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Melbourne Zoo is a
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to z ...
in Melbourne, Australia. It is located within Royal Park in Parkville, approximately north of the centre of
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
. It is the primary zoo serving Melbourne. The zoo contains more than 320 animal species from
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and around the world, and is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram routes 58 and 19, as well as by bicycle on the
Capital City Trail __NOTOC__ The Capital City Trail is a shared use path in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which circles the city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs. It is 29km in length, and mostly consists of sections of other trails, such as ...
. Bicycles are not allowed inside the zoo itself. The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo is set among flower gardens and picnic areas. Many of the animals are now organised in bioclimatic zones: African rainforest ('Gorilla Rainforest') that include
gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four ...
s and lemurs; Asian rainforest ('Trail of the 'Elephants') that includes
elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...
s,
orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genu ...
s,
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...
s and otters; and the Australian bush with kangaroos,
koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the ...
s, wombats,
goannas A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus '' Varanus'' found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of ''Varanus'' are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges ...
, native birds and many others. Popular exhibits also include the 'Butterfly House', the 'Reptile House', the 'Great Flight Aviary', 'Wild Sea', 'Treetop Apes and Monkeys' and 'Lion Gorge'. The zoo includes a large schools section and caters to many school visitors annually, its immensely popular education program encourages young minds to conserve animals. Visitors can see historical cages including the heritage listed ''Elephant House'', which has been renovated and adapted for use for customers paying to sleep overnight in tents at the zoo in popular ''Roar and Snore'' evenings. These evenings allow the public to see some of the nocturnal animals at the zoo in evening guided tours by experienced camp hosts.


History

In October 1857 the Zoological Society of Victoria was formed with the aim of introducing animals and plants from overseas. Its first collections of animals were housed in Richmond Paddock. In 1861 the organisation changed its name to the "Acclimatisation Society of Victoria". On 6 October 1862, the organisation opened a new Melbourne Zoo in Royal Park on of land donated by the City of Melbourne. Melbourne Zoo was modelled on London Zoo. Initially the zoo was important for the acclimatisation of domestic animals recovering from their long trip to Australia. It was only with the appointment of
Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souef Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souef (17 April 1828 – 7 May 1902) was an Australian zoologist. Le Souef was the director of the Melbourne Zoo from 1882 to 1902. In 1853 he married Caroline, daughter of ornithologist John Cotton. Their sons ...
in 1870 that more exotic animals were procured for public display, and the gardens and picnic areas were developed. 1870 also saw the Society change its name to the "Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria", and was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1910. One of the most famous exhibits from the early 1900s to the 1940s was Queenie the elephant. In the mid-1930s, the Society had financial troubles. In response the ''Zoological Gardens Act 1936'' was passed, handing the Zoo to a newly appointed Zoological Board of Victoria on behalf of the state government in 1937. In 1989, a 35-year-old man died when he was partially eaten by a lion after he entered its pen. On 15 January 2010 Melbourne Zoo welcomed its first elephant calf, Mali. This is the second elephant calf born in Australia, the first being in Sydney in July 2009. Mali is the first female calf born in Australia and the first calf born via artificial insemination. Melbourne Zoo commemorated 150 years of operation in 2012 and this was celebrated in an Australian Zoos collector's edition of stamps released by Australia Post in September 2012. The Zoo completed construction and opened a new carnivores trail in early 2018.


Zoos Victoria

Zoos Victoria administers the Melbourne Zoo, as well as the Werribee Open Range Zoo, which features herbivorous creatures in an open-range setting; and Healesville Sanctuary (formerly the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary), which exhibits
Australian fauna The fauna of Australia consists of a huge variety of animals; some 46% of birds, 69% of mammals, 94% of amphibians, and 93% of reptiles that inhabit the continent are endemic to it. This high level of endemism can be attributed to the continen ...
on of bushland. The three zoos have been collectively trading as Zoos Victoria since 1973, governed by the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board, which operates under the ''Zoological Parks and Gardens Act 1995''. In October 2022 Kyabram Fauna Park also became part of Zoos Victoria.


