Tasmania Zoo is a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

located in Launceston, in the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n state of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. Situated on of old growth native bushland, it is home to the state's largest collection of native and exotic animals. Tasmania Zoo is a fully accredited member of the

Zoo and Aquarium Association The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) Australasia was established in 1991. Its vision is to create "Positive Outcomes for Wildlife and People." The organisation operates throughout the Australasia region (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Gui ...

, working closely with all Australasian zoos, and are involved in various species management programs.

History

The zoo was opened in 2003 by Richard Warren and daughter Rochelle Penney. Warren created the Tasmania Zoo as a "legacy to Tasmania" to educate the community. His daughter said about her father after his death in 2018, he "had a special affinity for animals who were on the endangered list. “'He wanted to create the zoo so he could show these exotic and endangered animals and people from Tasmania could see them right here in the state.... Over the past 15 years, Dad’s small fauna park has grown from native wildlife to now include exotic and threatened species and participates in formal conservation programs'".

Exhibits & Species

Exhibits include

Tasmanian devils The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii''; palawa kani: ''purinina'') is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now conf ...

, bare-nosed wombats,

Sumatran tiger The Sumatran tiger is a population of ''Panthera tigris sondaica'' on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali tiger, Bali and Javan tigers are extinct. DNA sequencing, Sequ ...

African lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is ...

serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild small cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, where it inhabits grasslands, wetlands, moorlands and bamboo thickets. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and ...

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...

quolls Quolls (; genus ''Dasyurus'') are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Anot ...

emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...

koalas The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family '' Phascolarctidae''. Its closest living re ...

eastern grey kangaroo The eastern grey kangaroo (''Macropus giganteus'': gigantic large-foot; also great grey kangaroo or forester kangaroo) is a marsupial found in the eastern third of Australia, with a population of several million. Although a large ''M. giganteus ...

s, reptiles and monkeys. They exhibit the second largest collection of primates in any private zoo in Australia. Along with over 100 other species & 1000 individual animals. Conservation work carried out by the zoo includes a breeding program for Tasmanian devils called Devil's Heaven. The first

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

for Tasmania arrived at the zoo in 2017. Mandu was born in 2015 at the

Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo is a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. It is located within Royal Park, Melbourne, Royal Park in Parkville, Victoria, Parkville, approximately north of the centre of Melbourne. It is the primary zoo serving Melbourne. As of 2021, the ...

. In 2018 the zoo received sibling Sumatran tigers, Cinta and Jalur. The pair had lived in

Symbio Wildlife Park Symbio Wildlife Park is a privately owned medium sized zoo located in Helensburgh, New South Wales, south of Sydney and in close proximity to the City of Wollongong. Beginning in 1975 as a native Australian wildlife park, Symbio later expanded it ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

since they were two-years old, they celebrated their tenth birthday before leaving Symbio Park. The Tasmanian Zoo head keeper, Emma Morgan said that they had been preparing for their arrival for a long time. The winters are colder in Tasmania than Sydney, "They do have nice heated dens, comfy beds and they have a nice thick coat as well." Morgan says that the zoo has housed large cats before and are prepared. On Christmas day 2019 the zoo received three

golden lion tamarins The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia''; ), less commonly known as the golden lion marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is a ...

, Fraggle, Mokey and Olmec. Native to Brazil, these monkeys came from

Mogo Zoo Mogo Wildlife Park (formerly Mogo Zoo) is a small privately owned zoo in Mogo, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Description Mogo is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and has had success in breeding programs for ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. The three are all male, but as they are an endangered species the zoo hopes to receive a female for breeding. Sister

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

s Zari and Tafara were new additions to the zoo in January 2020. The zoo had built an enclosure in 2012 and finally has residents. The cheetahs came from

Monarto Zoo Monarto Safari Park, formerly known as Monarto Zoological Park and Monarto Zoo, is a open-range zoo near Murray Bridge in South Australia. By area, Monarto Safari Park is the largest zoo in Australia. It is located at Monarto, approximately f ...

