I recently discovered that Tasmania now has a reptile park called Serpentarium Wildlife Park. They house a range of reptile species including Green Anaconda, Boa Constrictor, Reticulated Python and Star Tortoise. Serpentarium Tasmania
On the Perch Bird Park will permanently close on February 14. Security Check 'We can't ensure their safety': Zoo to close due to ongoing bushfire threat
Another new place has recently opened. The Frogarium opened in December 2019. They offer daily tours and are situated in Coffs Harbour, NSW. They have around 23 species of frog on-display! About The Frogarium - Australia's first frog zoo
The following is a list of zoos and aquariums in Australia deemed elegable to recieve the Government support grant. It seems pretty comprehensive, there are a reptile centre and aviary in the ACT that are not listed but maybe should but I've never been to either so can't be sure. ACT 1 National Zoo and Aquarium New South Wales 2 Altina Wildlife Park 3 Australian Reptile Park 4 Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park 5 Billabong Koala and Wildlife Park 6 Birdland Animal Park 7 Calmsley Hill City Farm 8 Devil Ark 9 Dolphin Marine Conservation Park 10 Featherdale Wildlife Park 11 Hunter Valley Zoo 12 Irukanji Shark and Ray Encounters 13 Koala Park Sanctuary 14 Macadamia Castle Animal Fun and Adventure Park 15 Merimbula Aquarium 16 Mogo Wildlife Park 17 Oakvale Wildlife Park 18 Potoroo Palace Native Animal Sanctuary 19 SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium 20 Secret Creek Sanctuary 21 Shoalhaven Zoo 22 Solitary Islands Aquarium 23 Steve McEwan’s Reptile World 24 Sydney Zoo 25 Symbio Wildlife Park 26 Taralga Wildlife Park 27 Taronga Western Plains Zoo 28 Taronga Zoo Sydney 29 Waterfall Springs 30 Wild Cat Conservation Centre 31 WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo 32 Zambi Wildlife Reserve Northern Territory 33 Alice Springs Desert Park 34 Alice Springs Reptile Centre 35 Crocodylus Park 36 Crocosaurus Cove 37 Indo Pacific Marine Aquarium 38 Territory Wildlife Park Queensland 39 Alexandra Park Zoo 40 Australia Zoo 41 Billabong Sanctuary 42 Birdworld Kuranda 43 Bungalow Bay Koala Village 44 Cairns Aquarium and Reef Research Centre 45 Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome 46 Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary 47 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 48 Daintree Wild Zoo 49 Darling Downs Zoo 50 David Fleay Wildlife Park 51 Daydream Island Aquarium 52 Dreamworld 53 Flying High Bird Park 54 Hamilton Island Wildlife 55 Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures 56 Ipswich Nature Centre 57 Koorana Crocodile Farm 58 Kuranda Koala Gardens 59 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 60 Neptune’s Reef World 61 Paradise Country 62 Rainforestation Nature Park 63 Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Zoo 64 SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium 65 Sea World 66 Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo 67 Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre 68 Wildlife Habitat 69 Wildlife HQ South Australia 70 Adelaide Zoo 71 Cleland Wildlife Park 72 Gorge Wildlife Park 73 Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and Aquarium 74 Monarto Safari Park 75 Oceanic Victor 76 Raptor Domain Kangaroo Island 77 Urimbirra Wildlife Park 78 Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary Tasmania 79 Bonorong Wildlife Park 80 Devils@Cradle 81 East Coast Nature World 82 Platypus House 83 Seahorse World 84 Serpentarium Wildlife Park 85 Tasmania Zoo 86 Tasmanian Devil Unzoo 87 Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary 88 Wings Wildlife Park 89 Zoodoo Zoo Victoria 90 Ballarat Bird World 91 Ballarat Wildlife Park 92 Great Ocean Road Wildlife Park 93 Gumbuya World 94 Halls Gap Zoo 95 Healesville Sanctuary 96 Jirrahinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary 97 Kyabram Fauna Park 98 Mansfield Zoo 99 Maru Koala and Animal Park 100 Melbourne Museum 101 Melbourne Zoo 102 Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park 103 Phillip Island Nature Park 104 Phillip Island Wildlife Park 105 SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium 106 Werribee Open Range Zoo Western Australia 107 Ardyaloon Hatchery 108 Australian Wildlife Park @ Discovery Bay 109 AQWA aquarium 110 Bunbury Wildlife Park 111 Caversham Wildlife Park 112 Discover Deadly 113 Dolphin Discovery Centre (Aquarium) 114 Eagles Heritage Raptor Wildlife Centre 115 Esperance Bird and Animal Park 116 Greenough Wildlife and Bird Park 117 Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre 118 Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park 119 Ningaloo Interpretation Centre (Aquarium) 120 Ocean Park Aquarium 121 Peel Zoo 122 Perth Zoo 123 Rainbow Jungle 124 Wave Rock Wildlife Park 125 West Australian Birds of Prey Centre
I've played a bit with the figures from the post above. I've given the number of zoos in each State, the number of people in each State per zoo, and because tourism is important to Australian zoos, the number of international visitors per year per zoo in each state. All I can say is that it is a pretty competitive market in Tasmania.
