Openning A Private Zoo
- Thread starter blaketheman
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NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
Hello Blake,
After contacting your local authorities I would get in contact with the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) and inform them of your intentions, as well as contacting all the major zoo's in Australasia...
If you want to be taken seriously in the zoological world rather than as a wealthy person with a pointless menagerie, I would let the ARAZPA dictate the very exhibits you should build in your zoo...
For example:
Most zoos in the region have Lions (as well as rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebra etc...) which you have stated you would want to acquire... If you were to inform the ARAZPA, build an enclosure that can accomodate a pride and (the enclosure) has the ARAZPA's approval, the ARAZPA could then instruct Auckland Zoo to take one of their three Lionesses off the contraceptives they are currently on and breed with the dominant male Lazarus, (or any zoo that has a male/female combination which is under represented genetically) for the initial offspring to be sent to your zoo to be later paired with other genetically under represented partners...
There are many animals you should have if you what a successful, thriving and regonised institution in the Australasian zoo community, here are some of the animals all the local zoos have or are trying to acquire to have a large gene pool in the region:
(Sumatran sub-species) Tiger
Malayan Sun Bear
(Western Lowland) Gorilla
(Borean sub-species mainly, I believe) Orang utan
Chimpanzee
White Rhino
Red Panda
(Asian sub-species) Elephant
Snow Lepoard
The list goes on and others can add to it, but there ARE regional plans in place and sticking to them and building enclosures that provide for the breeding of these animals almost guarantee's a successful zoo in a collection sense, these animals have been picked because of their location (usually native, Asian or African), status (i.e. endangered), ability to breed, attraction for the public and availability in captivity... It does however mean you have to forgo some animals, i.e. Jaguars, Brown Bears etc...
Basically I cannot stress the importance of working with other zoos, and the ARAZPA (become a member and accredited as soon as possible)...
Also remember to do it properly in the long run it will take at least a decade (for a full collection of zoo bred animals of the regionally desirable species) in my opinion (zoos think very long term)...
I wish you the best of luck, history is filled with men who have had the foresight to open wonderful progressive zoos and are remembered as great after their death, John Aspinwall (Howlett's Zoo), Gerald Durell (Jersey Zoo), Harry Wegeforth (San Diego Zoo) and Charles Schroder (San Diego Wild Animal Park)...
Finally if you are serious send me a private message and I will come and work for you for free, the opportunity to help set up a zoo is too good to pass up..!
After contacting your local authorities I would get in contact with the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) and inform them of your intentions, as well as contacting all the major zoo's in Australasia...
If you want to be taken seriously in the zoological world rather than as a wealthy person with a pointless menagerie, I would let the ARAZPA dictate the very exhibits you should build in your zoo...
For example:
Most zoos in the region have Lions (as well as rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebra etc...) which you have stated you would want to acquire... If you were to inform the ARAZPA, build an enclosure that can accomodate a pride and (the enclosure) has the ARAZPA's approval, the ARAZPA could then instruct Auckland Zoo to take one of their three Lionesses off the contraceptives they are currently on and breed with the dominant male Lazarus, (or any zoo that has a male/female combination which is under represented genetically) for the initial offspring to be sent to your zoo to be later paired with other genetically under represented partners...
There are many animals you should have if you what a successful, thriving and regonised institution in the Australasian zoo community, here are some of the animals all the local zoos have or are trying to acquire to have a large gene pool in the region:
(Sumatran sub-species) Tiger
Malayan Sun Bear
(Western Lowland) Gorilla
(Borean sub-species mainly, I believe) Orang utan
Chimpanzee
White Rhino
Red Panda
(Asian sub-species) Elephant
Snow Lepoard
The list goes on and others can add to it, but there ARE regional plans in place and sticking to them and building enclosures that provide for the breeding of these animals almost guarantee's a successful zoo in a collection sense, these animals have been picked because of their location (usually native, Asian or African), status (i.e. endangered), ability to breed, attraction for the public and availability in captivity... It does however mean you have to forgo some animals, i.e. Jaguars, Brown Bears etc...
Basically I cannot stress the importance of working with other zoos, and the ARAZPA (become a member and accredited as soon as possible)...
Also remember to do it properly in the long run it will take at least a decade (for a full collection of zoo bred animals of the regionally desirable species) in my opinion (zoos think very long term)...
