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Western
Plains Zoo
Located just 4km from the heart of Dubbo City, Western Plains Zoo is truly the premier tourist attraction in regional Australia. 120 species and 1450 individual animals roam here on approximately 350 hectares , free of cages. Moats, some dry, some water filled, keep the animals enclosed in a stimulated native habitat. The unique environment of the Zoo provides a natural theatre of animals in the wild and at play. From the antics of the Siamang Apes to the preying, piercing eyes of the stalking 
Cheetah, you will need to take time to experience the spontaneity
of mother nature. Western Plains Zoo is traversed by 7km of sealed roads and 6km of bushland walking tracks. Visitors can circuit the Zoo on foot, car, coach or bicycle. Picnic areas enjoy extensive views across the lakes which are resident to many aquatic birds and primates at home on the islands. See, hear and smell wildlife at Western Plains Zoo. The Education Officer at the Zoo can offer people of all ages a wildly different learning experience, allowing them to come face to face with live animals. Close contact with animals such as wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas, hoofed stock and meerkats can be found in the Children's Zoo along with a large, walk through aviary. There are a variety of fascinating keeper talks and feeding times to see at Western Plains Zoo, including the Cheetahs, Rhinos, Cape Hunting Dogs and more. History
 In
the late 1960's, plans to develop a large plains zoo to compliment
Sydney's Taronga Zoo were established. The new zoo would provide breeding
facilities particularly suited to the large plains dwelling animals
and to fulfil a need for an open range facility for the display of
mainly grazing animals. After considerable planning and preparation,
a site on the outskirts of Dubbo in central West New South Wales was
chosen. Formally an army camp during World War Two, the site was transformed
into a 300 hectare oasis of woodland and irrigated grassland.Western Plains zoo opened to the public on 28th February 1997 and was the first Zoo in Australia to be constructed on the open range principle. It was also the first zoo to be built in Australia in 60 years. When the Zoo opened, it contained 35 different animals from six countries. Today visitors can see over 1,000 different animals from five continents of the world. Since opening, the Zoo has developed a reputation as a world-renowned centre for its care of wildlife, breeding programs (especially of endangered species), conservation programs, education facilities and exhibits. It is now widely recognised as Australia's greatest open plain zoo. The Zoo is an open-range 
design, with walls and fences replaced by concealed moats which divide
the animals from the visitors. This creates the impression of actually
being with the animals in the wild. Western Plains Zoo has also become recognised as a major tourist attraction both within New South Wales and in Australia. In 1994 Western Plains Zoo was awarded as the Best Major Tourist Attraction, the highest honour in Australian Tourism. Western Plains Zoo provides much more than animal displays, it is a place to come and relax and enjoy the atmosphere. It is also an education centre, a research centre and a wildlife conservation and preservation centre for species from throughout the world. It is really much more than a zoo. |
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