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Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo is a 700-acre (280 ha) zoo 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 and his family's new show Crikey! It's the Irwins made the zoo a popular tourist attraction.

Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo entrance
26°50′12″S 152°57′34″E / 26.8366°S 152.9595°E / -26.8366; 152.9595
Date opened3 June 1970[1]
LocationBeerwah, Queensland, Australia
Land area700 acres (280 ha)[2]
No. of animals1200+[2][3]
Annual visitors700,000[4]
MembershipsZAA[5]
OwnerTerri Irwin
Websitewww.australiazoo.com.au

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. Following Steve's accidental death from a stingray, Terri became the new owner of the zoo.

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. In 2010, Australia Zoo won Gold in the Queensland Tourism Awards for Major Tourist Attraction and in 2019, they won the RACQ People's Choice Award – Experience & Services.[6] Visitors will see a wide variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and can view crocodile feedings, and have hands-on animal encounters.

History edit

 
Aerial panorama of the Australia Zoo. 2023.
 
Aerial panorama of the Australia Zoo along Steve Irwin Way. 2023.

1970–1992 edit

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.[3][7] 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.[3][8] The area was mainly used to house adult saltwater crocodiles that had been captured and relocated from the wild.

1992–2006 edit

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.[9] 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.[8] Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for 2003–2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction.[10] 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.[11][12] Steve Irwin died in 2006, the same year Australia Zoo Retail won the Tourism Retailing Award from Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.[13]

2007–present edit

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.[14] 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 X-ray 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.[11][12]

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.[15]

During the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, the Wildlife Hospital associated with the zoo treated its 90,000th injured animal.[16]

Management edit

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.

Animals edit

Australia Zoo contains a wide range of birds, mammals and reptiles.[17]

Birds


Frogs (Amphibians)


Mammals


Reptiles

Exhibits edit

 
Crocodile show in the Crocoseum at Australia Zoo

The Crocoseum edit

 
Guy Sebastian before a concert in 2009[18]

The 'Mount Franklin Crocoseum' stadium at the zoo has a seating capacity of 5,000. It is used mostly for animal shows. At the time of its construction, it was the first in the world where snake, bird and crocodile shows were conducted. Australia Zoo calls this the 'Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Show'. This is also where the zoo presents concerts, such as the Summer Down Under series.

Africa edit

On 17 September 2011, the zoo opened its African Safari exhibit, a multi-species replica of the Serengeti ecosystem, showcasing giraffes, plains zebra and southern white rhinos' interacting as they would in the wild. Also on display are cheetahs, but not in the area where the other animals are. There is also an exhibit for meerkats next to the big savanna who share their exhibit with wandering helmeted guineafowls. This area of the zoo includes Queensland bottle trees reflecting the native African baobab tree and mock kopjes as seen in southern Africa.

Tiger Temple edit

Opened in April 2005, this exhibit houses Sumatran tigers (and previously also 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 edit

Elephantasia is a 12-acre (4.9 ha)[19] Asian themed exhibit that opened in 2006 and is the largest elephant enclosure in Australia. It includes a wading pool with a fountain, and tropical gardens with shaded areas for the zoo's elephants. In October 2019 Australia Zoo imported four female Sumatran elephants. The elephants are on display in Elephantasia as of December 2021.

 
Aviary at the Australia Zoo

Rainforest Aviary edit

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. Following the birth of Bindi Irwin's daughter the Rainforest Aviary was renamed Grace's Bird Garden.

Bindi's Island edit

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.

Robert's Reptile House edit

The zoo's indoor reptile exhibits which showcase twenty different species of reptiles (and three species of frogs) in sixteen different terrariums.

Other Exhibits edit

Further exhibit zones include Crocodile Environmental Park, Roo Heaven, Wetlands and others.

Other facilities edit

Crikey! Cafe edit

Visitors can eat at the open air upper story "Crikey! Cafe" (which seats up to 1,500), at the Dingo Diner, or at several food vending stands around the zoo.

Transport edit

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 with guide to drive around the zoo for the day.

Playgrounds edit

The zoo includes multiple shaded playgrounds as well as a jumping pillow and water splash park.

