I have spent the last couple of days in South Australia, exploring three of their top zoos for the first time – the city-based Adelaide Zoo, the expansive Monarto Safari Park, and the quiet achiever, Gorge Wildlife Park – among a bit of wildlife-watching as well with the major focus being a day trip to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide to complete a long-term goal of seeing wild pinnipeds. Something which is near impossible to do in south-east Queensland beyond the occasional fur seal straggler that makes news headlines. I have to say that South Australia is largely underrated and often overlooked compared to its eastern cousins but I think its smaller population, ample city greenspace, rugged yet accessible landscapes and rich natural history make it a fascinating context for both zoos and wildlife alike. This thread aims to capture both my wildlife-watching sites I visited around Adelaide, Kangaroo Island and walkthroughs of the three zoological facilities.
Adelaide Zoo [Part 1]: Entrance Exhibits and Bamboo Forest
As Australia’s second oldest zoo opening in 1883, Adelaide Zoo is very well-positioned within Adelaide City; among the closest Australian zoos in relation to its respective city centre being only a 15-minute walk from the centre of the city. There is a pleasant parkland stroll leading up to the entrance along Plane Tree Drive which allowed me to see some of the staple Adelaide wild birds like Eastern Rosellas, Little Ravens and hear some New Holland Honeyeaters that were situated within zoo grounds. The zoo itself is a small footprint nestled within the larger Adelaide Botanic Gardens and has the Torrens River that runs alongside its perimeter on one side, squeezing the site across the banks including a narrow awkward section towards the far end of the site. Although small, the zoo has maintained a significant slice of its historical heritage whilst balancing the old with the new with gradual developments like their Children’s Zoo, the addition of Komodo Dragons and a suite of aerial pathways for primates and red pandas among others. The zoo however does still have some prominent ageing exhibits and with any major zoo that has been around while it is a question of balance and how a zoo manages these historical structures often with a dose of creativity and resourcefulness. That was something I kept in the back of mind while I visited Adelaide as I approached the entrance among the screeching sounds of hundreds (probably thousands) of wild Grey-headed Flying Foxes that roost right outside the zoo.
Entrance
The first exhibit however I came across was one of the newest. I meandered my way just past the entrance, overshooting where the penguins are in excitement, and came across a glass-fronted complex with a thin layer of sandy substrate with carefully-planted tough plantings for a single male Komodo Dragon who only arrived very recently from Australia Zoo for breeding purposes. He was very active and even jumped swiftly from a boulder into a good position with his heat lamp. A volunteer was already present at the enclosure explaining to the public that they plan on commencing introductions soon as soon as he has settled into Adelaide. The Komodo complex at Adelaide is modest in size but is essentially two indoor simple but pleasant exhibits for their male and female (from Prague) and a small outdoor enclosure in between that gives the zoo the option to house one outdoors when weather conditions permit them. A good first impression to see two active and alert Komodo Dragons patrol their exhibits.
Komodo Dragon exhibit – for male
Komodo Dragon enclosure – outdoor section
Komodo Dragon – female Cecilia
There are a trio of open-topped enclosures that are situated right outside the entrance. The first housed Common Hippos for many years and the zoo have done a brilliant job redesigning an incredibly snug enclosure for hippos into a comparatively spacious, coastal enclosure for a colony of Little Penguins. The wooden platform backdrop, banksia flowers with thick grasses for coverage and a small themed platform for keepers made for an attractive exhibit. The penguins were braying loudly at opening time and made for the perfect entrance exhibit being a decent colony. Next-door was a small exhibit for a pair of American Alligators that arrived in 1989 from the Australian Reptile Park. The enclosure is alright; not huge but the alligators have access to the elements, a small pool and a grassy bank. The public enjoyed seeing the alligators right at the front of the zoo as they are very visible and the zoo’s only crocodilian currently on-display but admittedly there are plans in their masterplan to add crocodiles. Finally, there is a shady enclosure for six Asian Small-clawed Otters with the otters mainly spending their time off-show. There is a modest pool at the front with small water bodies at the back of the narrow enclosure. From the public’s point of view otters, penguins and alligators are all very engaging but I do wonder if this area could be better adapted to form a logical sequence considering otters are also set to move near the gibbons.
