Taronga Zoo Advice wanted for visiting Taronga Zoo

[Small Mammal Fan]

Hi, I will be visiting Taronga for the first time in October coming from the uk. If anyone has some advice and recommendations on sightings and getting around the park in one day I would really appreciate it. My priorities are to see the native species. Is seeing the ones in the nocturnal house like long beaked echidna and platypus easy or difficult? I Aldo want to see the views back to Sydney and the Asian areas, as I have never seen sun bear and fishing cats. The African area is my least desired area to see as is in many zoos, but please let me know if I should not be so fast to dismiss this. Is getting to the zoo by ferry busy in the morning from circular quay? I hope we have enough time at the zoo. Thank you

 

[Zoofan15]

Hi, my apologies to interrupt this thread, but I will be visiting Taronga for the first time in October coming from the uk. If anyone has some advice and recommendations on sightings and getting around the park in one day I would really appreciate it. My priorities are to see the native species. Is seeing the ones in the nocturnal house like long beaked echidna and platypus easy or difficult? I Aldo want to see the views back to Sydney and the Asian areas, as I have never seen sun bear and fishing cats. The African area is my least desired area to see as is in many zoos, but please let me know if I should not be so fast to dismiss this. Is getting to the zoo by ferry busy in the morning from circular quay? I hope we have enough time at the zoo. Thank you

Hi there, I visited twice in November 2024, both times leaving from Circular Quay. It was busy, but there were ferries going regular and getting on one wasn’t an issue in that regard. The ferries were incredibly well signed and simple to use.

I would definitely prioritise seeing the Long-beaked echidna as Taronga is the only captive facility in the world to hold and display this species. I saw both this species and the Platypus in the nocturnal house without difficulty, but if you head there early, it affords you the opportunity to go back if you don’t see it the first time around. I would also recommend the Fiordland crested penguin exhibit (near the pinnipeds). Taronga holds the only captive breeding colony of this species in the world.

Malayan sun bear and Fishing cat can be readily seen, though the Fishing cat is most active early in the morning and late afternoon.

The majority of the African section is nothing you wouldn’t have seen before. I would however highly recommend the Chimpanzee Park. Taronga hold a community of chimpanzees (the largest in the region) and the exhibit is a hive of activity.

My final piece of advice would be to attend the bird show. It’s a great opportunity to see multiple species up close (and in flight), some of which aren’t on display.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

Hi there, I visited twice in November 2024, both times leaving from Circular Quay. It was busy, but there were ferries going regular and getting on one wasn’t an issue in that regard. The ferries were incredibly well signed and simple to use.

I would definitely prioritise seeing the Long-beaked echidna as Taronga is the only captive facility in the world to hold and display this species. I saw both this species and the Platypus in the nocturnal house without difficulty, but if you head there early, it affords you the opportunity to go back if you don’t see it the first time around. I would also recommend the Fiordland crested penguin exhibit (near the pinnipeds). Taronga holds the only captive breeding colony of this species in the world.

Malayan sun bear and Fishing cat can be readily seen, though the Fishing cat is most active early in the morning and late afternoon.

The majority of the African section is nothing you wouldn’t have seen before. I would however highly recommend the Chimpanzee Park. Taronga hold a community of chimpanzees (the largest in the region) and the exhibit is a hive of activity.

My final piece of advice would be to attend the bird show. It’s a great opportunity to see multiple species up close (and in flight), some of which aren’t on display.

thank you very much for your great advice, will definitely head to the nocturnal house early then! Glad to know viewing is not notoriously difficult. Additionally to the bird show, is the sea lion show good? I have never seen the Aussie pinniped species either. And I definitely wanted to see the view back to Sydney near the giraffe and bird show too. Thank you

 

[Zoofan15]

thank you very much for your great advice, will definitely head to the nocturnal house early then! Glad to know viewing is not notoriously difficult. Additionally to the bird show, is the sea lion show good? I have never seen the Aussie pinniped species either. And I definitely wanted to see the view back to Sydney near the giraffe and bird show too. Thank you

I would recommended the Seals for the Wild presentation to anybody visiting Taronga Zoo for the first time. Taronga holds California sea lion, Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal and it’s a good opportunity to see some of them up close. The accompanying music was cringeable and the presentation is childish at times (inciting the crowd to ‘make some noise’ etc), but I was willing to sit through it to see the pinnipeds.

