Cleland Wildlife Park Cleland Wildlife Park

Cleland Wildlife Park is in the Adelaide Hills overlooking the city of Adelaide. A natïve fauna park run by the South Australian Parks and Wildlife Service, I had ignored it in my previous visits to Adelaide, thinking it would be a small park run on a shoestring budget, a side-addition to the larger Cleland Conservation Park. Barely 10kms from Adelaide Zoo, and only about 40kms from Monarto Zoo, I didn’t think I was missing much.

I was very wrong.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/entrance-sign-154359/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/map-154366/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/view-adelaide-154342/

Cleland was an unexpected highlight of my entire trip to South Australia and Kangaroo Island. It is quite large, with lots of open space and native mallee and woodlands, very large enclosures and some excellent walkthrough aviaries. Although it is run by the government it is well-funded and looks first-rate. And I discovered two things there that really excited me, both within ten metres of the main entrance: a numbat, and free-ranging potoroos.

After entering the park the first building you come to is the Ocean to Outback building, which has a lot of information and illustrations of how Adelaide has changed over the last hundred years or so, and has a number of exhibits showing the fauna and habitats that are found between the coast and the more arid interior (much of South Australia is desert). There are nocturnal displays and many reptile enclosures, some traditional wooden boxes, others are more elaborate displays like the Black Tiger Snake enclosure, a species found on offshore islands. Something that caught my attention was in two exhibits coming out of the nocturnal area, one for Fat-tailed dunnarts, the other for Tree Skinks.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/outback-ocean-signage-154431/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/outback-ocean-154430/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/inland-taipan-exhibit-154422/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/inland-taipan-154421/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/black-tiger-snake-exhibit-154418/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/black-tiger-snake-154419/

Almost all animals in zoos need access to a supply of fresh drinking water in their enclosure. Many zoos use stainless steel or ceramic bowls for food and water because they are easy to clean and disinfect, but they look unnatural in an enclosure. Hiding them behind a log or a rock is a way around this, but then the animals will be out of view when drinking or eating – something that many people like seeing, and it can be educational to watch. An alternative is to use bowls made to look like rocks or logs. While these look more ‘natural’, they are still quite obviously a bowl made to look like a log or rock. And they can be much harder to clean, especially if the animal craps on it.

The Fat-Tailed Dunnart tank was an arid looking enclosure, and in the centre was a ceramic mug that looked like it had been discarded. Although not natural, it looked like the kind of thing you would find discarded in the outback. It was sitting half-submerged in the sand at an angle, and the water was sitting in the bottom of the mug. There was plenty of water, but it was shallow near the lip so there was no danger of the occupant drowning if it fell in, because it could easily walk out. And while the mug was not ‘natural’ per se, it demonstrated how many animals are able to utilise objects humans have thrown away (I have actually seen similar items in the outback with small puddles of dew within them). The Tree Skink tank demonstrated the same concept but instead of a mug they had an abandoned billy can.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/fat-tailed-dunnart-exhibit-154420/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/tree-skink-exhibit-154434/

Two freshwater fish tanks had been setup with endangered species of Murray River fish – the Purple-spotted Gudgeon and the Yarra Pygmy Perch. These species have been breeding successfully in captivity, and there are much larger holding/breeding tanks outside the building.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/purple-spotted-gudgeon-154433/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/purple-spotted-gudgeon-tank-154432/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/yarra-pygmy-perch-154438/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/yarra-pygmy-perch-154439/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/yarra-pygmy-perch-outdoor-holding-tank-154440/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/yarra-pygmy-perch-information-154362/

The last enclosure was in a large room and had been built around a corner of the room. Using glass (or Perspex) panels as a fence attached to the side walls they had made a roughly square, open-topped enclosure. On the floor they had put a base of leaf litter, furnished with logs, rocks, grasses and cut tree branches. This was the home to a numbat.

I was absolutely stoked. I hadn’t seen a numbat in over 20 years, and those had all been rather timid. This one was very active and quite used to people, not at all fussed when a group of noisy school kids came in for a look. The glass fence meant the kids could sit on the floor and look at the numbat from only a few inches away. I must have spent 20 minutes – maybe more – watching and photographing this animal. Because of the fence, I was able to reach down into the enclosure with my pocket camera and get some close-ups, and nice shots of her within the exhibit. It was very reluctantly I left her to see more of the park.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-enclosure-154429/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-enclosure-154428/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-enclosure-154426/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-154427/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-154425/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-154424/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/numbat-154423/

