tad small compared to other places. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (2 Exhibits) – Lone Pine houses their two males in a newish Platypus House with two tanks. They are quite large and relatively well-lit – probably the best place that holds Platypus locally here in Queensland [photo: Platypus House - ZooChat, Platypus Tanks - ZooChat ] Melbourne Zoo (1 Exhibit) – I don’t remember much about Melbourne’s enclosure but it was pretty standard and dark. The Platypus was very active though. David Fleay Wildlife Park (1 Exhibit) – Probably the darkest enclosure I have seen as it’s usually pitch black. I only saw it a few days ago and the Platypus enclosure is a decent size for their male. The tank is mixed with large rainbowfish – not sure if they are a food source or not. Taronga Zoo (4 Exhibits) – I saw four on-display enclosures for Platypus at Taronga Zoo: two tanks in the Platypus House with a camera system recording their burrows, a new outdoor enclosure [photo:Platypus Enclosure - ZooChat ] and apparently there is still a Platypus that lives in the Blue Mountains Aviary mixed with birds and rock wallabies [photo:Blue Mountains Bushwalk - ZooChat]. I really liked the new outdoor enclosure especially – seeing a Platypus swimming around in the open air was really nice. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo (1 Exhibit) – I wasn’t a big fan of this enclosure and it was a pretty odd design – the platypus enclosure was basically a tank within a tank [photo: Platypus Enclosure - ZooChat]. It was very brightly-lit which is very unusual for a platypus exhibit I thought. They did however have a nice waterfall and branches/logs that were positioned out of the water which I saw both of their females use [photo: Platypus Playing in the Waterfall - ZooChat ]. They also had some land space - not sure if they have full access to it though - which is something I had never seen before. I guess Taronga Zoo would be my favourite place that I have seen Platypus due to the unique way they display them. Most of the places that house platypus are the traditional on-display indoor tank with the off-display burrow system.
Yes, I saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle and the pair of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos like I usually do from the places you mentioned. I didn't know about the Proserpine Rock Wallabies - hope they breed them. I tried to ask a keeper about the Greater Glider (as the sign in the nocturnal house is still up for him) but she could only tell me that it wasn't on-display and she wasn't sure if the species was no longer at the zoo.
