Alma Park Zoo (Closed) No bigcats..?
- Thread starter NZ Jeremy
- Start date
Alma Park Zoo
I have visited the zoo once ( with Jay )
The zoo does not appear to have any sort of plan or logic to it .
It probably is about 50 acres if that also includes the car park in the middle of the zoo !
Their speciality appears to be GARDENS . The zoo part is nothing to get excited about .
The largest exotic animal that I recall were a couple of sun bears , housed in a reasonable enclosure -- the rest of it needs major overhaul and increase in size for the enclosures .
There is potential to have the zoo specialise in one way or another , but it remains to be a hodge podge with bits and pieces , with no sort of plan or vision
The Gardens ARE beautiful , but that shouldnt be what the main aim of a zoo is all about -- leave that to the botanical gardens .
As it has been a few years since I have visited both Australia Zoo and Alma Park ( probably only 20 km apart ) I believe that Australia Zoo has a long term plan , and has already started exhibiting exotics , as well as the reptiles for which it is so (in)famous .
The management of Alma Park need to decide exactly what they intend to specialise in , if it has any liklihood to survive for much longer ( and slash their entrance fee to a more realistic level for such a mediocre "zoo "
I have visited the zoo once ( with Jay )
The zoo does not appear to have any sort of plan or logic to it .
It probably is about 50 acres if that also includes the car park in the middle of the zoo !
Their speciality appears to be GARDENS . The zoo part is nothing to get excited about .
The largest exotic animal that I recall were a couple of sun bears , housed in a reasonable enclosure -- the rest of it needs major overhaul and increase in size for the enclosures .
There is potential to have the zoo specialise in one way or another , but it remains to be a hodge podge with bits and pieces , with no sort of plan or vision
The Gardens ARE beautiful , but that shouldnt be what the main aim of a zoo is all about -- leave that to the botanical gardens .
As it has been a few years since I have visited both Australia Zoo and Alma Park ( probably only 20 km apart ) I believe that Australia Zoo has a long term plan , and has already started exhibiting exotics , as well as the reptiles for which it is so (in)famous .
The management of Alma Park need to decide exactly what they intend to specialise in , if it has any liklihood to survive for much longer ( and slash their entrance fee to a more realistic level for such a mediocre "zoo "
If you were the owners of a small zoo that was bringing in a profit of not much more than $50 000 a year, with another, much more famous zoo which is run by a family that is NOT publicity shy and rolling in cash barely half an hour away, knowing that chances are in 10 years the competition will probably close you down, would you be spending $100 000s to create new exhibits?
ps. please check to see who wrote what.
ps. please check to see who wrote what.
NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
Very fair point but that seems like accepting an inevitable closure... Building a big cat exhibit may in fact raise the zoo's gate enough to stall or see off the closure... You have to spend money to make money...
Alma Park is IN Brisbane (is it not?), with the right attractions, casual membership programme, etc people may in fact choose to visit for say an hour after work, on their lunch break or for shorter weekend visits instead of the drive to Aus Zoo, all bringing in concessions, possibly souvenirs sales etc...
You seem a bit defeatist about this zoo, is it a bit of an eyesore..?
There is no reason a city cannot have a smaller inner city zoo and a larger one on the outskirts... See San Diego, Melbourne, Chicago, New York etc...
Sorry is that directed at me..? Did I miss something..?
Sorry no it wasn't you
Alma Park is on the North side of Brisbane in the suburbs. It is in fact closer to the Australia Zoo than many residents of the south side of Brisbane are to it. If I was living in the southern or Western suburbs (which I do) and was goinf to travel to a zoo I would continue on to Beerwah. It is also about half an hour out of the city centre so most people aren't going to travel to it for lunch.
Sorry if I am defeatist but I have visited it many times, it is expensive for what you get, there are never many visitors regardless of the day or time and has some terrible exhibits. (The monkeys are awful)
It is on the outer suburbs not inner city
Sorry is that directed at me..? Did I miss something..?[/QUOTE]
Sorry no it wasn't you
Alma Park potential strategies ?
I dont know if spending megabucks on new enclosures would really be the answer . Alma Zoo needs to be more focussed on exactly what it wants to achieve , instead of being a mish mash menagerie of all sorts of animals that have no bearing to each other etc .
Perhaps it can be a large Australia walk through wildlife experience , and also a scientific centre . They can specialise in Brisbane region , and try to teach more about ecosystems , which Australia Zoo ( nor many other zoos ) doesnt . Can they explore the idea of an eco friendly suburban Brisbane ?
