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Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary Warrawong closing

Discussion in 'Australia' started by Nisha, 4 Feb 2013.

  1. Nisha

    Nisha Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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  2. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    well that's disappointing news :(
     
  3. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Very disappointing. Especially considering the free admission during the day.

    :(

    Hix
     
  4. Steve Robinson

    Steve Robinson Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Possibly why they had to close????
     
  5. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Possibly. But from an educational standpoint it was brilliant. But no captive animals, so you had to go looking for the animals - and too much competition in the area (from Adelaide Zoo, Cleland, Monarto, Gorge and Humbug Scrub).

    I never got to go at night (when you have to pay) and I decided last time that the next time I visited Adelaide I would overnight there as the accomodation was reasonably priced.

    :(

    Hix
     
  6. Steve Robinson

    Steve Robinson Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    All of which you have to pay to visit. It probably sounds harsh, but if a freebie couldn't justify it's existence against such "competition" then it was probably the wrong attraction in the wrong place.
     
  7. Simon Hampel

    Simon Hampel Administrator Staff Member 20+ year member

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    This is the announcement from management that was sent out to Zoos SA members yesterday before the media was notified.

    They key message was blaming it on the local council for banning them from using their accommodation for school groups during their peak period in summer months.

    Personally I think that's just a bit of a convenient excuse for cutting out a loss-making venture when they are already struggling under the weight of debt taken on by previous management at Adelaide zoo ... which was probably a good move anyway, as disappointing as it is to lose a facility like this.

     
  8. nanoboy

    nanoboy Well-Known Member

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    You probably hit the nail on the head there. Indeed, in my review of Warrawong after my visit last year, my advice was to not bother to go out of your way to visit when you had all the other zoos to visit in the vicinity that were much better. Clearly a lot of other people had a similar idea....

    According to Sim's posted message from ZSA:
    "Throughout the assessment of our operations at Warrawong we have worked closely with the Ngarrindjeri and they have been informed of our decision to cease business operations. As the legal owners of the land it is ultimately up to them to consider options for the future use of the site."

    Here's hoping that they don't develop the land into farmland or housing, else it's bye-bye koalas and platypus.
     
  9. Jet

    Jet Well-Known Member

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    This is a shame. I'm a big fan of enterprises like this, espcially for threatened species management, but they can never be expected to be profitable? Surely the SA Government would have really known this, despite the unexpected problems. They require an ongoing commitment from government and/or corporations to be successful.

    I spoke to some Ngarrindjeri elders a few years ago for work purposes. They'd just got back from a trip to the US praising the system of setting up Casinos on native land to provide a good stream of revenue, so perhaps that's one option;)...but scratch that frivilous comment...I know they are excellent supporters of sustainable land and water use - would no doubt do a lot better job (again) of protecting the Coorong/Mt Lofty region and associated wildlife then Europeans have done/are doing thanks to our mismanagement throughout most of the Murray-Darling Basin....
     
  10. Jarkari

    Jarkari Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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