Little penguin enclosure
American alligator enclosure
Small-clawed otter enclosure
Adelaide is well-known for its pandas. And clearly a lot of money went into the multi-million dollar Bamboo Forest where the zoo houses their pairs of Red Pandas, Australia’s only Giant Pandas and a random aviary for Blue-and-Gold Macaw that really should be for Golden Pheasant/Mandarin Duck or something similar to tie in the theming as it was initially intended. The area started with an incredibly impressive enclosure for red panda that has a large fig tree with a row of clivias. The fig tree exhibit has a long aerial pathway that enables red pandas to walk through the panda courtyard and into a second hillside exhibit that can be sectioned off into two separate spaces. The pair of red pandas are currently being mixed for breeding and didn’t have access to the fig tree but rather the latter exhibit that was opened up.
Red panda (fig tree) enclosure
Red panda (hillside) enclosure
Red panda aerial pathway in panda courtyard
From the courtyard area there are two large well-landscaped exhibits for the Giant Pandas with rocky ledges, logs, chilled rocks and concrete cave-like structures that can be seen clearly with a central indoor building with two indoor rooms that brings the two outdoor exhibits together into a circular organic fashion, softening the harsh outlines and angles of the rocky display. If both giant pandas are indoors they are essentially side by side but both have spacious outdoor enclosures. The first panda enclosure also has a glass-fronted viewing area as well that brings the visitor forward into the space.
Giant panda enclosure #1
Giant panda enclosure #1 – viewing area
Giant panda enclosure #2
The pandas were very active during the morning as the female Fu Ni was in heat. The male Wang Wang was scent marking his enclosure actively and is quite nimble when he gets going. This ageing pair, as it has been well-covered, are being shipped back to China and a new pair will soon arrive by the end of the year, following fluctuating Sino-Australian relations. On a personal note, I really enjoyed seeing pandas. They are definitely overrated but they are interesting creatures and certainly a prominent feature species that is suited to Adelaide’s spacial constraints. It will be interesting to see how they do with the new pair of pandas.
Giant panda day rooms
Giant Panda – male Wang Wang
Part 2 will cover Adelaide Zoo’s loose South-east Asia area and its nearby standalone aviary complex The Jewels of Asia.
I'm loving this review already! I have not visited Adelaide Zoo for many years, but much of the zoo is pretty similar to how it was when I was last there, and it is interesting to hear about the development which have taken place. I think one out of the alligator and otter exhibits was the old pygmy hippo exhibit.
You're correct, there is a male named Obi who I believe is housed in an exhibit in/near the Asian precinct, which used to house sun bears (I'm sure WK24 will correct me if I'm wrong in the next section of the review).
Adelaide held pygmy hippos prior to Obi, but I'm pretty sure there was a gap in between when the old female Janice died and the arrival of Obi (her grandson) from Melbourne. I think Obi was originally housed in an exhibit near the entrance (Janice back in the day sure was) before being moved within the zoo. Adelaide used to have two species of hippos side by side as some of the first exhibits inside the entrance.
You're correct, there is a male named Obi who I believe is housed in an exhibit in/near the Asian precinct, which used to house sun bears (I'm sure WK24 will correct me if I'm wrong in the next section of the review).
Yes, that is still the case. First exhibit along the pathway in the Asian precinct that used to have sun bears. It also contained Spotted Hyena from Monarto till 2021 prior to Obi the pygmy hippo moving there from the front of the zoo.
I have a soft spot for the city of Adelaide and in 2007 I visited Adelaide Zoo, Cleland Wildlife Park, Monarto Safari Park and Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary. There was a mix-up with a tour company and so my wife and I missed out on touring Kangaroo Island, which was a source of great regret, but the zoos were a joy to tour and we walked all over the downtown core of Adelaide and found it to be a splendid city. It's a place that regularly ends up very high on lists of the world's best and most liveable cities. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of your reviews!
You're correct, there is a male named Obi who I believe is housed in an exhibit in/near the Asian precinct, which used to house sun bears (I'm sure WK24 will correct me if I'm wrong in the next section of the review).
