Urimbirra Wildlife Experience is only a few kilometres north of Victor Harbour, a popular holiday destination on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. It’s fairly large for a fauna park, I’d guess about 50 acres, and a good portion of it appears to be natural Eucalypt woodland. There is a small stream that runs along one side of the park which provides water for some of the waterbirds, the wild birds, free-ranging macropods, and the dingos (the stream runs through their enclosure). http://www.zoochat.com/760/welcome-sign-150073/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/map-park-150052/ The first exhibits I came to were just inside the entrance, next to the gift shop. Two glass tanks containing an Inland Carpet Python and Bearded Dragons. http://www.zoochat.com/760/inland-carpet-python-tank-150030/ But the first real enclosure was for Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. These birds can’t fly and were handed in to the park (probably us unwanted pets). The exhibit is open-topped and has plenty of climbing branches and a live tree, and logs leading through holes in the wall lead to holding aviaries out the back where I presume the birds get fed and spend the night. The birds appear to be able to come and go as they please. http://www.zoochat.com/760/sulphur-crested-cockatoos-enclosure-150012/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/sulphur-crested-cockatoos-150011/ Next to the Sulphurs was an aviary for Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and Major Mitchell’s, and the walkthrough Lorikeet Aviary. This walk-through enclosure was filled with predominantly Rainbow Lorikeets but also had Pied (Torresian) Imperial Pigeons, Glossy Ibis, and Black-winged Stilts in a separate enclosure built into the aviary. Outside the aviary is a feeding station for wild Rainbow Lorikeets. http://www.zoochat.com/760/cockatoo-aviary-150054/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lorikeet-walkthrough-aviary-150049/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/rainbow-lorikeets-150060/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/pied-imperial-pigeons-150057/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/glossy-ibis-150029/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/black-winged-stilt-150006/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/black-winged-stilt-150007/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/rainbow-lorikeet-wild-150059/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/rainbow-lorikeets-wild-150058/ Nearby were some more aviaries housing kookaburras, and a new construction which was originally for reptiles (or crocodiles) but, a keeper told me, the council had decided it could not be used for that purpose so it was going to be another walkthrough aviary instead. http://www.zoochat.com/760/new-construction-kookaburra-aviary-150005/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/new-walkthrough-aviary-150055/ Two circular enclosures display koalas and echidnas, popular with the children, and nearby signs inform about the work of the park in conservation, and their sponsors. http://www.zoochat.com/760/echidna-150024/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/echidna-150023/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/sign-150067/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/sign-150066/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/koala-enclosure-150033/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/koalas-150032/ Another aviary, large and circular (and old), displayed cockatiels, Brush Turkeys, galahs, corellas and other cockatoos. http://www.zoochat.com/760/aviary-150053/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/cockatiels-150010/ The dingo enclosure is rectangular and quite large, as can be seen in the photos. As mentioned earlier, a natural stream runs through the enclosure and there is a fair amount of reeds and other greenery growing on either side of it. http://www.zoochat.com/760/dingo-enclosure-150020/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/dingo-enclosure-150019/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/dingo-yawn-150018/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/dingo-150017/ The stream enters the park near the Park’s entrance and forms a large pond next to the Lorikeet walkthrough where pelicans are displayed. Then it runs along the length of the park through the native woodland (and the dingo enclosure) forming a waterhole toward the northern end of the park before creating a large pond complete with three islands. Unfortunately, when I visited, because of the drought there wasn’t enough water to surround the islands. However there was enough water in the waterhole to attract the native birds and the free-ranging kangaroos. The wild birds included Australian Wood Ducks, galahs, white-backed magpies, and a flock of several hundred Little Corellas that live in the woodland trees. This northern and eastern parts of the park would account for close to 50% of the park’s total area. http://www.zoochat.com/760/australian-pelican-150056/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/woodland-150071/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/woodland-150070/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/map-northern-section-150051/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/island-150031/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/australian-wood-ducks-150002/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/australian-wood-duck-male-150004/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/australian-wood-duck-female-150003/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/western-grey-kangaroos-150076/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/western-grey-kangaroos-150075/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/western-grey-kangaroos-150074/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/white-backed-magpie-wild-150050/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150042/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150041/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/flock-wild-little-corellas-flight-150040/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150039/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150038/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150037/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/little-corellas-wild-150036/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/galahs-wild-150028/ Most small fauna parks display a wombat or two in an enclosure that is usually looking like crap because wombats tend to trash their enclosure through a combination of digging and grazing. Urumbirra has something like six wombat enclosures and, while some were looking the worse for wear, other still looked pretty good. Maybe they rotate their animals through the enclosures so some can remain empty for a while allowing the grass to regrow. http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150082/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150081/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150080/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150079/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150078/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-enclosure-150077/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wombat-signage-150083/ The reptiles are kept at the western end of the park. The Nocturnal House has been converted to display reptiles in tanks, including carpet pythons, red-bellied blacks, tigers and Eastern Browns, Lace Montitors, Blue-tongues, Shinglebacks, Bearded Dragons and Hosmer’s Skinks. Outside are a couple of open-topped lizard enclosures housing bearded dragons, bluetongues, Eastern Water Dragons, Cunningham’s Skinks and turtles (incorrectly labelled as “tortoises”). There are also Saltwater Crocodiles and Freshwater Crocodiles on display. http://www.zoochat.com/760/reptile-house-150062/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/reptile-house-interior-150064/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/reptile-house-interior-150063/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/red-bellied-black-snake-150061/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/eastern-brown-snake-enclosure-150022/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/tiger-snake-150069/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/tiger-snake-150068/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lace-monitor-enclosure-150035/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-tank-150048/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-tank-150047/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-tank-150046/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-enclosure-150045/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-enclosure-150044/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-enclosure-150043/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/cunningham-s-skink-150016/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/shingleback-skink-150065/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/inland-bearded-dragon-150009/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/eastern-bluetongue-skink-150008/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/lizard-signage-150034/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/freshwater-crocodile-150026/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/freshwater-crocodile-150025/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/crocodile-enclosure-150015/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/crocodile-enclosure-150014/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/crocodile-enclosure-150013/ A large, circular enclosure has a single wedgetail eagle. Apparently, this bird hit some poewer lines and can’t fly, so it lives in an enclosure with no roof. Nearby enclosures house flying foxes, owls and tiger quolls. http://www.zoochat.com/760/wedgetail-eagle-150072/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/wedgetail-eagle-enclosure-150021/ http://www.zoochat.com/760/grey-headed-fruit-bat-aviary-150027/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overall, I enjoyed my few hours at Urumbirra. The enclosures are all of adequate size – some more than adequate – and the animals appeared healthy and well-cared for. Exhibits are not crammed together, there is plenty of space between displays and lots of room for the kids to run around. A bonus is the large areas of woodland, extensive and with free-ranging macropods and plenty of wild birds. Hopefully the walkthrough aviary will be completed soon, and I would like to see more constructed in the park, and a greater diversity of birds displayed (but that’s just me). As always, the above review is my own impression and opinions. I encourage anyone in the vicinity of Victor Harbour to visit Urumbirra Wildlife Experience and form their own views (and hopefully post them on ZooChat). Hix