I wish you the best of luck, history is filled with men who have had the foresight to open wonderful progressive zoos and are remembered as great after their death, John Aspinwall (Howlett's Zoo), Gerald Durell (Jersey Zoo), Harry Wegeforth (San Diego Zoo) and Charles Schroder (San Diego Wild Animal Park)...
Finally if you are serious send me a private message and I will come and work for you for free, the opportunity to help set up a zoo is too good to pass up..!
Last edited:
sorry to be picky jeremy but hey, this is a zoo forum.
sumatran orangutans are the priority for the region. but there are none in NZ, only borneans which auckland zoo has had no luck with moving overseas.
and asian elephants are a SPECIES of elephant, not subspecies. there are however four recognised subspecies (races) of asian elephant, within that species. these are the mainland asian elephant, and four island varieties the sumatran, sri lankan and recently identified bornean.
african elephants on the otherhand comprise two distinct species.
NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
On that note they are in the process of trying to complete the paperwork to move one of their proven breeding females to a zoo in Florida (accordingly to a 25 year volunteer though)...
Jo
Well-Known Member
Yes, I can confirm that the last tag group workshop decided to phase out Borneans.
I don't want to rain on parades or squash precious dreams, but do you have any experience with animals Blake? I don't want to sound condescending but it takes a bit of knowledge to design a zoo, and also to be a part of the regional plans. The plans for the animals in the region may not be what you'd really like, but for the good of the population you should follow them.
I am only concerned for the welfare of the animals, getting the necessary permits is the easiest bit, but making sure they have the right sort care is a whole other world. I have to say that this zoo sounds like a vanity project, and you will need to spend quite a bit of money to get qualified people to help out as it is not as easy as throw the big kitties in a cyclone meshed yard.
Can I ask what your goal is for the zoo and why you want a zoo? There are plenty of conservation projects that could benefit greatly from some cash. Do you plan on having any conservation programs in place to benefit in situ programs for the species you want to hold?
I don't want to rain on parades or squash precious dreams, but do you have any experience with animals Blake? I don't want to sound condescending but it takes a bit of knowledge to design a zoo, and also to be a part of the regional plans. The plans for the animals in the region may not be what you'd really like, but for the good of the population you should follow them.
I am only concerned for the welfare of the animals, getting the necessary permits is the easiest bit, but making sure they have the right sort care is a whole other world. I have to say that this zoo sounds like a vanity project, and you will need to spend quite a bit of money to get qualified people to help out as it is not as easy as throw the big kitties in a cyclone meshed yard.
Can I ask what your goal is for the zoo and why you want a zoo? There are plenty of conservation projects that could benefit greatly from some cash. Do you plan on having any conservation programs in place to benefit in situ programs for the species you want to hold?
Ahhh... sanity prevails - thanks Jo!
One has to wonder about the real reasons behind why priavte people want to start a zoo. So many have come and gone, so many bad ones are still around, and yes, I agree, there are a few good ones. But they do require a massive amount of thought, resources, and the ability for the owners to work with other zoos, and not think they can go it alone - you just can't, in this small region.
So, as Jo suggests, if it's a vanity issue - go and invest your money into a worthwhile conservation project instead - you're bound not to make it as a private zoo owner. A number of people on this forum could suggest many very worthwhile projects for you to invest in (hey, for $10,000 you could save an entire frog species).
If you want to work within the regional context, then do so, with the surrounding zoos, and with ARAZPA, as NZJeremy suggests - you won't be able to get hold of (m)any exotic species without the support of ARAZPA, and importing would be almost out of the question. Go to the regional experts and ask their advice about how you could assist existing regional programs. That's what's really needed in the region, not another poorly though-out private zoo.
But this means really stopping to think about why you want to build a zoo - not the reasons the people on here might suggest, but why YOU want to build a zoo? Think about it...... Think about it again..... and then don't stop thinking about it until you are certain that it isn't a whim, or so you can have a few exotic pets around - this surely won't work.