Adelaide held pygmy hippos prior to Obi, but I'm pretty sure there was a gap in between when the old female Janice died and the arrival of Obi (her grandson) from Melbourne. I think Obi was originally housed in an exhibit near the entrance (Janice back in the day sure was) before being moved within the zoo. Adelaide used to have two species of hippos side by side as some of the first exhibits inside the entrance.
Janice (born 1977 at Melbourne Zoo) was Adelaide Zoo’s first Pygmy hippopotamus and arrived in 1979. She was joined by two more young Pygmy hippopotami from Melbourne Zoo (Henry and Karla) in 1980 and 1982 respectively.
In 1984, Henry and Janice welcomed Adelaide Zoo’s first Pygmy hippopotamus calf, a female named Petre. She remains the only birth of her species at Adelaide Zoo.
Karla returned to Melbourne Zoo in 1988; Henry died in 1991; Petre was transferred to Taronga Zoo in 2007 for breeding, and Janice died in 2012.
Adelaide was without Pygmy hippopotamus for almost four years until Obi (born 2015 at Melbourne Zoo) arrived in 2016.
Adelaide Zoo [Part 2]: Australian Aviaries, South-east Asian area and Jewels of Asia
Towards the heart of the zoo lies a circular open-topped display for a large group of Australian Pelicans and Cape Barren Goose. It’s a sandy exhibit with a decent sized pool and tall trees at the rear of the exhibit that provide good shade. Pelican exhibits I find difficult to judge because often pelicans that were rescued from wild have specific requirements but this seemed to be a good all-round enclosure. Certainly better than Taronga’s small exhibit for example. A tip is to visit the pelicans at the 2:30 afternoon feed to see the exhibit come to life with a large group of wild Nankeen Night-Herons that roost with the pelicans emerge to catch any leftover fish. Traditionally elusive and secretive birds, these night herons are very bold when food is around and it's a rare treat to see them clearly especially appreciate their long breeding plumes. Past the pelicans is the central lawn which is a popular picnic stop with an excellent set of aerial pathways that connect to nearby exhibits with regular visits of Emperor, Cottontop and Golden Lion Tamarins all having access to these aerial pathways in the picnic area. The tamarins were highly popular of course with the lion tamarins sunning themselves regularly as their golden coats shone brightly and the cottontops had twins among their large group. There is also a large, more sturdier aerial pathway that crosses the central lawn for their Eastern Black-and-white Colobus as well but I unfortunately didn’t see them use it.
Tamarin runways
Pelican enclosure
Along the same fence line continuing in a circle is a row of old aviaries tucked quietly away. There are technically five aviaries in a row but three of aviaries have been opened up via their doors so it’s one big space and two smaller aviaries. If I’m honest these aviaries probably don’t have long at Adelaide. Another similar row of aviaries by the giraffes has already been emptied. The first aviary was themed around an arid landscape with staples like a pair of Cockatiels, literally a hundred (confirmed with a keeper) Gouldian Finches in a large breeding colony of pure wild-type stock, Diamond Doves of course and a quartet of Elegant Parrots. This relatively average mix is elevated by two species of superstar songsters that are active, loud and unique; a pair of Crested Bellbirds fill the bottom part of the aviary with all their hopping and calling from exposed perches. Recently a Chiming Wedgebill has also been added to this chorus as well with its complex call. Look up the calls of both these species and imagine what they add to an urban zoo landscape with their far-reaching calls. Next-door are two aviaries that serve as holding aviaries primarily to manage pairs of Orange-bellied Parrots; a worthy need. Ten males are housed in one and six females in the other with another three breeding pairs off-display. Across the two aviaries there are a few bits and pieces; a single male Superb Fairywren in one aviary and a single Banded Lapwing and Striped Honeyeater in the other. There was also a small old-looking aviary for a scruffy Bolivian Squirrel Monkey with metal fencing around it.