in South Australia. In October 2020 the zoo unveiled an electronic

tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...

that had been housed at the Queen Victoria Museum. The t-rex weighs 700 kilograms and was too large to travel when the Queen Victoria Museum exhibit moved to New Zealand. In October 2021, an 18 month old male

snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...

named Sikari arrived at the zoo. The zoo is available for birthday parties and private events. Animal encounters and "adoptions" of animals are also available. File:Tasmanian Devils Cuddle.JPG, Tasmanian devils cuddle File:Tasmanian Devils fighting over food.JPG, Tasmanian devils fighting over food File:Monkey Tasmania Zoo.JPG, Common marmoset File:Callocephalon fimbriatum -Tasmania Zoo, Launceston, Australia -male-8.jpg, Gigi the gang-gang cockatoo File:Tasmania 6.jpg, Koala File:Brushtailed Possum Tasmania Zoo.JPG, Tasmanian brushtail possum sleeping Animals at the zoo include: ;Birds *

Australian king parrot The Australian king parrot (''Alisterus scapularis'') is a species of parrot endemic to eastern Australia ranging from Cooktown in Queensland to Port Campbell in Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Found in humid and heavily forested upland regions o ...

* Blue and yellow macaw *

Blue-winged parrot The blue-winged parrot (''Neophema chrysostoma''), also known as the blue-banded parakeet or blue-banded grass-parakeet, is a small parrot found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia. It is partly migratory, with populations of blue-winged ...

* Bourke’s parrot *

Budgerigar The budgerigar ( ; ''Melopsittacus undulatus''), also known as the common parakeet, shell parakeet or budgie ( ), is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot native to Australia. Naturally the species is green and yellow with black, scallop ...

* Bush stone curlew *

Canary Canary originally referred to the Spanish island of Gran Canaria in the North Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding Canary Islands. It may also refer to: Animals Birds * Canaries, birds in the genera '' Serinus'' and '' Crithagra'' including, among ...

Cape Barren goose The Cape Barren goose (''Cereopsis novaehollandiae''), sometimes also known as the pig goose, is a species of goose endemic to southern Australia. It is a distinctive large, grey bird that is mostly terrestrial and is not closely related to oth ...

* Carnaby’s black cockatoo * Chestnut-eared finch *

Cockatiel The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as the weero/weiro or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as exotic household pets and compa ...

* Eastern rosella *

Eclectus parrot ''Eclectus'' is a genus of parrot, the Psittaciformes, which consists of four known extant species known as eclectus parrots and the extinct ''Eclectus infectus'', the oceanic eclectus parrot. The extant eclectus parrots are medium-sized parrots ...

Emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...

Gang-gang cockatoo The gang-gang cockatoo (''Callocephalon fimbriatum'') is a parrot found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Australia, particularly alpine bushland. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Callocephalon''. Mostly mild grey in ...

Golden pheasant The golden pheasant (''Chrysolophus pictus''), also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant, is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The genus name is from Ancient Greek ' ...

* Green cheeked conure * Green rosella * Grey parrot * Hahn’s macaw *

Helmeted guineafowl The helmeted guinea fowl (''Numida meleagris'') is the best known of the guinea fowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus ''Numida''. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced, as ...

Hooded parrot The hooded parrot (''Psephotellus dissimilis'') is a species of parrot native to the Northern Territory in Australia. It is found in savannah and open woodland and is one of two extant species in its genus that breed in termite mounds. It has decl ...

* Indian rose-ringed parakeet *

Jandaya parakeet The jandaya parakeet (''Aratinga jandaya'') or jenday conure, is a small Neotropical parrot with green wings and tail, reddish-orange body, yellow head and neck, orange cheeks, and black bill, native to wooded habitats in northeastern Brazil. It ...