Just outside the Outback to Oceans building are some tables and chairs for people who have bought food from the kiosk. Living on the gardens, and scrounging the odd scraps, were some free-ranging potoroos. Most zoos/parks have free-ranging peacocks or guinea-fowl, some have wallabies/kangaroos or even emus, so I always like to see what other free-ranging animals zoos can have. However, I’d never heard of any place with potoroos before. I counted at least eight, but I believe there are a few dozen. Despite being nocturnal, these guys were out in the bright sunshine although they did seem to prefer being in the shade. And they weren’t all hanging around the picnic area – I saw a few some distance away down a path, resting under a shrub. I got a chance to speak to a keeper about it later on, and he confirmed they were animals that had been released (there are bettongs, bandicoots and potoroos elsewhere in the park). I asked of they got locked away at night; No, he replied. What about owls and other predators, I asked. He admitted some may have been taken, but there were still plenty around so they must have learnt to avoid predators. Wonderful, I thought. Potoroos are certainly better looking than rats.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/potoroo-free-ranging-154370/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/potoroo-free-ranging-154369/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/potoroo-free-ranging-154368/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/potoroo-free-ranging-154367/

I set off to check out the rest of the park. The Tasmanian devils have two large enclosures, well-planted (one of them very dense) and the devils were running round the fencelines in that loping gait they have, pausing periodically to sniff the air and see what scents the tourists brought.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/tasmanian-devil-exhibit-154384/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/tasmanian-devil-exhibit-154383/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/tasmanian-devil-154382/

Nearby was a similar enclosure, large and well-planted with a large rocky mound forming a cave on one side. This was the lace monitor enclosure – a great exhibit but unfortunately I didn’t see the monitors anywhere.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/lace-monitor-exhibit-154363/

Next was the koala photo area, which was being renovated. The koalas were in another enclosure not far away – a long concrete enclosure with tree-trunk perches and cut eucalyptus branches under a shade roof. As it was a hot day the animals were being misted. A typical koala enclosure so I didn’t waste any time here (from my point of view as a visitor, Koalas are terribly over-rated).

http://www.zoochat.com/88/koalas-being-misted-154360/

If the Koala exhibit was typical and boring, the Dingo enclosure was the complete opposite. It is large, very large. One of the biggest dingo enclosures I’ve seen anywhere, the only other one that comes close is at Western Plains Zoo. Most dingo enclosures are flat, but this one is steeply sloping because it is built on either side of a gully which has a large pool at the bottom. Plenty of exercise for the animals there! The first photo linked below shows about half the exhibit, and there are two dingos in the picture resting in the shade (on the left, near each of the rock piles). The rock piles were shaded rest areas. The pathway went along one side of the enclosure and ended in a viewing platform, with an interpretive centre behind.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-enclosure-154355/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-enclosure-154354/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-enclosure-viewing-platform-154356/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-154353/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-154349/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-signage-154361/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/dingo-graphic-154375/

Wombats tend to destroy their enclosures and will dig up any plants, so I was impressed somewhat by Cleland’s wombat displays. Until I realised parts of it was fenced off to the wombats. There are two enclosures, on either side of a tunnel where you can view the animals asleep in their night quarters.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/wombat-exhibit-154390/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/wombat-den-viewing-154391/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/wombats-154389/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/wombat-154388/

Nearby is a large enclosure for echidnas. I only saw one as it wandered down to it’s water bowl and had a drink - and then climbed in! It was a hot day, so it was probably just cooling off.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/echidna-enclosure-154358/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/echidna-waterbowl-154357/

It seems that every zoo and fauna park in Australia has Bush Stone-Curlew (or Thick-knee, as they are sometimes called) and Cleland is no different. However, instead of a cage or aviary, Cleland have their Curlews in an open-topped enclosure. I’m guessing the birds can’t fly, as escape would be easy if they could. I also presume they get locked away at night to protect them from foxes and owls.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/bush-stone-curlew-enclosure-154348/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/bush-stone-curlew-154345/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/bush-stone-curlew-154344/

Cleland has a range of macropods on display in very large walkthrough enclosures – Red Kangaroo, Western Grey Kangaroo, Swamp Wallaby, Tammar Wallaby, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos and a special rocky enclosure has been created for the Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies and Euros. And the usual Emus and Cape Barren Geese, too. I also saw wild Adelaide Rosellas in the trees, and a pair of Common Bronzewings courting.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/adelaide-rosella-wild-154341/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/adelaide-rosella-wild-154340/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/common-bronzewing-male-wild-154346/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/common-bronzewing-male-courting-female-wild-154347/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/kangaroo-walkthrough-154386/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/kangaroo-walkthrough-154385/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/western-grey-kangaroo-154387/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/red-kangaroos-females-154371/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/swamp-wallaby-juvenile-closeup-154381/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/swamp-wallaby-juvenile-154380/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/swamp-wallaby-juvenile-154379/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/swamp-wallabies-154378/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/swamp-wallaby-154377/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/yellow-footed-rock-wallaby-154392/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/rock-wallaby-wallaroo-enclosure-154373/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/rock-wallaby-wallaroo-enclosure-154372/