Orange-bellied Parrot aviary
Orange-bellied Parrot
Crested Bellbird
The South-east Asian area begins nearby with a large shady enclosure for a single Pygmy Hippo; a male named Obi who is one of six pygmy hippos in Australia. Formerly housing sun bears, and for a while, hyenas, it was larger than I was expecting and felt more spacious than both Melbourne and Taronga’s exhibits definitely. There were two main viewing areas; the first was a small glass-viewing area at eye level and if you follow the ramp up it opens up with elevated viewing. The masterplan states that pygmy hippo will move near the giraffes to form African Oasis. On my second visit to the zoo, Obi the hippo was running laps around his exhibit and was crashing into the water with his enrichment ball. He ran over to the far side of the exhibit with the glass and jammed his ball into the corner of the exhibit. He bashed the side of doorway for a good half an hour, gathering a huge crowd and keepers were watching him as well. He eventually gave up but sustained a gash to his side.
Pygmy hippo enclosure
Pygmy hippo – Obi
There is a section of the are that sits outwards along the main pathway that will be covered separately (tiger, orangs, mandrills and baboons) so continuing straight there is a large elevated leafy walkthrough aviary for showy South-east Asian birds. There is a small pond that runs through and a small platform that overlooks the exhibit. The bulk of the occupants are lories with five species being very impressive for an Australian zoo – Black Lories are the newest additions along with Dusky Lory, Black-capped Lory, Red Lory and Chattering Lory that fill the canopy with their raucous calls. I also think there is value in exhibiting lories allowing the Australian public to compare them to native lorikeets. There were also two additional psittacines being a few Plum-headed Parakeets that perched higher up in the sun and a very uncommon species in Australia; Malabar Parakeet which are a personal favourite. Beyond parrots, the zoo’s breeding colony of 29 Nicobar Pigeons are housed here with some currently nesting along with brief glimpses of White-breasted Ground-Dove. There were also Mandarin Duck in the pond, Indian Peafowl for show and a large breeding flock of Java Sparrow for activity. If mouse-deer were available they’d work nicely here as well.
South-east Asian aviary
South-east Asian aviary
The next stretch of boardwalk has three fig trees essentially; two of them sit on their own small islands for a bachelor pair of Siamang and older pair of Northern White-cheeked Gibbons on the left and the even larger fig tree on the right of the boardwalk forms part of a paddock for Australia’s last Malayan Tapir and three Dusky Langur that share the space. The gibbon exhibits have plenty of vertical space thanks to the feature tree but not as much horizontal space for decent brachiation. It is neat to see them with full access to a tree however. According to the 2023 masterplan addendum aerial pathways are also planned for the gibbons behind their enclosures.
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon enclosure
Siamang enclosure
My favourite exhibit at the zoo was definitely the tapir and langur display. It would be a boring enclosure without the main fig tree but from several angles of Adelaide Zoo you can see the tree and the langurs bounding around the branches. The last three langurs have full access to the fig tree and it seems to be just at the right angle that it is far enough that they cannot escape easily. It took awhile to find all three as two of them were in the back den with the tapir. The Malayan Tapir was very active on a few occasions but did mainly spend her time in the back den. This exhibit seems unlikely to be maintained with such a novel mix with both species being the only ones in Australia so I enjoyed it several times on my laps of Adelaide Zoo.
Malayan tapir/ dusky langur enclosure
Dusky Langur
Australia’s last Malayan Tapir
Past two smallish exhibits for Southern Cassowary and a tribute at the site of Australia’s last flamingo complete with a rose quartz plaque and statue, there was a row of large newer aviaries labelled the ‘Jewels of Asia’ which only loosely fits the species housed here. Their feature species here was undoubtedly the Palm Cockatoo which Adelaide have bred successfully in relatively recent times allowing Taronga to also house the species (off-show currently). The Palm Cockatoos was mixed with an active group of White-browed Woodswallow and Bush Stone-Curlew and the other cockatoo with a single male Regent Bowerbird. There were two additional aviaries here with Java Sparrow and Red Lory in one and Pacific Emerald Dove and Plum-headed Parakeet in the other. Largely duplicate species from the larger walkthrough aviary. A touch underwhelming with understocked aviaries if it weren’t for the charismatic Palm Cockatoo. The gardens around these aviaries were excellent however.
Jewels of Asia aviaries
Palm cockatoo #2 aviary
Palm cockatoo
Part 3 will cover the Australian walkthrough aviaries and surrounding exhibits.