Activities edit

There are 4 walk-through enclosures that visitors can enter and feed kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas,[20] 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 Crocodile'. The wildlife camping experience is expected to lure over 39,000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast each year.[21]

Animal rescue and rehabilitation edit

 
Harriet, the third oldest tortoise ever authenticated, lived at Australia Zoo

Wildlife Warriors edit

Wildlife Warriors runs a rescue operation and care station for any native wildlife which may be injured in accidents outside the zoo.[22]

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 an X-ray room, and was designed by WD Architects.[12] The hospital is named in honor of Steve Irwin's mother Lynn Irwin, who died in a car accident in 2000.

Other zoo properties edit

Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve edit

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.[23]

Iron Bark Station (Blackbutt) edit

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.[24]

Mourachan (St. George) edit

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 edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Australia Zoo – the Crocodile Hunter". queenslandholidays.com.au. Tourism Queensland. from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Visit Us". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  3. ^ a b c . getaway.ninemsn.com.au. Gateway. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Get Involved". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Member Location Map". zooaquarium.org.au. ZAA. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Queensland Tourism Awards 2016 – Results". www.queenslandtourismawards.com.au. from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  7. ^ "The Irwin family". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  8. ^ a b . australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. Archived from the original on 16 September 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  9. ^ Griffiths, Ellie. "Steve Irwin: Spotlight On Australia's Beloved Crocodile Hunter". Culture Trip. from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  10. ^ . tourism.sa.gov.au. South Australian. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  11. ^ a b . strawtec.com.au. Strawtec. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  12. ^ a b c Gardner, Jane (13 April 2008). "Bringing Steve Irwin's dream to life". sunshinecoastdaily.com.au. Sunshine Coast Daily. from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  13. ^ . tourismalliance.org. National Tourism Alliance. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  14. ^ Christine Flatley (22 February 2007). "Irwin's zoo to be world-class". The Advertiser. News Limited. from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  15. ^ . australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  16. ^ Elassar, Alaa (4 January 2020). "The Irwin family has saved over 90,000 animals, including many injured in the Australia wildfires". CNN. from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Amazing Animals". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  18. ^ Marshall, Rebecca (4 January 2009). "What a way to propose". thedaily.com.au. Sunshine Coast Daily. from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  19. ^ "Zoo Overview". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  20. ^ "Feed The Animals". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  21. ^ "Australia Zoo announces 'exciting' $8M wildlife camping experience". Travel at 60. 15 April 2019. from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Australia Zoo Rescue Unit". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  23. ^ "The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR)". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  24. ^ "Iron Bark Station (Blackbutt)". australiazoo.com.au. Australia Zoo. from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.