The highlight was the Australian sea lion (Nala in this photo):



Look out for pinniped pups too! Taronga currently has an Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal pup on exhibit.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

I would recommended the Seals for the Wild presentation to anybody visiting Taronga Zoo for the first time. Taronga holds California sea lion, Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal and it’s a good opportunity to see some of them up close. The accompanying music was cringeable and the presentation is childish at times (inciting the crowd to ‘make some noise’ etc), but I was willing to sit through it to see the pinnipeds.

The highlight was the Australian sea lion (Nala in this photo):

View attachment 809678

Look out for pinniped pups too! Taronga currently has an Australian sea lion and New Zealand fur seal pup on exhibit.

Thanks so much, can you see them only during the show? I’d want to watch them before or afterwards too. Are all of the walk through aviaries good for native bird species plz?

 

[Zoofan15]

Thanks so much, can you see them only during the show? I’d want to watch them before or afterwards too. Are all of the walk through aviaries good for native bird species plz?

You can see the pinnipeds outside of the show. Taronga has four pinniped pools and has 17 pinnipeds (not all will be on display at any one time):

Taronga Zoo Pinnipeds

———————————

California sea lion:

1.0 Cisco
1.0 Diego
1.0 Murphy
1.0 Pepper

Total: 4.0

———————————

Australian sea lion:

1.0 Moby
0.1 Nala
0.1 April
0.1 Tarni
0.1 Amalie
0.1 Bair

Total: 1.5

———————————

New Zealand fur seal:

1.0 Bondi
1.0 Abel
1.0 Kobi
0.1 Ollie
0.1 Keke
0.1 Pea

One additional pup - details unconfirmed

Total: 3.3.1

———————————

The native aviaries are teeming with bird life. There’s a 2023 species list here:

Taronga Zoo Species List (27.6.23) [Taronga Zoo]

I would encourage you to read through the news threads (especially the 2025 news thread), as @Osedax is a regular visitor and has provided numerous updates on changes to species on display.

 

[steveroberts]

Thanks so much, can you see them only during the show? I’d want to watch them before or afterwards too. Are all of the walk through aviaries good for native bird species plz?

Really hope you enjoy your visit to, am positive like Zoofan15 that you'll really have a good experience with your time there and all the animals.

 

[Small Mammal Fan]

Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it. I notice that nocturnal house species including the long beaked echidna are not on here. Is the nocturnal house newer? Is there a species list that includes this please. Thank you

 

[Zoofan15]

Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it. I notice that nocturnal house species including the long beaked echidna are not on here. Is the nocturnal house newer? Is there a species list that includes this please. Thank you

The nocturnal house opened late 2023:

nguwing nura

Journey from day to night as you enter our new Nocturnal Habitat to discover some of our most iconic night-loving Australian wildlife including Spinifex Hopping Mice, Fat-tailed Dunnarts, Ghost Bats, Chuditch (Western Quoll), Rufous Bettong, Greater Bilby, Short-beaked Echidna, Long-beaked Echidna and the Yellow-bellied Glider.

Guests will be instantly transported to the deserts of Central and Western Australia or the bushland along the East Coast of Australia where they will come eye-to-eye with lesser-known species such as the Greater Bilby and Chuditch. 

Residents in the nguwing nura habitat include Platypus, Spinifex Hopping Mice, Potoroo, Yellow-bellied Glider, Ghost Bats and Bilbies.

 

[CTZoologist]

I second everything they said, but definitely check out the platypus more than once, and the bird show is excellent (the view of Sydney Harbor is unmatched). The new reptile building is fantastic. They also have some great arthropods (including some of Australia's famous spiders), lots of small birds, a lovely koi pond, a great capybara exhibit, and really cool pelicans. Definitely take the ferry back to see Sydney Harbor, too.

Hi there, I visited twice in November 2024, both times leaving from Circular Quay. It was busy, but there were ferries going regular and getting on one wasn’t an issue in that regard. The ferries were incredibly well signed and simple to use.

I would definitely prioritise seeing the Long-beaked echidna as Taronga is the only captive facility in the world to hold and display this species. I saw both this species and the Platypus in the nocturnal house without difficulty, but if you head there early, it affords you the opportunity to go back if you don’t see it the first time around. I would also recommend the Fiordland crested penguin exhibit (near the pinnipeds). Taronga holds the only captive breeding colony of this species in the world.

Malayan sun bear and Fishing cat can be readily seen, though the Fishing cat is most active early in the morning and late afternoon.

The majority of the African section is nothing you wouldn’t have seen before. I would however highly recommend the Chimpanzee Park. Taronga hold a community of chimpanzees (the largest in the region) and the exhibit is a hive of activity.

My final piece of advice would be to attend the bird show. It’s a great opportunity to see multiple species up close (and in flight), some of which aren’t on display.