I last visited this wildlife park 20 or more years ago when it was known as the Tasmanian Devil Park. It is located on the Tasman Peninsula – a beautiful and popular tourist destination. It is well located to take advantage of the tourist traffic, being in the village of Taranna, near the entry to the peninsula on the main road through the region. An Unzoo is a design concept developed by well-known zoo designer Jon Coe. It basically involves merging the zoo into the natural environment, drastically reducing the number of enclosures and relying on wild animal contact. More information can be obtained by searching the internet for “Jon Coe” and “Unzoo”. From what I could tell the species list is as follows: Tasmanian devil Eastern quoll Forrester kangaroo (a subspecies of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo) Red-necked wallaby Red-bellied (Tasmanian) pademelon (could have been wild) Possum (presume brush-tailed possum – I did not see it) Cape Barron geese (could have been wild) Little corella Eastern rosella Galah Tawny frogmouth The last four species were used in a bird show called “Birds of the Bush” and I believe live in a group of aviaries I missed somehow. While the layout was like what I remember from 20 years ago, the owners have done a lot of work and I must say the overall presentation and landscaping of the park was beautiful. I especially enjoyed the entry path, a rainforest walk beside a stream. I also enjoyed the short bushwalks, including one to the shore of a nearby estuary. Birdlife also abounds, and I got a great photo of a yellow wattlebird, a Tasmanian endemic and the largest honeyeater, and a species I don’t remember from previous visits. The major emphasis was on Tasmanian devils with four large enclosures for this species. Each enclosure was themed for a habitat this species inhabits, for instance one was a rainforest, another a farmyard. Frequent keeper talks are conducted throughout the day for this species, rotated around the enclosures. Visitors also have the option of taking a tour in a 4WD vehicle into a nearby reserve in search of wild devils (extra charge). Eastern quolls were housed in rustic timber and wire enclosures which I guess were there on my last visit. Netherless they were fine, large enough and well planted. I managed to see both a normal and black morph of this species, which was great given that they often hide away during the day. A sign said they were building a new breeding facility elsewhere on the property. The kangaroos were in a large paddock towards the end of the property. There was an encounter on when I visited where visitors had the opportunity to hand feed them. Pademelons also inhabited this area. Red-necked wallabies were in the next enclosure, which was also the start of the walk to the inlet. However, I don’t think many people progress this far as they were quite wary of me, unusual in this normally friendly and inquisitive species. I watched the bird show which consisted of one individual of each species of parrot listed above doing some “trick” flying, for instance retrieving a coin from a visitor’s hand. There was visitor participation throughout and all the audience seemed to enjoy the show. However, I found some of the actions of the presenter a little odd. At the start of the show he said that it was ok to video the birds but not him, somewhat strange for somebody in the tourism industry. At the end of the show he picked up two tawny frogmouths that had been sitting on a branch and carried them through the crowd, allowing people to pet and be photographed with them. I had been passive throughout the show, preferring to watch and take photos than participate. As he passed me he thrust the birds towards me and made an aggressive noise. Perhaps he thought I was scared of the birds and it would be fun to frighten me. Whatever, it was totally inappropriate both for the guests and the birds. As I said I did not see the possum but a daily encounter with it was also offered. The entry fee for an adult was $33 each, apparently valid for one year (although they did not give out receipts so I am unsure how you would redeem this offer). I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, as much for the environment as for anything else. However, I wondered how the public would take to a wildlife park with so few species. Reviews on TripAdvisor are overall very positive with a high rating so it seems to be a success with the visiting public too.
Hadn't heard of this place before MRJ, nor the 'unzoo' concept. Sounds like an interesting place and (although pretty pricey) worth a visit if I ever make it to Tasmania.
Just noticed I misspelled Tasmania in the title, and cannot edit it now. Any chance this review can be placed in a category "Tasmanian Devil Unzoo" to make it easier to be found?
I have edited the title. Currently there is no category for Tasmania Devil Unzoo, so I will request one in the 'gallery request' thread in the Website Help and Feedback Forum. Once this is created, there will be a gallery to upload photos to too. I also had a look at the Unzoo website, and it mentions they have brushtail possums, as well as kangaroos, wallabies and pademelons, so presumably the ones you saw were not wild.
22.63 acres/9.16 hectares site up for grabs, including a large family home 10 minutes from Port Arthur First time offered in 42 years Now and again, Tasmania comes up with some very interesting buys. Earlier this month, we reported on half a Tasmania village being on the market for offers over $700,000. At the time of publication, the Waddamana Village is currently under offer. Here is another unique one from the Apple Isle. The Tasmanian Devil Unzoo along Arthur Highway in south-eastern Tasmania, about ten minutes away from Port Arthur, is for sale. The concept of the ‘unzoo’ was established in 2005 when two zoo design consultants, Jon Coe and Ray Mendez, had the idea of allowing human visitors to be immersed in an environment natural to animals. It’s the opposite of a normal zoo, hence the concept of ‘unzoo’. In 2007 the master plan was developed by the consultants and given to the owners, the Hamilton family. They argue the unzoo concept is a win-win. Animals have more dignity, freedom and self-determination than in a traditional zoo environment, whilst human visitors have more personal and memorable encounters with wildlife and nature. Whilst feeding of other animals such as kangaroos are allowed, notably, the only enclosures at the zoo are for the four famous residents themselves. Enclosures for Tasmanian devils are required by law. Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world, having been sadly honoured with that title since the extinction of their close relative, the Thylacine – better known as the Tasmanian Tiger. The expression of interest campaign marks the first time the zoo has been offered in 42 years. The zoo was opened in 1979 as the Tasmanian Devil Park before changing its name to the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park after the Hamilton family acquired the land. The sale includes bushland, a native botanic garden, café, visitor centre and a large family residence which could be used as a lodge or bed and breakfast. The sale is being handled by John Blacklow of Knight Frank Tasmania, with expressions of interest closing on Thursday the 25th March at 4pm.
