Has anyone been to a smaller "B" grade zoo , wildlife reserve , bird park , reptile park or other similar place that may or may not call themselves a zoo per se , but they have a collection of wildlife ? Numerous places in Vict. have these in Ballarat , Kyabram , Mildura etc Other states will have these as well . Probably the most notable one of interest is Mount Bruce Bird sanctuary out in the countryside . Their main mission is science, research in regards to the conservation and breeding encouragement of rare NZ species . It is similar in style and layout to Healesville Vic , except that the enclosures are noticably larger . With exception of kiwi , kaka ( a native parrot ) and eel , the remaining wildlife are VERY rare birds . The sanctuary is not interested in anything unless it is highly endangered in NZ . Even though it is noticably conservation first priority , it its still open to the public -- you dont need a science doctorate to visit there , even if most of the staff have these .