External links edit

  • Official website

australia, acre, australian, state, queensland, sunshine, coast, near, beerwah, glass, house, mountains, member, aquarium, association, owned, terri, irwin, widow, steve, irwin, whose, wildlife, documentary, series, crocodile, hunter, family, show, crikey, irw. Australia Zoo is a 700 acre 280 ha zoo 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 and his family s new show Crikey It s the Irwins made the zoo a popular tourist attraction Australia ZooAustralia Zoo entrance26 50 12 S 152 57 34 E 26 8366 S 152 9595 E 26 8366 152 9595Date opened3 June 1970 1 LocationBeerwah Queensland AustraliaLand area700 acres 280 ha 2 No of animals1200 2 3 Annual visitors700 000 4 MembershipsZAA 5 OwnerTerri IrwinWebsitewww wbr australiazoo wbr com wbr auAustralia 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 Following Steve s accidental death from a stingray Terri became the new owner of the zoo 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 In 2010 Australia Zoo won Gold in the Queensland Tourism Awards for Major Tourist Attraction and in 2019 they won the RACQ People s Choice Award Experience amp Services 6 Visitors will see a wide variety of birds mammals and reptiles and can view crocodile feedings and have hands on animal encounters Contents 1 History 1 1 1970 1992 1 2 1992 2006 1 3 2007 present 2 Management 3 Animals 4 Exhibits 4 1 The Crocoseum 4 2 Africa 4 3 Tiger Temple 4 4 Elephantasia 4 5 Rainforest Aviary 4 6 Bindi s Island 4 7 Robert s Reptile House 4 8 Other Exhibits 5 Other facilities 5 1 Crikey Cafe 5 2 Transport 5 3 Playgrounds 6 Activities 7 Animal rescue and rehabilitation 7 1 Wildlife Warriors 8 Other zoo properties 8 1 Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve 8 2 Iron Bark Station Blackbutt 8 3 Mourachan St George 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksHistory edit nbsp Aerial panorama of the Australia Zoo 2023 nbsp Aerial panorama of the Australia Zoo along Steve Irwin Way 2023 1970 1992 edit 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 3 7 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 3 8 The area was mainly used to house adult saltwater crocodiles that had been captured and relocated from the wild 1992 2006 edit 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 9 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 8 Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for 2003 2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction 10 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 11 12 Steve Irwin died in 2006 the same year Australia Zoo Retail won the Tourism Retailing Award from Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 13 2007 present edit 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 14 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 X ray 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 11 12 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 15 During the 2019 20 Australian bushfire season the Wildlife Hospital associated with the zoo treated its 90 000th injured animal 16 Management editThe 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 Animals editAustralia Zoo contains a wide range of birds mammals and reptiles 17 BirdsAustralian king parrot Bar shouldered dove Black necked stork Blue and yellow macaw Brahminy kite Brolga Bush stone curlew Chestnut breasted mannikin Eastern whipbird Eclectus parrot Emu Galah Glossy ibis Gouldian finch Great cormorant Green winged macaw Helmeted guineafowl Little pied cormorant Magpie goose Noisy pitta Pacific emerald dove Pied imperial pigeon Radjah shelduck Rainbow lorikeet Red browed finch Red collared lorikeet Red tailed black cockatoo Rose crowned fruit dove Sacred kingfisher Scarlet macaw Southern cassowary Sulphur crested cockatoo Wedge tailed eagle Whistling kite White headed pigeon Wonga pigeon Yellow tailed black cockatoo Frogs Amphibians Blue poison dart frog Dyeing poison dart frog White lipped tree frog MammalsAsian small clawed otter Binturong Black flanked rock wallaby Brush tailed rock wallaby Cheetah Common wombat Dingo Eastern grey kangaroo Giraffe Koala Meerkat Plains zebra Quokka Red kangaroo Red panda Red necked wallaby Ring tailed lemur Short beaked echidna Southern hairy nosed wombat Southern white rhinoceros Sumatran elephant Sumatran tiger Swamp wallaby Tasmanian devil ReptilesAldabra giant tortoise American alligator Black headed python Boyd s forest dragon Broad shelled turtle Burmese python Coastal taipan Common blue tongued skink Common death adder Corn snake Cunningham s skink Eastern brown snake Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Eastern shingleback Eastern water dragon Elongated tortoise Fijian crested iguana Freshwater crocodile Gila monster Green anaconda Indian star tortoise Inland bearded dragon Inland taipan King brown snake King cobra Komodo dragon Krefft s turtle Land mullet Mertens water monitor Murray River turtle Radiated tortoise Red bellied black snake Rhinoceros iguana Saltwater crocodile Saw shelled turtle Scrub python Tiger snake Woma python Yakka skinkExhibits edit nbsp Crocodile show in the Crocoseum at Australia ZooThe Crocoseum edit nbsp Guy Sebastian before a concert in 2009 18 The Mount Franklin Crocoseum stadium at the zoo has a seating capacity of 5 000 It is used mostly for animal shows At the time of its construction it was the first in the world where snake bird and crocodile shows were conducted Australia Zoo calls this the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Show This is also where the zoo presents concerts such as the Summer Down Under series Africa edit On 17 September 2011 the zoo opened its African Safari exhibit a multi species replica of the Serengeti ecosystem showcasing giraffes plains zebra and southern white rhinos interacting as they would in the wild Also on display are cheetahs but not in the area where the other animals are There is also an exhibit for meerkats next to the big savanna who share their exhibit with wandering helmeted guineafowls This area of the zoo includes Queensland bottle trees reflecting the native African baobab tree and mock kopjes as seen in southern Africa Tiger Temple edit Opened in April 2005 this exhibit houses Sumatran tigers and previously also 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 edit Elephantasia is a 12 acre 4 9 ha 19 Asian themed