Australia Zoo facts for kids
 |
|
Australia Zoo entrance
|
|
| Date opened | 3 June 1970 |
|---|---|
| Location | Beerwah, Queensland, Australia |
| Land area | 1,000 acres (400 ha) |
| Coordinates | 26°50′12″S 152°57′34″E / 26.8366°S 152.9595°E |
| No. of animals | 1000+ |
| Annual visitors | 700,000 |
| Memberships | ZAA |
Australia Zoo is a 1,000-acre (400 ha) zoo located in the Australian state of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains. It is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), and is owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter made the zoo a popular tourist attraction. The zoo is run by Director Wes Mannion.
Australia Zoo was opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin on 3 June 1970 under the name Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. Their son Steve had helped his parents since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. In 1982 the park was renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and the area was doubled with the purchase of another 4 acres (1.6 ha). Steve and Terri changed the name of their now growing wildlife park to Australia Zoo. As filming generated extra funds, Steve and Terri put all money raised from filming and merchandise into conservation and building new exhibits.
Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for 2003–2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction. In 2004, the Australian Animal Hospital was opened next to the zoo to help with animal care and rehabilitation. More recently, the zoo was a finalist in two categories for the 2010 Queensland Tourism Awards. Visitors will see a wide variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and can view crocodile feedings, hand-feed elephants, and have hands-on animal encounters.
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Australia Zoo was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location".
Contents
History
1970–1992
Australia Zoo was opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin on 3 June 1970 under the name Beerwah Reptile Park. Bob is a world-renowned herpetologist, who is regarded as a pioneer in the keeping and breeding of reptiles, while Lyn was one of the first to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife in southeast Queensland. Bob and Lyn passed on their love and respect for wildlife to their three children: Joy, Steve, and Mandy. Steve had helped Bob and Lyn since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. In 1982, the park was renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and the area was doubled with the purchase of another 4 acres (1.6 ha). In 1987, the Crocodile Environmental Park was opened in an effort to aid saltwater crocodile protection. By the 1990s the Crocodile Environmental Park had become very popular and was seen as unique for its display of crocodile feeding within the park. The area was mainly used to house adult saltwater crocodiles that had been captured and relocated from the wild.
1992–2006
The 1990s brought many changes: Bob and Lyn retired and moved to Rosedale, Queensland, while Steve and Terri changed the name of their now growing wildlife park to Australia Zoo in 1998. As filming generated extra funds, Steve and Terri put all money raised from filming and merchandise into conservation and building new exhibits. Their philosophy was that the zoo animals came first, the zoo team came second, and the zoo visitors came third. The zoo also expanded with the creation of a management team and hiring around 50 staff. Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for 2003-2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction. In 2004, the Australian Animal Hospital was opened next to the zoo to help with animal care and rehabilitation. The facility was built in an old avocado packing shed, and was dedicated to Lyn. The facility had a single operating room, and with a staff of 20 full-time workers and 80 volunteers, it cared for up to 6,000 animals per year. Steve Irwin died in 2006, the same year Australia Zoo Retail won the Tourism Retailing Award from Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
2007–present
In 2007, the zoo and the Government of Queensland made a land deal involving giving a parcel of land from the Beerwah State Forest to Australia Zoo in return for land near Peachester State Forest which was transferred to the government for forestry. The swap permitted the development of an open-range safari attraction, allowing the zoo to expand to a world-class standard. In 2008, a new $5 million animal hospital, claimed to be the largest wildlife hospital in the world, opened next to the packing shed. The new 1,300-square-metre (14,000 sq ft) facility is built of mud brick and hay. It contains two operating theaters with viewing areas for student veterinarians, two treatment rooms, intensive care units for mammals, birds, and reptiles, a CAT scan room, and public areas including a drop-off area, pharmacy, nursery, and waiting room. A conference room in the building will be rented out to help generate operating funds.
On 2 March 2008 it was announced that Bob Irwin, the founder, had resigned from Australia Zoo, in order to "keep his son's dream alive" on a different property. In a statement to the press, he thanked the staff for all their help but made no mention of Terri Irwin. At the same time, the zoo was being sued for $2.5 million by a debt collection agency, but the lawsuit was later dropped in an out-of-court settlement.