Japanese quail The Japanese quail (''Coturnix japonica''), also known as the coturnix quail, is a species of Old World quail found in East Asia. First considered a subspecies of the common quail, it is now considered as a separate species. The Japanese quail h ...

Kākāriki The three species of kākāriki (also spelled ''kakariki'', without macrons), or New Zealand parakeets, are the most common species of parakeets in the genus ''Cyanoramphus'', family (biology), family Psittaculidae. The most commonly used name ' ...

* King quail *

Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra (''Dacelo novaeguineae'') is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large robust kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light ...

Little corella The little corella (''Cacatua sanguinea''), also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as ''Birdirra'' amo ...

Little penguin The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is the smallest species of penguin. It originates from New Zealand. It is commonly known as the fairy penguin, little blue penguin, or blue penguin, owing to its slate-blue plumage and is also known by ...

Lovebird Lovebird is the common name for the genus ''Agapornis'', a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native ...

s * Major Mitchell’s cockatoo * Mallee ringneck parrot *

Mandarin duck The mandarin duck (''Aix galericulata'') is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is Sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic – the males are elaborately coloured, while the females have more subdued colours. It is a medium- ...

Moustached parakeet The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is a parrot native to Southeast Asia. It is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large re ...

Northern rosella The northern rosella (''Platycercus venustus''), formerly known as Brown's rosella or the smutty rosella, is a species of parrot native to northern Australia, ranging from the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley. It was describe ...

Parrotfinch Parrotfinches are small, colourful passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Erythrura'' in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finches. They occur from Southeast Asia to northeastern Australia, Melanesia and Samoa. They inhabit forest, bamboo t ...

Princess parrot The colourful princess parrot (''Polytelis alexandrae'') is an Australian bird of the parrot family. Its name was given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who in 1863 married the Prince of Wales Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Edward V ...

Red-rumped parrot The red-rumped parrot (''Psephotus haematonotus''), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a medium-sized broad-tailed parrot endemic to open woodland in south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. It is a ...

Southern cassowary The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary, or two-wattled cassowary, is a large Flightless bird, flightless black bird, found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northeastern ...

* Star finch *

Sulphur-crested cockatoo The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...

Sun conure The sun conure (''Aratinga solstitialis''), also known as the sun parakeet, is a medium-sized, vibrantly colored parrot native to northeastern South America. The adult male and female are similar in appearance, with black beaks, predominantly gol ...

Superb parrot The superb parrot (''Polytelis swainsonii''), also known as Barraband's parrot, Barraband's parakeet, or green leek parrot, is a parrot native to south-eastern Australia. It is a dimorphic species and one of three species in the genus ''Polytel ...

Swift parrot The swift parrot (''Lathamus discolor''), also known by the palawa kani name swift waylitja, is a species of broad-tailed parrot, found only in southeastern Australia. The species breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates north to south ...

Tawny frogmouth The tawny frogmouth (''Podargus strigoides'') is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird often mistaken for an owl due to its nocturnal habits and similar colouri ...

Turquoise parrot The turquoise parrot (''Neophema pulchella'') is a species of parrot in the genus ''Neophema'' native to Eastern Australia, from southeastern Queensland, through New South Wales and into North-Eastern Victoria (state), Victoria. It was species d ...

* Western long-billed corella *

Western rosella The western rosella (''Platycercus icterotis''), or moyadong, is a species of parrot endemic to southwestern Australia. The head and underparts are bright red, and the back is mottled black; a yellow patch at the cheek distinguishes it from oth ...

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo The yellow-tailed black cockatoo (''Zanda funerea'') is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yellow ...

;Mammals *

African wild dog The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called painted dog and Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' Lycaon'', which is disti ...

Alpaca The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...

Asian small-clawed otter The Asian small-clawed otter (''Aonyx cinereus''), also called oriental small-clawed otter and small-clawed otter, is an otter species native to South and Southeast Asia. It has short claws that do not extend beyond the pads of its webbed digits ...

