what I really liked on my visit were the reptile exhibits like this one, and the equally-good invertebrate displays. Far better than in most zoos.
Would you say (as a visitor) that the place has changed for the worse recently, or is it different but still just as good as before? A former staff member I talked to last month said it had been ruined.
I wouldn't use the word 'ruined', but it's not as good as it was. The brilliant invert displays are now tucked into a corner; the reptile section was fantastic with more than twice as many exhibits as now, and although some large enclosures have been saved and re-used - and scattered the complex in corners or walkways wherever there is space- the largest have been lost. The two-storey bird rainforest with all its different species has been replaced with one saltwater crocodile and his enclosure and now only a handful of bird species remain - the commonest I saw was Zebra Finches. The butterflies have virtually all gone, with only two or three species now on display.
(Although replacing the bird rainforest with Rex the Croc happened a few years ago, I consider this part of the changes that would contribute to the the view that the place is 'ruined').
Most, if not all, of the mammal enclosures still exist. And although diversity has been lost, the remaining animals are in spacious enclosures and look healthy and well-cared for.
I concur with this statement. I visited this attraction in 2007 and I was extremely impressed with the furnishings in the exhibits, as well as the fact that the facility gave a wonderful overview of Aussie wildlife for Sydney tourists. I've seen frilled lizards in tiny tanks in many American zoos and the exhibit in the photo is simply enormous for a fairly small species of lizard.