exhibit that opened in 2006 and is the largest elephant enclosure in Australia It includes a wading pool with a fountain and tropical gardens with shaded areas for the zoo s elephants In October 2019 Australia Zoo imported four female Sumatran elephants The elephants are on display in Elephantasia as of December 2021 nbsp Aviary at the Australia ZooRainforest Aviary edit 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 Following the birth of Bindi Irwin s daughter the Rainforest Aviary was renamed Grace s Bird Garden Bindi s Island edit 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 Robert s Reptile House edit The zoo s indoor reptile exhibits which showcase twenty different species of reptiles and three species of frogs in sixteen different terrariums Other Exhibits edit Further exhibit zones include Crocodile Environmental Park Roo Heaven Wetlands and others Other facilities editCrikey Cafe edit Visitors can eat at the open air upper story Crikey Cafe which seats up to 1 500 at the Dingo Diner or at several food vending stands around the zoo Transport edit 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 with guide to drive around the zoo for the day Playgrounds edit The zoo includes multiple shaded playgrounds as well as a jumping pillow and water splash park Activities editThere are 4 walk through enclosures that visitors can enter and feed kangaroos wallabies and koalas 20 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 Crocodile The wildlife camping experience is expected to lure over 39 000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast each year 21 Animal rescue and rehabilitation edit nbsp Harriet the third oldest tortoise ever authenticated lived at Australia ZooWildlife Warriors edit Wildlife Warriors runs a rescue operation and care station for any native wildlife which may be injured in accidents outside the zoo 22 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 an X ray room and was designed by WD Architects 12 The hospital is named in honor of Steve Irwin s mother Lynn Irwin who died in a car accident in 2000 Other zoo properties editSteve Irwin Wildlife Reserve edit 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 23 Iron Bark Station Blackbutt edit 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 24 Mourachan St George edit 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 edit nbsp Queensland portal nbsp Animals portalSteve Irwin Terri Irwin Bindi Irwin Robert Irwin Wildlife WarriorsReferences edit Australia Zoo the Crocodile Hunter queenslandholidays com au Tourism Queensland Archived from the original on 27 February 2011 Retrieved 4 September 2010 a b Visit Us australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 22 September 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 a b c Steve Irwin s Australia Zoo getaway ninemsn com au Gateway 8 November 2007 Archived from the original on 5 January 2011 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Get Involved australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 22 September 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Member Location Map zooaquarium org au ZAA Retrieved 23 July 2011 Queensland Tourism Awards 2016 Results www queenslandtourismawards com au Archived from the original on 1 March 2019 Retrieved 1 March 2019 The Irwin family australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 17 September 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 a b Good Old Days from 2008 australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 16 September 2007 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Griffiths Ellie Steve Irwin Spotlight On Australia s Beloved Crocodile Hunter Culture Trip Archived from the original on 13 August 2017 Retrieved 11 September 2017 Australian Tourism Awards Winners 2003 2004 tourism sa gov au South Australian Archived from the original on 14 April 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 a b The Wildlife Warriors new Animal Hospital at Australia Zoo strawtec com au Strawtec Archived from the original on 2 January 2011 Retrieved 5 September 2010 a b c Gardner Jane 13 April 2008 Bringing Steve Irwin s dream to life sunshinecoastdaily com au Sunshine Coast Daily Archived from the original on 9 May 2012 Retrieved 5 September 2010 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards tourismalliance org National Tourism Alliance Archived from the original on 18 June 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Christine Flatley 22 February 2007 Irwin s zoo to be world class The Advertiser News Limited Archived from the original on 8 September 2012 Retrieved 1 December 2010 Zoo News November 2009 australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 6 October 2010 Retrieved 5 September 2010 Elassar Alaa 4 January 2020 The Irwin family has saved over 90 000 animals including many injured in the Australia wildfires CNN Archived from the original on 2 October 2020 Retrieved 6 January 2020 Amazing Animals australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 22 September 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Marshall Rebecca 4 January 2009 What a way to propose thedaily com au Sunshine Coast Daily Archived from the original on 26 July 2009 Retrieved 5 September 2010 Zoo Overview australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 12 December 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Feed The Animals australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 17 September 2010 Retrieved 4 September 2010 Australia Zoo announces exciting 8M wildlife camping experience Travel at 60 15 April 2019 Archived from the original on 3 May 2019 Retrieved 3 May 2019 Australia Zoo Rescue Unit australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 19 November 2008 Retrieved 5 September 2010 The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve SIWR australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 29 September 2011 Retrieved 22 July 2011 Iron Bark Station Blackbutt australiazoo com au Australia Zoo Archived from the original on 29 September 2011 Retrieved 22 July 2011 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Australia Zoo Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Australia Zoo amp oldid 1188980735, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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