Billabong Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1989 |
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| Location | Port Macquarie NSW |
| Land area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Coordinates | 31°27′32″S 152°49′12″E / 31.459°S 152.820°E |
| No. of species | 50+ |
| Memberships | Zoo and Aquarium Association |
Billabong Zoo: Koala & Wildlife park is an exciting wildlife park and a special place for breeding koalas. It covers about 10 acres (which is like 7-8 football fields!) and is located in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. The zoo first opened its doors in 1989. Here, you can discover many different Australian animals and some amazing animals from other parts of the world too. It's especially famous around the globe for its important work in breeding koalas.
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History of Billabong Zoo
Billabong Zoo started in 1989. Back then, it was mainly focused on being a big breeding center for koalas. This meant they helped koalas have babies to increase their numbers. Around 2005, the zoo got new owners. They decided to make it more like a regular wildlife park, adding many more types of animals for visitors to see and learn about, while still keeping their focus on koalas.
Meet the Animals! (Exhibits)
At Billabong Zoo, you can see a wide variety of animals, both native Australian creatures and some cool animals from faraway lands. Here are just a few of the amazing animals you might spot:
- African Lions
- Cassowaries (large, colorful birds)
- Cheetahs (the fastest land animals!)
- Saltwater crocodiles (huge reptiles!)
- Death adders (a type of snake)
- Dingos (wild dogs of Australia)
- Emus (tall Australian birds)
- Green and golden bell frogs
- Koalas (of course!)
- Quolls (small, spotted marsupials)
- Red Pandas (cute, tree-dwelling animals)
- Snow leopards (beautiful big cats)
- Spider monkeys (monkeys with long tails)
- Wombats (burrowing marsupials)
- Eastern grey kangaroos
- Fennec Foxes (small foxes with big ears)
- Meerkats (social desert animals)
- Little penguins
- Red-necked wallabys
- Common marmosets
- Cotton-top tamarins
Besides the animals, the park also has nice picnic areas with barbeques where you can enjoy a meal. There are lovely gardens to explore and peaceful billabongs (which are like small lakes). These billabongs are covered with pretty water lilies and are home to colorful koi carp fish. Sometimes, you might even see a visiting eel! If you get hungry or thirsty, there's also a café right at the main entrance.
Learning and Fun (Education)
Billabong Zoo offers many chances to learn about animals. Throughout the day, zookeepers give special talks. During these talks, you can learn interesting facts about the animals and their lives. One popular activity is the koala photo session, where you can get up close and personal with these adorable marsupials!
Helping Animals (Conservation)
The zoo plays a very important role in helping animals, especially koalas. They have a special program where they breed koalas. These baby koalas are then sent to other zoos as part of a bigger breeding program across Australia and New Zealand. This helps make sure there are enough koalas for the future.
In 2011, Billabong Zoo became a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). This group helps zoos work together to protect animals. Because of this, Billabong Zoo takes part in different programs to manage and protect various animal species, including their famous koalas and the amazing snow leopards.