Then if you still think you want to build a zoo, for the right reasons, don't waste time asking questions on here - this is not the place for sensible, well thought-out advice from experienced zoo people (well, of course, there are a few on here, but very few). Head off in the right direction, for some real advice.
it was long considered that there was two subspecies of the african elephant Loxodaonta africana the more often seen savanna elephant Loxodaonta a. africana and the smallervforest elephant Loxodaonta a. cyclotis.
recent DNA studies on poached ivory however confirmed that the forest elephant were in fact a uniquely different with enough genetic distinction from their savannah cousins to be upgraded to the status of full species (thus by the international rules of nomenclature it is now know as the african forest elephant Loxodaonta cyclotis).
forest elephants are considerably smaller, usually have 5 nails on the front foot (like asian elephants) have more rounded ears, longer jaws and long straight pinkish tusks. they also have a number of behavioural differences, such as much smaller herd sizes as a result of living in their rainforest environment.
however, just to demostrate how you can never draw difinitive lines with nature, the two species do have a few "hybridisation zones" accross their range.
and on the private zoo idea.....
i was going to say this earlier but thought i'de wait.
then again, since i'm 99% sure their can't be more than one entrepreneurial blake "the man" mitchell running (and body slamming) their way around adelaide, i think its safe to assume i know who you are.
blake, you describe yourself as someone who already runs and owns 3 business'. do you really have the time and effort to own a private zoo? from what i can tell most of the few people who have had success in running private zoos LIVE and BREATHE their passion about animals and owning the zoo is business number one and a full time job. you mentioned your desire to whip something up like australia zoo or monarto.
i'll be honest such statements appear pretty laughable, since in the unlikely event that your not only as wealthy and popular as the irwins but also as knowledgeble about animals as them, have a think about how long it took to build up their zoo. even the world famous australia zoo is yet to aquire any lions or apes. species you seem pretty confident you can get your hands on..
i dare say, (cue suspicious music) this seems very much like a prestige thing to me mate.
i was going to say this earlier but thought i'de wait.
then again, since i'm 99% sure their can't be more than one entrepreneurial blake "the man" mitchell running (and body slamming) their way around adelaide, i think its safe to assume i know who you are.
blake, you describe yourself as someone who already runs and owns 3 business'. do you really have the time and effort to own a private zoo? from what i can tell most of the few people who have had success in running private zoos LIVE and BREATHE their passion about animals and owning the zoo is business number one and a full time job. you mentioned your desire to whip something up like australia zoo or monarto.
i'll be honest such statements appear pretty laughable, since in the unlikely event that your not only as wealthy and popular as the irwins but also as knowledgeble about animals as them, have a think about how long it took to build up their zoo. even the world famous australia zoo is yet to aquire any lions or apes. species you seem pretty confident you can get your hands on..
i dare say, (cue suspicious music) this seems very much like a prestige thing to me mate.
NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
Just being a stickler Patrick...
He never said Apes or that he could easily get his hands on anything...
blaketheman
Member
I haven't been on here for a couple of days and have a lot of questions that have been thrown back at me, so I'll do the best I can to give everyone some sort of insight as to what I plan to achieve by doing this.
- Firstly with the Circus animals. I said I would be happy to have anything from there, simply because of the poor conditions most of them are currently kept in. I would prefer them to be in a better environment more suited for their needs. I love animals obviously, but personally not extremely interested in apes or any primates at all. However if the opportunity came about, I wouldn't turn them down.
- I have taken everyones advice on board, as far as contacting the right people, getting the correct permits etc and I will do it the proper way.
- As for experience with animals, not really. I have never caught a crocodile, I've never studied thoroughly any species of exotic animal for this. BUT I never claimed to be an animal specialist.
I have the biggest amount of respect possible for the Irwins. As soon as I found out about Steve, I flew directly to the Sunshine coast to visit the zoo and place cards etc at Australia Zoo. I'm very passionate about the message of conservation. It was a very sad day when Steve died and it tore me up as it did many people all over the world.
A good friend of mine, his father is in charge of the Reptiles at The Adelaide Zoo and he has stated he would give me assistance as much as he can to help me with this also. However I would employ volunteers and specialist to make sure these animals are cared for properly.
If I just wanted to have some pets around the house that would attract the kids down the street attention, I would get a permit to be a circus. They get away with treating animals like crap, so why wouldn't I?
However this isn't what I want to do.
What do I want out of this?
Now I'm going to get flamed big time for this, but I'm going to tell everyone how I want to go about things.
I'm very passionate about animals, especially big mammals, big cats (all species), Elephants, Rhino etc.