* Bennett’s wallaby *

Black-and-white ruffed lemur The black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata'') is an endangered species of ruffed lemur, ruffed lemur, one of two which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the red ruffed lemur, it has a much sma ...

* Black-capped capuchin monkey * Bolivian squirrel monkey *

Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

Common marmoset The common marmoset (''Callithrix jacchus''), also called white-tufted marmoset or white-tufted-ear marmoset, is a New World monkey. It originally lived on the northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piauí, Paraíba, Ceará, Rio Grande d ...

Cotton-top tamarin The cotton-top tamarin (''Saguinus oedipus'') is a small New World monkey weighing less than . This New World monkey can live up to 24 years, but most of them die by 13 years. One of the smallest primates, the cotton-top tamarin is easily reco ...

Crab-eating macaque The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque or cynomolgus macaque, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. As a synanthropic species, the crab-eating macaque thrives near human settlem ...

Dingo The dingo (either included in the species ''Canis familiaris'', or considered one of the following independent taxa: ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage ...

De Brazza's monkey De Brazza's monkey (''Cercopithecus neglectus'') is an Old World monkey endemic to the riverine and swamp forests of central Africa. The largest species in the guenon family, it is one of the most widespread arboreal African primates. Aside from ...

Dromedary camel The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius''), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel and one-humped camel, is a large camel of the genus ''Camelus'' with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three camel species; adult males stan ...

Eastern quoll The eastern quoll (''Dasyurus viverrinus'', formerly known as the eastern native cat) is a medium-sized carnivorous marsupial (dasyurid), and one of six extant species of quolls. Endemic to Australia, they occur on the island state of Tasmania, ...

Emperor tamarin The emperor tamarin (''Saguinus imperator'') is a species of tamarin monkey allegedly named for its beard's resemblance to the German Empire, German List_of_German_monarchs#German_Empire,_1871–1918, emperor Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Wilhelm I ...

European fallow deer The European fallow deer (''Dama dama''), also known as the common fallow deer or simply fallow deer, is a species of deer native to Eurasia. It is one of two living species of fallow deer alongside the Persian fallow deer (''Dama mesopotamica'' ...

* Forester grey kangaroo *

Giraffe The giraffe is a large Fauna of Africa, African even-toed ungulate, hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the Largest mammals#Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on ...

Golden-handed tamarin The golden-handed tamarin (''Saguinus midas''), also known as the red-handed tamarin or Midas tamarin, is a New World monkey belonging to the family Callitrichidae. Distribution and habitat This species is native to wooded areas north of the Am ...

Golden lion tamarin The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia''; ), less commonly known as the golden lion marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is a ...

* Greater capybara *

Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the ani ...

Hamadryas baboon The hamadryas baboon (''Papio hamadryas'' ; gawina;Aerts 2019 , Ar Robbaḥ) is a species of baboon within the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons, being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern region o ...

* Javan binturong *

Koala The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only Extant taxon, extant representative of the Family (biology), family ''Phascolar ...

Maned wolf The maned wolf (''Chrysocyon brachyurus'') is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of a red fox, but it is neither a fox nor ...

Meerkat The meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body ...

Miniature donkey North American donkeys constitute approximately 0.1% of the worldwide donkey population. Donkeys were first transported from Europe to the New World in the fifteenth century during the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, and subsequently sprea ...

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 co ...

Plains zebra The plains zebra (''Equus quagga'', formerly ''Equus burchellii'') is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Six or seven subspec ...

Pygmy marmoset Pygmy marmosets are two species of small New World monkeys in the genus ''Cebuella''. They are native to Amazon rainforest, rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. These primates are notable for being the smallest monkeys in th ...

Red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

Ring-tailed lemur The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of fiv ...

Serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild small cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, where it inhabits grasslands, wetlands, moorlands and bamboo thickets. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and ...

Siamang The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an endangered arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching i ...

Snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...

Spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

Spotted-tailed quoll The tiger quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus''), also known as the spotted-tailed quoll, spotted quoll, spotted-tailed dasyure, or tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus ''Dasyurus'' native to Australia. With males and females weigh ...

Sri Lankan leopard The Sri Lankan leopard (''Panthera pardus kotiya'') is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka. It was first described in 1956 by Sri Lankan zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala. Since 2020, the Sri Lankan leopard has been listed as Vul ...

* Tasmanian brushtail possum *

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii''; palawa kani: ''purinina'') is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now con ...

* Tasmanian echidna * Tasmanian ringtail possum * Tasmanian wombat ;Reptiles * American alligator *

Black-headed python The black-headed python (''Aspidites melanocephalus'') Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae (the python family). The species is endemi ...

* Black tiger snake *

Freshwater crocodile The freshwater crocodile (''Crocodylus johnstoni)'', also known Common name, commonly as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone's crocodile, and the freshie, is a species of crocodile native to the northern regions of Australia. Unlike ...

* Inland Children's python * Jungle carpet python * Northern Territory carpet python *

Saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaland to northern Australia and Micronesia. It ha ...

* Spotted python The zoo also keeps and exhibits

Australian lungfish The Australian lungfish (''Neoceratodus forsteri''), also known as the Queensland lungfish, Burnett salmon and barramunda, is the only surviving member of the family Neoceratodontidae. It is one of only six extant lungfish species in the world. ...

Devil facial tumour disease

In 2005 Warren built twenty "off-display enclosures and housed 20 orphaned baby Tasmanian devils. The devils were orphaned by parents who had succumbed to

devil facial tumour disease Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is an aggressive non-viral clonally transmissible cancer which affects Tasmanian devils, a marsupial native to the Australian island of Tasmania. The cancer manifests itself as lumps of soft and ulcerating tis ...

". According to Penney, the zoo " s the first wildlife establishment to work with he

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) is the government department of the Tasmanian Government responsible for supporting primary industry development, the protection of Tasmania's natural environment, effective ...

in the fight against Devil Facial Tumour Disease. This special population of devils not only remained disease-free but have bred successfully every year since and contribute their important genes'". In 2012 the zoo was awarded a $28,394 grant from The University of Tasmania Foundation to improve food preparation for Tasmanian devil insurance populations. Warren said "that the money would be used to establish a full-time food storage and preparation area with walk-in freezer, allowing the facility to increase the capacity of its Devils' Haven area by a further 20 breeding animals".

2012 intrusion

On 2 August 2012, an intrusion occurred at the zoo, and the entrances to about thirty enclosures were opened. Dozens of animals, some endangered, escaped. The intruders also killed about a dozen birds, including a Tasmanian swift parrot, fewer than 1,000 of which remain in the wild. The park's population of quolls was released, but the Tasmanian devils were not harmed. Penney was concerned that if not found, many of the animals would die: "A lot of our animals are in captivity for a reason. They won't survive on their own." The zoo does not receive government funding and Penney estimated that replacing each of the birds would cost up to 2,000 Australian dollars.

Funding during COVID-19 lockdown

In March 2020 the zoo was forced to close to visitors for the first time in its seventeen year history. The zoo does not receive government funding, relying on attendance numbers, donations and corporate sponsorships. The zoo "receives unused produce from

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and

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as part their farmer's programs". According to Penney, "'But when you're looking at our carnivores like our tigers, lions or our newly-arrived cheetahs ... the food bill for those guys alone is enormous'". The zoo does not have the money to pay wages, but the zoo houses over 1,500 animals that need to be cared for. Penney says "'I'm lucky to have an amazing team of zookeepers here who are now volunteering so we can get through this'". It's uncertain if the government was going to help fund the zoo during the lockdown. One area of concern is that the Tasmanian Devils were starting to enter their breeding season which requires a lot of monitoring by the zookeepers. A donation link was set up to help out the park.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 2003 establishments in Australia Zoos established in 2003 Zoos in Tasmania Parks in Tasmania