It is interesting that Australian zoos separate out this data. I assume they do so because of the importance of foreign visitors? - but is it a personal choice or a licence requirement?
Sorry actually I think there has been some confusion. These are my figures, and the number of international visitors to each state per year, not the actual visitation to zoos. It was just trying to show the size of the market. Zoos would identify international visitors however.
Just wantes to mention that in south-west W.A 'Busselton Jaycees Oceanarium' existed from about September 1974 to at least February 1997 on Busselton foreshore located roughly at -33.644913, 115.344078. In September 1974 some of rhe residents of the closing down Cottesloe Oceanarium were moved here including Danny the 2.1m long Grey Nurse Shark named Danny who during his time at 'B.J.O' was seen eating residents of his tank including snapper and salmon (the larger of the two tanks at the oceanarium included 1 or 2 Bronze Whaler sharks from 1976-1980 something and a large species of Stingray during the 1990s and probably before). The smaller tank at the entrance was home to Port Jackson Sharks and for a time a rescued Leatherback Turtle and rescued Little Penguin (note: not simultaneously). Staff member John Valentine would 'walk the sharks' around the tank in the 1970s and 1980s to get them adjusted and stayed all night at the oceanrium during the wild Cyclone Alby night in 1978. Apparently when Atlantis Marine Park closed in 1990 the resident sharks went to this oceanarium. It closed sometime after February 1997 after plans to moved the aquarium about 100m east and expand were rejected by the local council of the time.
The owners of Granite Gorge near Mareeba Queensland, a popular place to go to "tick" Mareeba rock wallabies, appear to be trying to turn their facility into a small zoo or wildlife park. Several backyard-type aviaries have been placed around the grounds holding a collection of parrots and cockatoos. Sundry poultry also roam the grounds. However the core is a covered deck that visitors must pass through on the way between the ticket office and the gorge itself. There are about a dozen large tables on which sit wire cages about 2 x 1 metres and maybe 500 mm high. Inside most were medium sizes parrots, mostly colour mutations of Indian ringnecks plus some African lovebirds and plumhead parrots. Two or three cages contained reptiles in the form of carpet pythons and monitor lizards. Signage indicated the intention was to offer photo opportunities with these animals. The small external aviaries were totally inadequate, especially in the tropical climate. However the wire cages are disgusting. I hate to think what the stress levels of these birds are. Clearly the owners either have no regard for the welfare of these animals or are totally ignorant of what these animals require. The later I find hard to believe as a sign gives people a phone number to call to complain so they must get constant complaints. Where the regulators are in this I do not know. There was another sign indicating they are negotiating with the regulators but I don't know what there is to negotiate about. I used to say that there were not the American style roadside zoo in Australia because of regulation but now I know I was wrong. I visited on the 4th February 2021.
Thanks MRJ for this info, it sounds completely like a roadsize zoo money-making scheme and I hope something is done ASAP to give the animals a better home and that the person in control of the space buggers-off so the Mareeba Rock Wallabies are left hopefully to the next proprietor to keep the space as a reserve for their well-being in as much of a natural environment as possible.
I was there last March and wasn't too impressed either. There were only two or three cages with what looked like pet parrots on the deck, and a tank with some lizards. The few other aviaries looked old and housed mostly pet-type birds, commonly available in the pet shops. I didn't spend any time with them as I was there for the Rock Wallabies, although it sounds like they're trying to expand the 'display' but it's not getting any better. Hix
A couple notable Victorian collections that are missing Yarra Valley Nocturnal Zoo Yarra Valley Nocturnal Zoo | Mt Evelyn Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre (State run) (Usually by appointment although it’s open some days during the school holidays without appointment) Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre
Following a tough few weeks, 12 Mile Bird Park in Broome have announced that after tomorrow they will cease trading permanently. Their animals (which includes a cassowary that arrived last year) will remain in their care until solutions are found: "And if the last two weeks weren't bad enough, we must announce that as of 4pm on Wednesday 30th June, 12 Mile Bird Park will cease trading. Despite extensive legal and financial advice, the timing of the unexpected passing of our founder and proprietor John has left us racing the clock to try to secure the necessary requirements that would have allowed us to trade into the new financial year, and unfortunately we have been unsuccessful. Rest assured that all birds and animals will continue to be cared for whilst we find a solution, but we will no longer be allowed to open to the public. Our sincerest apologies to everyone planning on visiting over the school holidays and beyond." Log into Facebook | Facebook
Someone uploaded this to youtube November 26 last year. An old commercial for now closed Alma Park Zoo QLD from 1985:
Actually I made a mistake: Busselton Oceanarium opened 1970. They received Danny the Grey Nurse Shark and other marine fish from Cottesloe Aquarium when it closed down in Sep '74.
