any others you guys know of that have closed, add their names it hasn't been mentioned yet, but I just checked and while it has been closed from May it is simply relocating to a new site "in the Rockingham/Kwinana area" and will be renamed West Coast Wildlife Park: Marapana Wildlife Park, Perth, Peel, Mandurah, Zoo, Western Australia, Kangaroo, Koala, Wombats, Dingoes, Snakes
I believe that was May last year. i met the owner of a WA zoo, i think it was Marapana, when i picked up my dingoes from the Dingo Discovery Centre in Victoria and he said he'd closed his wildlife park. can't be certain if it was Marapana. This was in August last year. i also found this: http://www.privatesale.com.au/02448/
it was indeed May 2011 (I just assumed incorrectly it was May this year). The new location was supposed to open some time this year (2012). I wonder if this means it is closed for good, if it sold, or if it will open again at the new site?
see West Oz Wildlife the physical location has definitely closed. now "WestOz Wildlife" offering a visiting petting zoo.
I just came across a collection I hadn't heard of before, the Alexandra Park Zoo in Bundaberg, Queensland. They don't appear to have a website or anything like that.
I just made some minor edits to the list -- deleting the closed collections and adding new ones, as mentioned in the last few posts of the thread. If anyone knows of other edits which need to be made please post below (i.e. closed collections, unlisted collections, those which are now or no longer ZAA members, etc).
NSW Parrot Gardens - closed Narrandera Mini Zoo - closed [I think] Zambi Wildlife Rescue and Retirement facility - open [by appointment] VIC Cudgee Creek - closed
I was going to leave Alma Park on the list because it is reopening somewhere else (and then I'll change the locality etc) -- but I'm sort of a bit confused with the situation here. Is Queensland Zoo a new zoo which has opened at the Big Pineapple? And Alma Park has nothing to do with Queensland Zoo except the animals are being kept there temporarily until the new site is ready? Or is it actually the same collection entirely? And, side-track, is their tapir now at Darling Downs?
Alma Park closed permanently on March 31. Some of the APZ animals were dispersed prior to closing - most of the remainder have been signed over to Julie Seabrook and form the start up complement for the new Queensland Zoo at the Big Pineapple tourist site on the Sunshine Coast. A new zoo, connected to the owner of the former Alma Park, may one day open on a site at Logan - south of Brisbane. Queensland Zoo may supply some animals to that zoo. Alf, the Brazilian Tapir, is making the move to DDZ along with the two elderly Greater Rhea. Alf's move has been delayed due to some health issues but he is now expected here by the end of this month.
ah, see the "move to Logan" was where I was getting confused and why I couldn't work out if the Queensland Zoo was the same or not. I shall add tapir to Darling Downs on the mammal list.
Not yet!!!! He is 24 years old and still has some [improving] health issues - he mightn't make it to the end of the month Will let you know when he arrives.
I've made the changes Steve mentioned above, but I have left in the Narrandera Mini Zoo because I'm not sure if it has closed or not (googling didn't help).
USA = 700 zoos for 320 million people (2.19 = zoos divided by population) Canada = 80 zoos for 35 million people (2.29) United Kingdom = 165 zoos for 64 million people (2.58) Germany = 500 zoos for 81 million people (6.17) Australia = 165 zoos for 24 million people (6.88) New Zealand = 45 zoos for 4 million people (11.25) Australia and New Zealand are two nations with very few major zoos (and a distinct lack of exotic species) but there are certainly a LOT of smaller zoological establishments in those two countries.
Very interesting stats SnowLeopard. I guess there are a number of reasons for Australia and New Zealand having relatively high rates of zoos/person. The first is that the populations, while small, are very spread out, so there are small animal attractions in most cities and large towns. Another is that a large proportion, especially in Australia, are specifically aimed at showcasing native species to international tourists, certainly a far higher proportion than in any of the other countries listed. And third, perhaps zoos are more popular down here, maybe we have a greater desire to be "in nature" or something, possibly as a result of being more rural societies (or at least more recently rural societies)?
Further to Zooboy28's comments if you divided the number of zoos by the square kilometres/miles of each country Australia would come down near the bottom of the list. It is one reason Australian zoos are more expensive to visit than for instance US zoos, something sometimes commented on by US visitors, and something reflected in many other areas of the Australian economy. I am surprised by the small number of zoos in Canada, though.