Most of these large walkthrough enclosures are located round the perimeter of the park, and are separated by fences and gates to keep the species separated. There is also a large walkthrough enclosure of native woodland which houses bandicoots and bettongs, and educational programs are run here at night looking for these species, or discussing the effects of fire on the habitats.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/signage-mallee-woodland-154374/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/mallee-woodland-154365/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/mallee-woodland-154364/

Within this enclosure is the Mallee Aviary, one of two walkthrough aviaries at Cleland. It depicts an arid, central Australian habitat and is full of birds. I spent 20 or 30 minutes here, looking for elusive species or trying to photograph the fast moving ones. They had a flock of budgies, zebra finches, and cockatiels, woodswallows, babblers, Princess Parrots, Kingfishers, Little Lorikeets, Hooded Robins, Apostlebirds and a Malleefowl. A piping call told me a Chiming Wedgebill was present, and after a while I managed to locate it. I had only ever seen - and heard - this species at the Alice Springs Desert Park eight years previously, and I was not aware any other facility had them (I have since seen them at Currumbin too). They have a lovely chiming call: 4 descending notes called rapidly and repeating in a cycle, starting quietly and increasing in volume to a crescendo before suddenly stopping. Closely related to the whipbirds, there is a second species – the Chirruping Wedgebill – which is virtually identical in appearance but differs by having a completely different call.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/mallee-aviary-154411/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/mallee-aviary-interior-154410/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/identification-handout-mallee-aviary-154407/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/budgerigar-154457/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/flock-budgerigars-154458/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/zebra-finches-154459/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/white-browed-woodswallow-154417/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/striated-grasswren-154416/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/striated-grasswren-154415/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/sacred-kingfisher-154414/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/princess-parrot-154413/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/malleefowl-154412/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/little-lorikeet-154409/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/little-lorikeet-154408/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/hooded-robin-pair-154406/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/hooded-robin-male-154405/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/grey-crowned-babbler-154404/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/grey-crowned-babbler-154403/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/diamond-dove-154402/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/cockatiel-female-154401/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/chiming-wedgebill-154400/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/chiming-wedgebill-154399/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/regent-honeyeater-154398/

The other walk-through aviary is the Forest Aviary, a densely planted aviary representing a Mt Lofty forest. Species displayed included Peaceful Doves, Painted Button-quail, Regent Honeyeater, Brush Bronzewing and Masked Woodswallow.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/entrance-forest-aviary-154460/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/forest-aviary-sign-154376/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/forest-aviary-interior-154393/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/peaceful-dove-nest-154397/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/peaceful-dove-nest-154396/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/painted-button-quail-154395/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/masked-woodswallow-154394/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/brush-bronzewing-male-154343/

The last bird exhibit is called the Wetland. Looking like a small lake or pond with some islands, it has pelicans, coot, cormorants, ducks and geese. Lots of vegetation around the edges of the lake and on the islands provide plenty of security and nesting areas for the birds. As you can buy food for the kangaroos, many of these birds will also take the same food and will come right up to you if they think you will give them something.

http://www.zoochat.com/88/wetlands-exhibit-154436/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/wetlands-exhibit-154437/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pelicans-154435/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pelican-154453/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pelicans-154452/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pelican-154451/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pied-cormorant-portrait-154454/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/pied-cormorant-154455/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/plumed-whistleduck-154456/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/magpie-goose-154450/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/little-black-cormorant-154449/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/little-black-cormorants-154448/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/hardhead-male-154447/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/darter-154446/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/eurasian-coot-154445/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/eurasian-coot-juvenile-154444/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/cape-barren-geese-154443/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/paradise-shelduck-aka-burdekin-radjah-duck-154442/
http://www.zoochat.com/88/australian-wood-ducks-154441/

According to the map, there is a third walk-through aviary – The Swamp Aviary – found behind the Wetlands. For some reason I didn’t get to see this aviary, so I can’t report on it, but if it’s like the other bird exhibits, it will be brilliant.

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Overall, I was really impressed with Cleland Wildlife Park, and disappointed I have ignored it in the past. The enclosures are large and well-planted, and I thoroughly recommend the park to anyone visiting Adelaide.



Hix

 

As I understand it, there are wild potoroos in the walkthrough enclosure that I've sometimes referred to as the Mallee Walkthrough (except I don't think it is Mallee, but the Mallee Aviary is in this enclosure).

The free-ranging ones are individuals of the same species that have been released near the entrance.