Exhibits

*Gorilla Rainforest:
Western lowland gorilla The western lowland gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla gorilla'') is one of two Critically Endangered subspecies of the western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') that lives in montane, primary and secondary forest and lowland swampland in central Af ...
s live in a family troop in a large habitat at the center of this area and is the major exhibit of this precinct. Other animals housed in this precinct are a pygmy hippo, a
southern cassowary The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf c ...
, black-and-white ruffed lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs. Additionally, a boardwalk following on the trail houses monkeys such as black-handed spider monkeys,
northern white-cheeked gibbon The northern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus leucogenys'') is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon native to South East Asia. It is closely related to the southern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus siki''), with which it was previously con ...
s, eastern black-and-white colobuses, cotton-top tamarins and emperor tamarins. *Growing Wild: An interactive play area opened in 2012 for the zoo's 150th anniversary. There are exhibits for Aldabra giant tortoises, meerkats and blue-winged kookaburras. *Trail Of The Elephants: Six
Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus '' Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in t ...
s — females Mek Kapah (the matriarch), Dokkoon, Kulab, 'Num-oi, Mali (daughter of Dokkoon) and Man Jai (son of Dokkoon), the herd rotates through one of the three paddocks throughout the day. The zoo used to have Ongard (son of Kulab), who is currently in Zoo Miami and an adult bull elephant named Bong Su who died in 2017 after a long battle with arthritis since 2005. Bong Su arrived at the zoo as a gift from the
Sultan of Pahang Sultan of Pahang () is the title of the hereditary constitutional head of Pahang, Malaysia. The current sultan is Al-Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah. He is the Head of Islam in the state and the source of all titles, honours and dignit ...
as an orphan in 1997. Other enclosures house Sumatran tigers,
Sumatran orangutan The Sumatran orangutan (''Pongo abelii'') is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically Endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recentl ...
s, siamangs, Asian small-clawed otters,
black-capped squirrel monkey The black-capped squirrel monkey (''Saimiri boliviensis'') is a species of New-World monkey native to the upper Amazon basin in Bolivia, western Brazil and eastern Peru. They weigh between 365 and 1135 grams and measure, from the head to the b ...
s and a butterfly house. *Wild Sea: Opened in 2009, this immersive $20 million development houses animals that live off the coasts of Victoria such as
Australian fur seals The brown fur seal (''Arctocephalus pusillus''), also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and Australian fur seal, is a species of fur seal. Description The brown fur seal is the largest and most robust member of the fur seal ...
, long-nosed fur seals, little penguins, Fiordland penguins, big-belly seahorses and some native fish. With underwater sounds and a projector screen coupled with the beautiful lighting effects it has a calming touch of realism. The penguins and seals can be viewed from above water level and below. *Australian Bush: This trail consists of native animals such as
koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the ...
s,
western grey kangaroo The western grey kangaroo (''Macropus fuliginosus''), also referred to as a western grey giant kangaroo, black-faced kangaroo, mallee kangaroo, sooty kangaroo and (when referring to the Kangaroo Island subspecies) Kangaroo Island grey kangaroo, is ...
s, emus,
southern hairy-nosed wombat The southern hairy-nosed wombat (''Lasiorhinus latifrons'') is one of three extant species of wombats. It is found in scattered areas of semiarid scrub and mallee from the eastern Nullarbor Plain to the New South Wales border area. It is the s ...
s, Tasmanian devils,
lace monitor The lace monitor or tree goanna (''Varanus varius'') is a member of the monitor lizard family native to eastern Australia. A large lizard, it can reach in total length and in weight. The lace monitor is considered to be a least-concern species ...
s, helmeted honeyeaters and orange-bellied parrots. *Great Flight Aviary: A large free-flight aviary within the Australian Bush precinct dating to the 1930s. Visitors walk along a boardwalk through three different bioregions representing an Australian rainforest, wetlands and bushland. Some species housed include
red-collared lorikeet The red-collared lorikeet (''Trichoglossus rubritorquis'') is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia (north-eastern Western Australia, northern Northern Territory and far north-western Queensland). It was previou ...
s, red-tailed black cockatoos, blue-faced honeyeaters, eclectus parrots,
pied heron The pied heron (''Egretta picata''), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. Taxonomy The species was originally described by ...
s, radjah shelducks and
wonga pigeon The wonga pigeon (''Leucosarcia melanoleuca'') is a pigeon that inhabits areas in eastern Australia with its range being from Central Queensland to Gippsland, eastern Victoria, Australia. Distribution and habitat Previously they could be found ...
s. *Lion Gorge: Two male African lions, Ndidi and Zuberi moved to the zoo from the Werribee Open Range Zoo. The precinct also contains dingoes, snow leopards, brown-nosed coatis as well as additional enclosures for Sumatran tigers and Tasmanian devils. Also included in this area is the 'DigestED' building, which houses multiple species of snakes like
reticulated python The reticulated python (''Malayopython reticulatus'') is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the world's longest snake, and is among the three heaviest. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its ...
s. *Frogs and Reptiles: World of Frogs houses several native and endangered frogs and toads, including southern
corroboree frog Corroboree frogs ( ) comprise two species of frog native to the Southern Tablelands of Australia. Both species are small, poisonous ground-dwelling frogs. The two species are the southern corroboree frog (''Pseudophryne corroboree'') and the n ...
s and the only Baw Baw frogs in captivity. The zoo's Reptile House holds a variety of native and exotic reptiles such as the coastal taipan, eastern diamondback rattlesnake,
Fiji crested iguana The Fiji crested iguana or Fijian crested iguana (''Brachylophus vitiensis'') is a critically endangered species of iguana native to some of the northwestern islands of the Fijiian archipelago, where it is found in dry forest on Yaduataba (west ...
, Gila monster, grassland earless dragon and Philippine crocodile. *Other animals: Other animals include red pandas, giraffes, plains zebras,
platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...
es,
blue-and-yellow macaw The blue-and-yellow macaw (''Ara ararauna''), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the l ...
s, red-fronted macaws, hamadryas baboons, a
Malayan tapir The Malayan tapir (''Tapirus indicus''), also called Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir and Indian tapir, is the only tapir species native to Southeast Asia from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since ...
and
collared peccaries The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to as ...
.


