Altina Wildlife Park Altina Wildlife Park visit June 2011

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nrg800

Well-Known Member
I was at Altina today, and, well, I loved it! It was one of the best zoo's I've been to, and less because of the collection but the tour. It was awesome to be able to talk to someone else with knowladge on the zoo, and the species in the region (ever second animal we passed I'd ask what other zoos keep this in the region, and nearly always I got the response of 'we have the only viable and breeding population in Australia') Not only do they share our opinions on ZAA and the major zoos, but they are crucial to the hoovestock in Australia!

Some plans that they are implementing now:
  • Maned Wolves
  • They have the only individuals in the region, and now have Seven in total
  • One of their females is pregnant, due in July
  • Their imported female is probably pregnant.
  • They are in the process of importing more females

  • 3 Male Hyenas from Monarto, and females are being imported
  • 4 Lions coming in from Mogo (A Tawny and White breeding Pair, and a non-breeding pair)
  • Rhinos are being brought in
  • Black-and-white Ruffled Lemurs being imported
  • Zebras from Mogo
  • A breeding herd of Addax are coming in

And there were a few others... I really enjoyed the visit and would suggest it to anyone going near Wagga or Griffith. And it's only 7 years old!
 
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All very interesting from a small new private zoo (and good on them). Does anybody know how they are funded? Apart from the usual gate, cafe, shop etc.
 
They don't get any help from the government, so I assume they run solely on visitors...

They do sell the antelope antlers when they fall of, for a fair bit!
 
It is almost 2 years since I was last there and I am very interested to see the added animals and changes.

nrg800, were you there on the weekend and how many were on the tour. I tried a couple of times before they got enough to do the tour and I believe it was school holidays. They were going to do the tour for me and my kids in the Gator ATV as they did not have any other booking to start with to get enough numbers to hook up the horse and cart. But that broke down and they resheduled for the next weekend when they had another booking and were using the horse and cart.

Other than the tour fee, when I went they had some limited merchandise for sale. I believe the family who owns it are one of the owners of a large cement products business and they funded the place themselfs. They already owned the property and are very interested in animals so developed their own zoo.
 
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@ Ben, There's a two year waiting list for the Red Deer, though the gift shop often has a few other species

@Monty, There was another group of 4 that went with us, but I think it was just lucky. The people who we were staying with in Leeton knew the owners, so I think that helped aswell... The Owners mentioned to me about them being a big breeder of parrots, and that would make them abit, if they breed rarer ones!

In regards to the issue of sometimes not being able to go because of a lack of numbers, what the zoo plans to do is build up the current housing for the crocodiles and the big open land near it into a small walk around zoo. They will have horses departing at set intervals, and you can just pull in off the highway and have a look around, untill the horse departs.

Also, I took lots of photos! I will upload them when I get the chance (probably in the holidays)

@Soona, no, they just mentioned three males.
 
nrg800 said:
@ Ben, There's a two year waiting list for the Red Deer, though the gift shop often has a few other species
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CGSwans and ZYBen were just tugging on your leg a little bit. Deer have antlers which are shed annually. Antelope have horns which are not shed :)
 
I'm surprised that Monarto were willing to give up some of their males from their hyena group. I thought that they would be trying to get as big a group as possible, especially with the only females in Australia.
 
Yes I realise that...
What I am saying was, that they have/had the only females at the moment and in the past. My point is that I am surprised that they are willing to give up some of their display group.
 
The hyena enclosure has been completed and now they are just waiting for the three males from Monarto (sorry about the previous post, I did not realise that they posted that update a week ago).
 
Electus Parrot said:
Yes I realise that...
What I am saying was, that they have/had the only females at the moment and in the past. My point is that I am surprised that they are willing to give up some of their display group.
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Do the indervidual zoos have a say in where their animals go? I always thought that it was the ZAA, or more, the species manager that was in charge of where the animals went...
 
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