I would be happy if this was exactly that a 'PRIVATE ZOO' for my own personal use, not open to the public. I'm planning on starting very small as did Australia Zoo.
I'm not planning on spending $30million off the bat to have 600 animals in state-of-the-art enclosures.
I want to start small, with maybe 10-20 animals in state-of-the-art enclosures and surroundings. I'd love to take in ex-circus animals or retired circus animals as a refuge. There is a lot of these private people and groups in the states that do this with retired bears and cats on small farm property with great success.
If I believe the public can learn and be educated by visiting my private zoo, I would be more than happy to open it to the public and take in more/new animals if that may be the case.
I don't want to be taking any animals out of the wild, that's the last thing I want to do. But if a circus is retiring a lion, bear, tiger, elephant etc then I would like the opportunity to care for it, for the remainder of it's life. Or if a Zoo is over-populated etc, under these circumstances I would like to take in my animals.
As for the fella that has mentioned me as being 'The Man', that's correct. I'm currently a professional wrestler, promoter and various other things. As well as my new production company.
How will I have time for all of this? I plan to live on the property and most of my business can be ran from a home office. This will take over my life and it's very exciting.
I have been thinking about this for about 3-years and it's time to act.
Thank you,
Blake
- Firstly with the Circus animals. I said I would be happy to have anything from there, simply because of the poor conditions most of them are currently kept in. I would prefer them to be in a better environment more suited for their needs. I love animals obviously, but personally not extremely interested in apes or any primates at all. However if the opportunity came about, I wouldn't turn them down.
- I have taken everyones advice on board, as far as contacting the right people, getting the correct permits etc and I will do it the proper way.
- As for experience with animals, not really. I have never caught a crocodile, I've never studied thoroughly any species of exotic animal for this. BUT I never claimed to be an animal specialist.
I have the biggest amount of respect possible for the Irwins. As soon as I found out about Steve, I flew directly to the Sunshine coast to visit the zoo and place cards etc at Australia Zoo. I'm very passionate about the message of conservation. It was a very sad day when Steve died and it tore me up as it did many people all over the world.
A good friend of mine, his father is in charge of the Reptiles at The Adelaide Zoo and he has stated he would give me assistance as much as he can to help me with this also. However I would employ volunteers and specialist to make sure these animals are cared for properly.
If I just wanted to have some pets around the house that would attract the kids down the street attention, I would get a permit to be a circus. They get away with treating animals like crap, so why wouldn't I?
However this isn't what I want to do.
What do I want out of this?
Now I'm going to get flamed big time for this, but I'm going to tell everyone how I want to go about things.
I'm very passionate about animals, especially big mammals, big cats (all species), Elephants, Rhino etc.
I would be happy if this was exactly that a 'PRIVATE ZOO' for my own personal use, not open to the public. I'm planning on starting very small as did Australia Zoo.
I'm not planning on spending $30million off the bat to have 600 animals in state-of-the-art enclosures.
I want to start small, with maybe 10-20 animals in state-of-the-art enclosures and surroundings. I'd love to take in ex-circus animals or retired circus animals as a refuge. There is a lot of these private people and groups in the states that do this with retired bears and cats on small farm property with great success.
If I believe the public can learn and be educated by visiting my private zoo, I would be more than happy to open it to the public and take in more/new animals if that may be the case.
I don't want to be taking any animals out of the wild, that's the last thing I want to do. But if a circus is retiring a lion, bear, tiger, elephant etc then I would like the opportunity to care for it, for the remainder of it's life. Or if a Zoo is over-populated etc, under these circumstances I would like to take in my animals.
As for the fella that has mentioned me as being 'The Man', that's correct. I'm currently a professional wrestler, promoter and various other things. As well as my new production company.
How will I have time for all of this? I plan to live on the property and most of my business can be ran from a home office. This will take over my life and it's very exciting.
I have been thinking about this for about 3-years and it's time to act.
Thank you,
Blake
Jo
Well-Known Member
I know the head reptile keeper well at Adelaide Zoo as I do my research there. He can help you with herps, but he admits he knows nothing of the other species.
If your passion is as strong as you say, you may be able to pull it off, but it's not going to be as easy as you think to source animals, as each one of the biggies you mentioned is part of managed plans and they aren't usually available as surplus unless you have an established reputation, if at all.