Gallery

Melbourne Zoo (5117021053).jpg, Asian elephant herd Orangutan-Melbourne-Zoo-20070224-056.jpg, Orangutan File:Tiger at Melbourne Zoo (11882960305).jpg, Sumatran tiger File:Gorilla Eating (4334174066).jpg, Western lowland gorilla Pygmy hippopotamus Melbourne Zoo (11882419955).jpg, Pygmy hippo Ring-tailed lemurs.jpg, Ring-tailed lemurs File:Melbourne Zoo Giraff.jpg, Giraffes and zebras Melbourne Zoo meerkats.jpg, Meerkats File:Aldabra Giant Tortoise at Melbourne Zoo.jpg, Aldabra giant tortoise File:Lion - melbourne zoo.jpg, African lion Snow Leopard at Melbourne Zoo.jpg, Snow leopard File:Red panda 30966214626.jpg, Red pandas Australian fur seal 02.jpg, Australian fur seal Pelican-Melbourne-Zoo-20070224-050.jpg, Australian pelican Eudyptula minor -Melbourne Zoo, Australia -swimming-8a (1).jpg, Little penguins A koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) in Melbourne Zoo - Flickr - odako1.jpg, Koala File:Emu - melbourne zoo.jpg, Emu Platipus01.jpg, Platypus Tapirus indicus1.jpg, Malayan tapir


Notes


External links

* *
List of species at Melbourne Zoo
globalspecies.org {{Authority control 1862 establishments in Australia Zoos established in 1862 Organisations based in Melbourne Tourist attractions in Melbourne Zoos in Victoria (Australia) Culture of Melbourne Parks in Melbourne Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)