I think Obi was originally housed in an exhibit near the entrance (Janice back in the day sure was) before being moved within the zoo. Adelaide used to have two species of hippos side by side as some of the first exhibits inside the entrance.
No the previous pygmy hippo exhibit now houses the second colony of little penguins whilst part of the old Common hippo exhibit became the new komodo dragon complex.
Think what it was with the layout before was where the Komodo Dragon complex is now was a play area for some years and where Hippos Albert & Victoria (and offspring's)'s exhibit was is now a nature strip area just to the south of the Little Penguin exhibit and includes some of the Penguins exhibit now too like WhistlingKite mentioned; (and the Little Penguin exhibit is where the Pygmy Hippos (and for a short time few years ago (a) Capybara(s) was/were) and then the American Alligators and SC Otters as WhistlingKite has mentioned.
@WhistlingKite24 Amazing review again and photos wow, all great photos (Jelita the Malayan Tapir, Dusky Langur and Palm Cockatoo personal favourites), cant wait to read the rest
Think what it was with the layout before was where the Komodo Dragon complex is now was a play area for some years and where Hippos Albert & Victoria (and offspring's)'s exhibit was is now a nature strip area just to the south of the Little Penguin exhibit and includes some of the Penguins exhibit now too like WhistlingKite mentioned; (and the Little Penguin exhibit is where the Pygmy Hippos (and for a short time few years ago (a) Capybara(s) was/were) and then the American Alligators and SC Otters as WhistlingKite has mentioned.
I was actually thinking along the same lines as the current Little Penguin exhibit looks a lot smaller than the previous Common Hippo exhibit. In fact, after looking at previous photos of Obi in the old enclosure, you can seemingly confirm it is the current Little Penguin enclosure;
Think what it was with the layout before was where the Komodo Dragon complex is now was a play area for some years and where Hippos Albert & Victoria (and offspring's)'s exhibit was is now a nature strip area just to the south of the Little Penguin exhibit and includes some of the Penguins exhibit now too like WhistlingKite mentioned; (and the Little Penguin exhibit is where the Pygmy Hippos (and for a short time few years ago (a) Capybara(s) was/were) and then the American Alligators and SC Otters as WhistlingKite has mentioned.
@WhistlingKite24 Amazing review again and photos wow, all great photos (Jelita the Malayan Tapir, Dusky Langur and Palm Cockatoo personal favourites), cant wait to read the rest
Though typical of the era, Adelaide Zoo’s Common hippopotamus exhibit was tiny. Albert and Victoria produced 17 offspring between 1976 and 2009, of which six survived infancy:
@Patrick Keegan Sorry Pat forgot to acknowledge like you pointed out that part of the Komodo' complex now was part of the Common Hippo exhibit too previously, not just the grassy area thats currently not utilised
@Zoofan15 Oh thats great to see their offspring's info, remembered seeing the Hippo info collectively for the region you and co put together, couldnt remember specifically who were the descendants of Victoria & Albert today but now know its Brindabella and Pansy who's names recognise from your discussions with our other ZC amigos when your discussing the Hippos in the region.
Yeah it was a tiny exhibit for Common Hippos by recent decades, only about 500 sq m maybe a tiny bit more (similar to Sth White Rhino Memphis's previous exhibit at Perth prior to 1999 which is technically in the same place he is now but only about half or a third of what he and his son have now and Katala, Sabie and Tamu shared with them previously (well that was still about 1,000 sq m which is not much at all but was still bigger than Adelaide's Hippo exhibit, dont want to sound like knocking Adelaide too much though as has been a great zoo that is still doing amazing things on a very small site, and for their exhibits that they get right they are really something great).
Yeah it was a tiny exhibit for Common Hippos by recent decades, only about 500 sq m maybe a tiny bit more (similar to Sth White Rhino Memphis's previous exhibit at Perth prior to 1999 which is technically in the same place he is now but only about half or a third of what he and his son have now and Katala, Sabie and Tamu shared with them previously (well that was still about 1,000 sq m which is not much at all but was still bigger than Adelaide's Hippo exhibit, dont want to sound like knocking Adelaide too much though as has been a great zoo that is still doing amazing things on a very small site, and for their exhibits that they get right they are really something great).