I don't mean this disrespectfully, but you are going to find that what you can do and what you want to do is going to be very different, and I base this on your posts. If you can contribute to the zoo world by awareness of conservation issues and participating in regional management plans then great, more power to you. But sometimes what the zoo wants (yours or anyones) isn't what what is best for the population, so this is one thing to consider.
It is really important you know all the good and bad about what you are planning as you are dealing with animals that will be in your power, and can't just be rehomed easily if things go belly up.
You will need comprehensive plans based on research of the species you want to keep before anyone will take you seriously, and if you don't have a good reputation you won't get far in the zoo world as it is a very small one.
You had an offer to meet up with a couple of people and haven't even replied to the pm, that comes across as a bit rude when those people where trying to offer some valuable insight.
If your passion is as strong as you say, you may be able to pull it off, but it's not going to be as easy as you think to source animals, as each one of the biggies you mentioned is part of managed plans and they aren't usually available as surplus unless you have an established reputation, if at all.
I don't mean this disrespectfully, but you are going to find that what you can do and what you want to do is going to be very different, and I base this on your posts. If you can contribute to the zoo world by awareness of conservation issues and participating in regional management plans then great, more power to you. But sometimes what the zoo wants (yours or anyones) isn't what what is best for the population, so this is one thing to consider.
It is really important you know all the good and bad about what you are planning as you are dealing with animals that will be in your power, and can't just be rehomed easily if things go belly up.
You will need comprehensive plans based on research of the species you want to keep before anyone will take you seriously, and if you don't have a good reputation you won't get far in the zoo world as it is a very small one.
You had an offer to meet up with a couple of people and haven't even replied to the pm, that comes across as a bit rude when those people where trying to offer some valuable insight.
NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
Hello Blake,
I've re-read this thread and the tone has been very negative towards you in two ways;
a). You only want to do this for your ego or,
b). Mate you've got no idea what you getting yourself into so why even bother...
I say hogwash... If this something you want to do, go for it... More power to you..! I willing to bet your not 20 and own three businesses by listening to what people tell you, you can or can't do…
I am a complete amateur and have no experience I am only an avid zoo fan but I’m going to type a (flawed – not intentionally) possible plan (for fun – yes I really am that sad) and hopefully those with the experience and fuller knowledge can comment, correct, clarify, criticise and congratulate if they see fit…
One thing though, your myspace page lists your income as 75 – 100 K I sincerely hope that’s your weekly not per annum income or to fool the IRD..? Otherwise… My girlfriend and I are both zoo mad and earn (together) significantly more than that and don’t keep anything bigger than a goldfish at the moment…
Anyway…
First things first, to begin (even keeping a small number of animals), you will need a car park, maybe something along the lines of Werribee’s (or that can be expanded to this over time)…
A fence (simple eh) initially 50 enclosed acres should do, with a 8 – 10 foot high chain link fence with barbed wire at the top (I’m not sure of the legalities/requirement, funnily enough this is more about keeping humans out than animals in..!)
A vet clinic, say with an examination room big enough to accommodate something up to the size of a Grey Kangaroo, keep in mind if you do want to keep Lions etc over time eventually you’ll need an exam and surgery room big enough to keep animals of 300 – 400 kg, and you’ll need, surprise, a vet (this may be hard as you’ll want to outsource initially, especially finding someone with zoo experience and don’t except Adelaide/Monarto to be your best friends)…
You’ll need a front gate/admin block/animal feed storage building(s) and make sure to reserve future space for catering, a restaurant and function centre (if desired)…
Staff: A keeper for Reptiles/Amphibians, Avian species and Mammals, a maintenance person, someone (a lawyer?) for the permits and a horticulturalist (the general rule is one for every 10 acres – minimum, developed), regional authorities recommend natives to be planted outside enclosures (to encourage a refuge for native wildlife)…
After this initial investment you’re got the basic infrastructure but what to keep..? Well that will depend on what your research into SA’s permitting systems show…
A possible snapshot:
A parrot aviary with (Galah, Cockatoo’s), etc…
A free flight bird aviary…
A kingfisher or raptor aviary (Kookaburra, Eagle species?)…
A terrarium house for Amphibians and Invertebrates, (Green and Golden Bell Frog, Green Tree Frog)…
A carnivore’s area, (Dingo’s and Crocidiles)…
A small aquarium, maybe featuring native SA fish…
A macropod run (Kangaroo’s, Wallabies)…
A nocturnal house…
And of course a large reptile house…
I’d hire a professional, experienced and dedicated zoo design company to plan your exhibits (with facilities for breeding and 2-3 rotate able areas) and submit them to the ARAZPA for their approval before building them (also let them know your larger plans via say a short outline), once built - open to the public and try to become ARAZPA accredited as fast as possible by,
“Through the ARAZPA Accreditation Program, ARAZPA aims for recognition of member institutions as world class in the standards of zoo and aquarium operation. The ARAZPA Accreditation Program will certify that all animals held in ARAZPA zoos and aquariums are appropriately cared for and contribute to public understanding of, and empathy with, their natural state, and that ARAZPA zoos and aquariums support species conservation through education, research or in situ support, and provide quality visitor experience.”
