As I'm from Europe I don't know much about australian zoos, nevertheless, I would be interested in knowing which are, in your opinnion, the country's best 3 zoos
To quote Grandpa Simpson, you’re really asking two questions there as the answer would depend on many factors - the most important being what are you interested in when you visit a zoo? Australia has many small zoos, some of which are goldmines for species not found at the mainstream zoos. These zoos are equally worthy of your time. To be fair though, you do say in your opinion - so here’s mine... Best Mainstream Zoo 1. Perth Zoo - Perth Zoo has the region’s largest Sumatran orangutan colony and the best nocturnal house I’ve ever seen in terms of size and variety of species. They’ve recently redeveloped their African lion exhibit and have several other species of interest to me including Indian elephant, Sumatran tiger, Malayan sun bear, Komodo dragon and Spotted hyena. 2. Melbourne Zoo - Melbourne Zoo is a decent mainstream zoo. Like Perth, I’d rate it highly for seeing species including Indian elephant, Western lowland gorilla and Snow leopard. My only criticism is like many of Australia’s mainstreams zoos, it’s collection isn’t a patch on what it once was. If you ever gain use of a time machine - set it for Melbourne Zoo 1970s to 1980s. You won’t regret it. 3. Taronga Zoo - I’m reluctantly placing Taronga Zoo in my top three based almost solely on the fact it has the largest Common chimpanzee colony in the region. This is one of my favourite species and I could spend hours watching the interactions of their large troop. Taronga Zoo has a fascinating history and features of architectural interest - including the historic elephant temple (built 1915). Like Melbourne Zoo, Taronga has drastically decreased in diversity of species over time. Honourable Mention: Adelaide Zoo, Australia Zoo Best Small Zoo 1. Mogo Zoo - Mogo Zoo has almost outgrown the label of a small zoo. It has several species of big cat - including multiple prides of African lions, Sumatran tigers and Snow leopard; as well as Southern white rhinoceros, giraffe, orangutan and Western lowland gorilla. 2. Darling Downs Zoo - I greatly admire Darling Downs Zoo for their initiative in acquiring species neglected by the mainstream zoos. They took the initiative to import a herd of Grant’s zebra, which has revitalised the breeding programme for this subspecies in the region; and they are working on being one of the first zoos to acquire the critically endangered Sri Lankan leopard - a pioneering achievement. They are constantly acquiring new species - recent additions including Pygmy hippopotamus and Maned wolf. 3. Altina Wildlife Park - Like Darling Downs Zoo, Altina is highly influential in the resurgence of species neglected by the region. They were vital to ensuring the future of the Maned wolf breeding programme, taking the initiative to acquire animals from the mainstream zoos as well as obtaining new imports. As a result, this species is making a come back and can now be found in many Australian zoos. Altina has a diverse range of ungulates and like Mogo and Darling Downs, is constantly evolving. Honourable Mention: Hunter Valley Zoo, Tasmania Zoo
No worries. Hopefully more people will reply so you get a range of opinions. My answers reflect that I’m interested in mammals first and foremost; but some of the forum’s bird and reptile experts would likely give very different answers, as there are a number of small zoos in Australia that specialise in these areas.
@Zoofan I would have to agree with what you have stated above but I believe with the rate of development of DDZ they could take out top spot in the regional zoos in the next few years!
Since there’s only three (Dubbo, Monarto and Werribee), they’d all make the cut. It’s a tough call, but I’d probably put Dubbo at the top for it’s variety of species. That said, Monarto has seen a lot of development in recent times; and Werribee has some exciting stuff planned over the next decade. There’s a thread on the topic here (albeit from 10 years ago): Australia's Best Open Range Zoo?
I agree again with your view all make the cut with Dubbo on top but I believe with Monatros new 500 hectare African Safari could push them up to the top spot when finished!
An interesting topic. Just want to emphasise that this is my own personal opinion. Major Zoos 1. Taronga Zoo Pros: A fantastic nocturnal house with around 20-25 nocturnal species including the long-beaked echidna, phascogales, bandicoots, gliders and all those other wonderful nocturnal gems. The bird aviaries are brilliant with a good range of native and Asian species. A well-designed reptile house with approximately 55 exotic and native species on display. Beautifully-done enclosures for several species like Francois Langur and Fishing Cat. The chimpanzee enclosure is excellent as well. Cons: Lack of primates. Cramped enclosures for megafauna like the pygmy hippos and elephants. 2. Adelaide Zoo Pros: Probably houses the best collection of birds of any of the major zoos. Nocturnal house and reptile house also look very nice. They hold several interesting species – Mandrill, Dusky Langur, Malayan Tapir, Colobus and in the near future (hopefully) bushbabies. This zoo could possibly move to number one on my list. Cons: Some of the enclosures look quite dated (sea lion pool, lion enclosure) however their masterplan looks promising. 3. Perth Zoo: Pros: Numbats and another fantastic-looking nocturnal house. The Asian Rainforest and African Savannah look nice as well. Perth Zoo also participates in several conservation projects with locally-unique species like the aforementioned Numbat, Western Ground Parrot, Dibbler etc. Cons: They seem to have a smallish collection of birds compared to the others mentioned. Small Zoos 1. Darling Downs Zoo Pros: I may be a bit biased because it’s one of my local zoos. A well-rounded collection with several regional rarities. The zoo has imported countless of species and is developing into one of the best (if not the best) zoo in Queensland in my opinion. Sri Lankan leopards will also certainly be a big milestone. A nice bird collection with a good range of pheasants, waterfowl, parrots and softbills. Reptiles are also represented with a solid range of species with a greater emphasis on the exotics to complement each of the four geographical areas. Cons: I don’t visit the place often enough! 2. Hunter Valley Zoo Pros: Very similar reasons to Darling Downs. They have also received several new species over the years (binturong, red-handed tamarin, Bolivian squirrel monkey, zebra etc). They also seem to have well-rounded bird and reptile collections. A zoo to watch out for over the next couple of years. Cons: Cannot think of major ones. 3. Mogo Wildlife Park Pros: A great range of primates including Javan gibbons (a favourite of mine) and (hopefully) a breeding group of gorillas. The enclosures look excellent especially for some of the smaller primates. Cons: Lack of anything that isn’t exotic mammals. Honorable mentions: National Zoo and Aquarium, Tasmania Zoo, Gorge Wildlife Park, Altina, Billabong Zoo and Wildlife HQ. Something else to consider are the best native fauna parks for which there are several top-notch facilities. Places like Cleland, Moonlit, Currumbin, Healesville, David Fleay and Featherdale all spring to mind as fantastic places. Due to aquariums being dominated by the Sea Life chain, there isn’t much to compare and contrast. Cairns Aquarium does look excellent though.
Thats a nice review of the best 3, I am a little surprised Adelaide will add Bushbabies (which I do like) when 3 of the primates you mentioned there are hanging on by a fingernail! I also believe DDZ has slipped into First place in Queensland for have the best range of animal species and the amount of species being bred?