It's possible they have encountered/mixed with wild potoroos, but it could be hard to tell if the released animals weren't marked, or DNA samples taken and recorded.



Hix

 

Damn, I know what you mean now. I'll have to go back and edit.

The large woodland enclosure is a fenced off area of what appears to be native woodland. But because it is fenced, the animals in it must have been released there by the park. For some reason I was under the impression they were wild animals that could leave through the fence if they chose.



Hix

 

The wetland aviary is very good much like the rest of the aviaries. As I recall there are budgerigars, spoonbills, woodswallows, cormorants, ducks of various species and some more which I cannot recall.

Very good review Hicks.

 

Thanks for the review Hix. How do you think Cleland rates compared to Healseville?

 

Very favourably. Cleland is more open, and the enclosures look like they were built recently. Some of Healesville's enclosures look a little on the older side, and the vegetation is denser and more lush. Cleland's buildings are quite traditional, whereas Healesville has the Platypus House and the new Wildlife Clinic (with that awful yellow thing on the roof).



Hix

 

That's not necessarily because of my photography skills, the enclosures are well-planted and established and look really good.

Of course, I try to avoid wire and fences whenever possible, and at Cleland that is much easier than at some other places.



Hix

 

Hey Hix, I know there's a Wedgebill (not sure if it's Chiming or Chirping) at Featherdale, I remember having a hearted conversation with it through the wire XD

 

That gives me one more reason to re-visit Featherdale. Haven't been there in many years.



Hix

 

We visited here yesterday, and once again I cannot improve on Hix's detailed review.

Given that we had already visited Gorge Wildlife Park ($15pp), Warrawong (free), Monarto (free with FOTZ membership), and Adelaide Zoo (free with FOTZ membership) in the previous days, I felt that Cleland was a let-down for $18pp.

Don't get me wrong - it is massive, there are lots of free-ranging animals that will gladly eat out of your hand (including Cape Barren Geese, swamphens, wallabies, and kangaroos), the enclosures are great etc - but given that it was the last wildlife park we visited on the trip, we felt like "we've seen this before". The numbat was nowhere to be seen, by the way.

It does feel a lot like Healesville Sanctuary, but we would have enjoyed it more if we visited it first on our itinerary. (Note that there are no exotics at this park.)

 

In 2007 (on my honeymoon!) my wife and I spent 6 weeks travelling around Australia and we managed to see many thrilling attractions that included 14 different zoos/aquariums. In the Adelaide area we visited Adelaide Zoo, Monarto Zoo, Warrawong Sanctuary and Cleland Wildlife Park...and the "we've seen this before" mantra is common throughout the nation as there are countless Aussie wildlife parks that all blend together. Also, the lack of diversity is even apparent in the major zoos as many of the exotic species are the same wherever you go. This makes sense from a breeding standpoint but it must be frustrating for hardcore zoo fans.

 

Plans underway to send eight Koala from Cleand to Ocean Park, Hong Kong during 2014
Cleland Wildlife Park koalas off to Hong Kong in China charm offensive | adelaidenow

 

Cleland has received three dingoes from Bargo Dingo Sanctuary (along with Australia Zoo who received three and Ballarat Wildlife Park who received two, from two litters totaling 11): http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...s/news-story/e74d0c2bc75611d525c2517b5e43d105

EDIT: Corrected my mistake!

 

I think this article must have meant there were 11 puppies born at the sanctuary last breeding season. The average litter size is three to five puppies. One of my girls had 7 puppies last season and had to have an emergency C-section to remove four. three of them didn't survive and we were surprised with a black dingo puppy, very awesome animals.

 

No Cookies | The Advertiser

 

This morning I visited Cleland Wildlife Park and I wanted to provide an update on a range of changes that have been made at the park since the last posts were made to its section of the forum.

- The big news and the reason that prompted this mornings visit is that the park now has a thorny devil which has gone on display. It has been there for a few weeks and is eating well and healthy. The devil is located in the ocean to outback house in a mixed exhibit with crested dragon.

- A butterfly exhibit was opened last year and is stocked with a range of local species. This is the former tawny frogmouth aviary which has been converted to house the butterflies.

- A range of insects have gone on display in the first section of the ocean to outback house including spiders, stick insects, scorpions, beetles, etc.

- A new frog exhibit has been built in the room in ocean to outback which formerly housed the mixed lizard exhibit. It has 6 tanks for a range of species including green tree, perons, southern brown tree frog and southern bell frog.

- The former stick nest rat exhibit is now home to southern brown bandicoots.

- The former fat tailed dunnart and pygmy possum exhibits are now home to a range of lizards. Both these species are no longer held.

- A new bird aviary has been built near the tasmanian devil exhibit which is home to a range of cockatoos which are used in encounters.

 

peron?