Once accredited you could build some off exhibit areas for the retired circus or confiscated animals (maybe you can do this before accreditation..?)
Then it would time to expand into “sexy” or endangered Australian animals... For your terrariums, Lord Howe Island Stick Insects, Leafy Sea dragons, Sothern Corroboree Frog… Western Swamp Tortoises for your reptile house… Build a Numbat house… A Monotremes House (Platypus and Echidna)… A Tawny Frogmouth Aviary… Quokka and Bilby for your nocturnal House… Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby for your macropod run… Tasmanian devil’s to your carnivore area and finally Koalas..!
At this stage you should have a respected, important native collection… Where to from there..? Consolidate or submit a master plan to ARAZPA with a Rainforest of the World, (New Guinea – Tree Kangaroo’s, South America – Tamarins/Spider Monkey’s, Madagascar – Lemurs), African rainforest (Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Pygmy Hippo, Bongo etc), Asian Rainforest (Tiger, Malay Tapir, Sun Bear, Languor’s, Orangutans, Aviaries etc), a NZ section (Kiwi House and small reptile house), and an African grassland exhibit (large mixed exhibit – Giraffe, Rhino, other ungulates etc plus separate Hippo and Lion enclosures), there not much more in the regional plan after that (I can remember), maybe an Aquarium (cost prohibitive and hard far from the coast), Tortoises, South American bird aviary (Blue and Yellow Macaws) maybe?
How to pay for all this..? You said earlier your not to worried about this... But at some stage you’ll want to register your zoo as a “not for profit organisation” (saves on that annoying tax thing)…
Some ideas: You could have a holiday camp as some zoos in the States do, have functions/wedding at the zoo… There are lots of TV shows about running a zoo but I’ve never seen one called “Building a Zoo”, a Professional Wrestler building a zoo..? That show sells its self..!
Finally, a name… You could start with Swan Reach Native Animal Park and change it to Swan Reach Wild Animal Park when you acquire a large number of exotics (Yes that is a straight hack from San Diego)…
Best of luck Blake, I'm excited for you...
Anyone who bothered to read all that congrats, now feel free to pick holes in it..! GO..!
I've re-read this thread and the tone has been very negative towards you in two ways;
a). You only want to do this for your ego or,
b). Mate you've got no idea what you getting yourself into so why even bother...
I say hogwash... If this something you want to do, go for it... More power to you..! I willing to bet your not 20 and own three businesses by listening to what people tell you, you can or can't do…
I am a complete amateur and have no experience I am only an avid zoo fan but I’m going to type a (flawed – not intentionally) possible plan (for fun – yes I really am that sad) and hopefully those with the experience and fuller knowledge can comment, correct, clarify, criticise and congratulate if they see fit…
One thing though, your myspace page lists your income as 75 – 100 K I sincerely hope that’s your weekly not per annum income or to fool the IRD..? Otherwise… My girlfriend and I are both zoo mad and earn (together) significantly more than that and don’t keep anything bigger than a goldfish at the moment…
Anyway…
First things first, to begin (even keeping a small number of animals), you will need a car park, maybe something along the lines of Werribee’s (or that can be expanded to this over time)…
A fence (simple eh) initially 50 enclosed acres should do, with a 8 – 10 foot high chain link fence with barbed wire at the top (I’m not sure of the legalities/requirement, funnily enough this is more about keeping humans out than animals in..!)
