Alma Park Zoo facts for kids
| Date opened | 1969 |
|---|---|
| Date closed | 31 March 2014 |
| Location | Dakabin, Queensland, Australia |
| Land area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Coordinates | 27°13′36.25″S 152°58′57.60″E / 27.2267361°S 152.9826667°E |
| No. of animals | 229 |
| No. of species | 53 |
Alma Park Zoo was a special place for animals and visitors. It was a 40-acre (16 ha) zoo located north of Brisbane, Australia. You could find it in Dakabin on Alma Road. This zoo was the first one to open in Queensland. It was also the oldest zoo in the entire state!
The zoo was owned by Bill Williams. He also had a business called WW Shock Absorbers. The zoo itself was built by a team of workers. Leroy Pidgeon led this team. He and his family even lived in a cottage right inside the zoo.
Leroy helped bring many of the big palm trees to the zoo. These trees became a famous part of the park. They came from old farms around Brisbane. Bill Williams arranged to get them in the early 1970s.
Alma Park Zoo closed its doors on March 31, 2014. Many of the animals moved to Queensland Zoo. There were plans to open a new zoo in Logan, but this idea was later cancelled in May 2015.
The zoo used to be open every day. You could visit from 9 AM to 4 PM. It was closed only on Christmas Day. On ANZAC Day (April 25), it had shorter hours.
What Made Alma Park Zoo Special?
Alma Park Zoo was beautifully designed. It had walking paths that wound through lovely tropical gardens. These paths were shaded by tall rainforest trees and plants. Some animal homes were "walkthrough" areas. This meant you could walk right inside them! The wallaby and kangaroo areas were like this.
Fun Animal Encounters
Visitors at Alma Park Zoo could get very close to some animals. You could gently pat koalas, snakes, and even crocodiles! It was also possible to take a picture with these animals. This made for some amazing memories.
The zoo also had a cafe. Here, you could buy souvenirs to remember your visit. If you brought your own food, you could use the free gas barbecues. This was perfect for a picnic lunch!
Exploring Lemur Island
One exciting part of the zoo was Lemur Island. This was a tropical area in the northern part of the zoo. It had a wooden cabin for the lemurs. This cabin kept them safe from bad weather, like rain.
Other reptiles also lived on Lemur Island. You could see tortoises there. Eastern water dragons also called the island home.