On 15 March 2008 the Brisbane-based newspaper, The Sunday Mail, claimed there are plans to sell Australia Zoo to Animal Planet and create a $100-million Disney-style wildlife theme park. Terri has publicly announced that she has no plans to sell the zoo, but is looking to expand the park. Despite rumours that she intended to return to the United States, Terri denied the claims and became an Australian citizen on 20 November 2009.
By 2010, the zoo had grown to 76 acres (31 ha), which will eventually be expanded with an additional 135-hectare (334-acre) safari park with hotel.
Construction on the Australia Zoo Safari Lodge began mid 2008 and was due to be finished and operational by the end of 2009. However, due to the economic situation, Australia Zoo decided to put all of its expansion plans on hold. In the beginning of 2011, up to 30 staff members had their employment terminated which management blamed on low visitor numbers due to the 2010–11 Queensland floods and financial crisis of 2007–2008. On 22 February 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the zoo was "on the brink of ruin". Irwin's widow has since denied press reports fuelled by ex-employees that the zoo is facing closure due to the financial crisis.
During 2019 and early 2020 bushfires the Wildlife Hospital associated with the zoo treated its 90,000th injured animal.
Management
The zoo is managed by Director Wes Mannion. The Australia Zoo business is owned by Australia Zoo Pty Ltd, but the land on which the zoo is located, and most of the surrounding area, is owned by Silverback Properties Pty Ltd. Food courts and merchandising at the zoo are operated and maintained by Muscillo Holdings Pty Ltd.
Animals
The zoo contains a wide range of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Exhibits
The Crocoseum
The 'Mount Franklin Crocoseum' ` stadium at the zoo has a seating capacity of about 5000. At the time of its construction, it was the first in the world where snake, bird and crocodile shows were conducted. Australia Zoo calls these shows 'Wildlife Warriors 101'. This is also where the zoo presents concerts, such as the Summer Down Under series.
Africa
On 17 September 2011, the zoo opened its African Safari exhibit, a multi-species replica of the Serengeti ecosystem, showcasing zebras, rhinos, and giraffes interacting as they would in the wild. Cheetahs are also on display, but not in the area where the other animals are. The exhibit includes Queensland bottle trees reflecting the native African baobab tree and mock kopjes as seen in southern Africa.
Construction of an artificial island (to represent the island of Madagascar), began in 2006, which will accommodate African animals such as tortoises, lemurs and other species not yet represented, will be completed during stage two of the zoo's Africa exhibit.
Tiger Temple
Opened in April 2005, this exhibit houses both Sumatran and Bengal tigers. The exhibit was built to resemble the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. It is enclosed on two sides by glass, and includes an underwater viewing area.
Elephantasia
Elephantasia is a 12-acre (4.9 ha) Asian themed exhibit that opened in 2006 and is the largest Asian elephant enclosure in Australia. It includes a wading pool with a fountain, and tropical gardens with shaded areas for the zoo's elephants. Australia Zoo, however, no longer holds elephants, as two elephants were returned to Sydney, and the last surviving elephant died in 2013. In late 2019 Australia Zoo imported four Sumatran elephants. The elephants are expected to go on display in Elephantasia by Mid-2020.
South-East Asian Precinct
Other Asian animals have been moved into exhibits close to Tiger Temple and Elephantasia that have been designed to mimic their native environments. Animals in this precinct include Komodo dragons, red pandas, Asian small-clawed otters, and Burmese pythons.
Rainforest Aviary
The Rainforest Aviary is an outdoor walk-through aviary housing about 150 birds, most of which are native to Australia. Adjacent to the Rainforest Aviary is the Birds of Prey aviary, which holds various species of raptors and other predatory birds.
Bindi's Island
Opened beside the Africa exhibit in December 2014 and named after Steve's daughter, Bindi's Island is a three-story "treehouse" built around a replica fig tree. It offers panoramic views of Australia Zoo, including the adjacent lemur island.
Other facilities
Food Court
Visitors can eat at the open air upper story "Food Court" of the "Taj Mahal" building (which seats up to 1,500), at the Dingo Diner, or at several food vending stands around the zoo.
Transport
To get around the zoo, visitors can take Steve's Safari Shuttle, a 'modified trailered bus' that operates on a bitumen (asphalt) roadway circuit. Visitors can also hire a caddie to drive themselves around the zoo for the day.