A vet clinic, say with an examination room big enough to accommodate something up to the size of a Grey Kangaroo, keep in mind if you do want to keep Lions etc over time eventually you’ll need an exam and surgery room big enough to keep animals of 300 – 400 kg, and you’ll need, surprise, a vet (this may be hard as you’ll want to outsource initially, especially finding someone with zoo experience and don’t except Adelaide/Monarto to be your best friends)…
You’ll need a front gate/admin block/animal feed storage building(s) and make sure to reserve future space for catering, a restaurant and function centre (if desired)…
Staff: A keeper for Reptiles/Amphibians, Avian species and Mammals, a maintenance person, someone (a lawyer?) for the permits and a horticulturalist (the general rule is one for every 10 acres – minimum, developed), regional authorities recommend natives to be planted outside enclosures (to encourage a refuge for native wildlife)…
After this initial investment you’re got the basic infrastructure but what to keep..? Well that will depend on what your research into SA’s permitting systems show…
A possible snapshot:
A parrot aviary with (Galah, Cockatoo’s), etc…
A free flight bird aviary…
A kingfisher or raptor aviary (Kookaburra, Eagle species?)…
A terrarium house for Amphibians and Invertebrates, (Green and Golden Bell Frog, Green Tree Frog)…
A carnivore’s area, (Dingo’s and Crocidiles)…
A small aquarium, maybe featuring native SA fish…
A macropod run (Kangaroo’s, Wallabies)…
A nocturnal house…
And of course a large reptile house…
I’d hire a professional, experienced and dedicated zoo design company to plan your exhibits (with facilities for breeding and 2-3 rotate able areas) and submit them to the ARAZPA for their approval before building them (also let them know your larger plans via say a short outline), once built - open to the public and try to become ARAZPA accredited as fast as possible by,
“Through the ARAZPA Accreditation Program, ARAZPA aims for recognition of member institutions as world class in the standards of zoo and aquarium operation. The ARAZPA Accreditation Program will certify that all animals held in ARAZPA zoos and aquariums are appropriately cared for and contribute to public understanding of, and empathy with, their natural state, and that ARAZPA zoos and aquariums support species conservation through education, research or in situ support, and provide quality visitor experience.”
Once accredited you could build some off exhibit areas for the retired circus or confiscated animals (maybe you can do this before accreditation..?)
Then it would time to expand into “sexy” or endangered Australian animals... For your terrariums, Lord Howe Island Stick Insects, Leafy Sea dragons, Sothern Corroboree Frog… Western Swamp Tortoises for your reptile house… Build a Numbat house… A Monotremes House (Platypus and Echidna)… A Tawny Frogmouth Aviary… Quokka and Bilby for your nocturnal House… Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby for your macropod run… Tasmanian devil’s to your carnivore area and finally Koalas..!
At this stage you should have a respected, important native collection… Where to from there..? Consolidate or submit a master plan to ARAZPA with a Rainforest of the World, (New Guinea – Tree Kangaroo’s, South America – Tamarins/Spider Monkey’s, Madagascar – Lemurs), African rainforest (Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Pygmy Hippo, Bongo etc), Asian Rainforest (Tiger, Malay Tapir, Sun Bear, Languor’s, Orangutans, Aviaries etc), a NZ section (Kiwi House and small reptile house), and an African grassland exhibit (large mixed exhibit – Giraffe, Rhino, other ungulates etc plus separate Hippo and Lion enclosures), there not much more in the regional plan after that (I can remember), maybe an Aquarium (cost prohibitive and hard far from the coast), Tortoises, South American bird aviary (Blue and Yellow Macaws) maybe?
How to pay for all this..? You said earlier your not to worried about this... But at some stage you’ll want to register your zoo as a “not for profit organisation” (saves on that annoying tax thing)…
Some ideas: You could have a holiday camp as some zoos in the States do, have functions/wedding at the zoo… There are lots of TV shows about running a zoo but I’ve never seen one called “Building a Zoo”, a Professional Wrestler building a zoo..? That show sells its self..!
Finally, a name… You could start with Swan Reach Native Animal Park and change it to Swan Reach Wild Animal Park when you acquire a large number of exotics (Yes that is a straight hack from San Diego)…
Best of luck Blake, I'm excited for you...
Anyone who bothered to read all that congrats, now feel free to pick holes in it..! GO..!
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