How can we co exist with animals in our own back yard ?
If they can educate people about snakes in a more pragmatic approach rather than the Danger-hype way that Australia Zoo does ( Crikey !! Hes really dangerous !! Just half a drop of venom can drop half a dozen salties !! Ad Nauseum !! )
Exactly what species of snakes are found in the Brisbane region ? How can Brisbane co exist peacefully with them ?
Alma Park does well with its garden . Can it be the North Brisbane Zoological GARDEN ? Can it not develop the horticulture aspect into the zoological aspect ? Perhaps even go the same way as Auckland does on Environment -- dont pollute streams and waterways , and mangrove swamps has its place in biodiversity and ecosystems .......
The only thing would also be to slash their entry fee by 95% , as it is a real rip off for what you get , or what is there to see .
But they have to do something SOON , or they will close within a few years . Australia Zoo obviously has a long term strategy , and is working towards it . Sometimes I wonder if Alma Park really understands the meaning of those 3 words ( Long Term Strategy )
I dont know if spending megabucks on new enclosures would really be the answer . Alma Zoo needs to be more focussed on exactly what it wants to achieve , instead of being a mish mash menagerie of all sorts of animals that have no bearing to each other etc .
Perhaps it can be a large Australia walk through wildlife experience , and also a scientific centre . They can specialise in Brisbane region , and try to teach more about ecosystems , which Australia Zoo ( nor many other zoos ) doesnt . Can they explore the idea of an eco friendly suburban Brisbane ?
How can we co exist with animals in our own back yard ?
If they can educate people about snakes in a more pragmatic approach rather than the Danger-hype way that Australia Zoo does ( Crikey !! Hes really dangerous !! Just half a drop of venom can drop half a dozen salties !! Ad Nauseum !! )
Exactly what species of snakes are found in the Brisbane region ? How can Brisbane co exist peacefully with them ?
Alma Park does well with its garden . Can it be the North Brisbane Zoological GARDEN ? Can it not develop the horticulture aspect into the zoological aspect ? Perhaps even go the same way as Auckland does on Environment -- dont pollute streams and waterways , and mangrove swamps has its place in biodiversity and ecosystems .......
The only thing would also be to slash their entry fee by 95% , as it is a real rip off for what you get , or what is there to see .
But they have to do something SOON , or they will close within a few years . Australia Zoo obviously has a long term strategy , and is working towards it . Sometimes I wonder if Alma Park really understands the meaning of those 3 words ( Long Term Strategy )
Alma Park
You seem a bit defeatist about this zoo, is it a bit of an eyesore..?
quote by NZ Jeremy
If you have been to Wellington Zoo about 20 years ago , Alma Park would have reminded you of it . Lots of undersized old fashioned cages set in semi forest ......
I hate to think it costs for admission now , but $20 was really steep 5 years ago to see a disorganised menagerie of a motley group of animals .....
You seem a bit defeatist about this zoo, is it a bit of an eyesore..?
quote by NZ Jeremy
If you have been to Wellington Zoo about 20 years ago , Alma Park would have reminded you of it . Lots of undersized old fashioned cages set in semi forest ......
I hate to think it costs for admission now , but $20 was really steep 5 years ago to see a disorganised menagerie of a motley group of animals .....
the ARAZPA accreditation system has only just got up an running as far as i know and so far just one or two zoos have undergone the assessment. as far as i knew even zoos like taronga and melbourne are not yet accredited. however, like the alma park zoo, these zoos are ARAZPA members.
The AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association) in North America accredits zoos every 5 years, and has been quite successful in that regard for a hell of a long time. It's quite suprising that in Oceania (or Australiasia) the ARAZPA still doesn't maintain assessments on a yearly basis. The AZA has approximately 216 members, but there are literally hundreds and hundreds of roadside zoos that aren't up to the standards of such an organization and thus aren't allowed to become official members.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo had its accreditation taken away (or voluntarily given up if one were to believe their side of the tale) around 2004 because of hippo deaths, inadequate housing of a baby hippo, and the subsequent breeding of lions that wasn't allowed.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo had its accreditation taken away (or voluntarily given up if one were to believe their side of the tale) around 2004 because of hippo deaths, inadequate housing of a baby hippo, and the subsequent breeding of lions that wasn't allowed.