Playgrounds
The zoo includes two shaded playgrounds.
Activities
Visitors can view crocodile feedings and participate in elephant feedings. Elephant feedings are on the roadway circuit at the first crossover to the internal section of the zoo in the mornings, and at 'Elephantasia' in the afternoons.
There are 4 walk-through enclosures that visitors can enter and feed kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas, and there is often an opportunity to pet a koala when staff are in the exhibit.
The zoo also offers a roving animal team that walks around the grounds throughout the day with various animals such as alligators, birds, snakes, and lizards. Visitors may have their photo taken with the animals and can purchase professional copies from the zoo's photo lab.
In April 2019 Australia Zoo announced $8 million project 'Camp Croc'. The wildlife camping experience is expected to lure over 39,000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast each year.
Animal rescue and rehabilitation
Wildlife Warriors
Wildlife Warriors runs a rescue operation and care station for any native wildlife which may be injured in accidents outside the zoo.
This effort is now supported by the 1,300-square-metre (14,000 sq ft) Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital next to the zoo, which can care for up to 10,000 animals per year, with two operating theaters, two treatment rooms, intensive care units for mammals, birds, and reptiles, and a CAT scan room, and was designed by WD Architects. The hospital is named in honor of Steve Irwin's mother Lynn Irwin, who died in a car accident in 2000.
International Crocodile Rescue (ICR)
The zoo also runs International Crocodile Rescue, which helps capture and (if necessary) relocate "problem crocodiles." The organization currently has five locations in Australia and another five worldwide, all equipped to handle capture and relocation. The zoo has taken in many of the captured crocodiles when it was deemed that they could not be relocated and released. The crocodile rescue unit runs a rehabilitation facility on the grounds of Australia Zoo that can house full grown male saltwater crocodiles.
Croc One
Croc One is Australia Zoos research vessel that is used around Australia to conduct marine and land based research. Its most notable usage is for the "Crocs in space" program led by Professor Craig Franklin of the University of Queensland. Croc One is also the vessel on which Steve Irwin died after his heart was pierced by a stingray barb. Croc One is moored at Mooloolaba wharf.
Whale One
Whale One is a custom built commercial usage vessel currently owned and operated by Sunreef (previously by Australia Zoo) for whale watching at Mooloolaba. It is moored at Mooloolaba wharf.
Other zoo properties
Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
This 135,000-hectare (330,000-acre) property was acquired with the assistance of the Australian government as part of the National Reserve System Programme. It is located on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, and contains spring fed wetlands that provide a water source to threatened habitat and the Wenlock River.
Iron Bark Station (Blackbutt)
Australia Zoo purchased the 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) Iron Bark Station located at Blackbutt, Queensland in 1994. It is part of the great dividing Range, where the East coast meets the dry West. An additional 325 acres (132 ha) was purchased in 1994 to save a dwindling koala population, with fewer than 12 koalas left in the area. Management immediately commenced reforestation, including 44,000 eucalypt trees for koalas. In 1998, another 325 acres (132 ha) was purchased. In 1999, a 5 acres (2.0 ha) release facility was established to rehabilitate native marsupials the area. Another 1,000 acres (400 ha) was purchased in 1999 with funds from the Lynn Irwin Memorial fund (now Wildlife Warriors Worldwide), and another 1,800 acres (730 ha) was added in 2002. In 2007, Bob Irwin became full-time manager of the station.
Heathland
The Zoo purchased 250 acres (100 ha) of Australian heathland in 2002 to help preserve endangered flora and fauna of the area. Animals that can be found on this property include black cockatoos (red-tailed, yellow-tailed, and glossy), species of glider including greater gliders, sugar gliders, squirrel gliders, and feathertail glider, acid frogs, echidnas, antechinus, Richmond birdwing butterflies, and platypus.
Mourachan (St. George)
This conservation area was developed to protect endangered species, such as the woma python and yakka skink. It consists of 117,174 acres, in which various habitat types have been created, by Australia Zoo and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors.
It is a place where endangered species can reestablish populations, and as of 2015, Terri purchased an additional 33, 000 acres of land to expand this conservation habitat.
See also
In Spanish: Zoológico de Australia para niños