You make a good point. I used to find it regrettable what I’d read of Adelaide’s once sizeable Mandrill troop being reduced to a trio, until I saw the standard of accomodation they were held in in decades past; which though similar to other city zoos of that era, is highly outdated by today’s standards.
Adelaide Zoo have done a great job of modernising the vast majority of their exhibits; with a couple of stragglers - namely giraffe and lions scheduled for new exhibits as part of the masterplan; and a third, Australian sea lions, intended for phase out.
Adelaide Zoo [Part 1]: Entrance Exhibits and Bamboo Forest
As Australia’s second oldest zoo opening in 1883, Adelaide Zoo is very well-positioned within Adelaide City; among the closest Australian zoos in relation to its respective city centre being only a 15-minute walk from the centre of the city. There is a pleasant parkland stroll leading up to the entrance along Plane Tree Drive which allowed me to see some of the staple Adelaide wild birds like Eastern Rosellas, Little Ravens and hear some New Holland Honeyeaters that were situated within zoo grounds. The zoo itself is a small footprint nestled within the larger Adelaide Botanic Gardens and has the Torrens River that runs alongside its perimeter on one side, squeezing the site across the banks including a narrow awkward section towards the far end of the site. Although small, the zoo has maintained a significant slice of its historical heritage whilst balancing the old with the new with gradual developments like their Children’s Zoo, the addition of Komodo Dragons and a suite of aerial pathways for primates and red pandas among others. The zoo however does still have some prominent ageing exhibits and with any major zoo that has been around while it is a question of balance and how a zoo manages these historical structures often with a dose of creativity and resourcefulness. That was something I kept in the back of mind while I visited Adelaide as I approached the entrance among the screeching sounds of hundreds (probably thousands) of wild Grey-headed Flying Foxes that roost right outside the zoo.
Entrance
The first exhibit however I came across was one of the newest. I meandered my way just past the entrance, overshooting where the penguins are in excitement, and came across a glass-fronted complex with a thin layer of sandy substrate with carefully-planted tough plantings for a single male Komodo Dragon who only arrived very recently from Australia Zoo for breeding purposes. He was very active and even jumped swiftly from a boulder into a good position with his heat lamp. A volunteer was already present at the enclosure explaining to the public that they plan on commencing introductions soon as soon as he has settled into Adelaide. The Komodo complex at Adelaide is modest in size but is essentially two indoor simple but pleasant exhibits for their male and female (from Prague) and a small outdoor enclosure in between that gives the zoo the option to house one outdoors when weather conditions permit them. A good first impression to see two active and alert Komodo Dragons patrol their exhibits.
Komodo Dragon exhibit – for male
Komodo Dragon enclosure – outdoor section
Komodo Dragon – female Cecilia
There are a trio of open-topped enclosures that are situated right outside the entrance. The first housed Common Hippos for many years and the zoo have done a brilliant job redesigning an incredibly snug enclosure for hippos into a comparatively spacious, coastal enclosure for a colony of Little Penguins. The wooden platform backdrop, banksia flowers with thick grasses for coverage and a small themed platform for keepers made for an attractive exhibit. The penguins were braying loudly at opening time and made for the perfect entrance exhibit being a decent colony. Next-door was a small exhibit for a pair of American Alligators that arrived in 1989 from the Australian Reptile Park. The enclosure is alright; not huge but the alligators have access to the elements, a small pool and a grassy bank. The public enjoyed seeing the alligators right at the front of the zoo as they are very visible and the zoo’s only crocodilian currently on-display but admittedly there are plans in their masterplan to add crocodiles. Finally, there is a shady enclosure for six Asian Small-clawed Otters with the otters mainly spending their time off-show. There is a modest pool at the front with small water bodies at the back of the narrow enclosure. From the public’s point of view otters, penguins and alligators are all very engaging but I do wonder if this area could be better adapted to form a logical sequence considering otters are also set to move near the gibbons.
Little penguin enclosure
American alligator enclosure
Small-clawed otter enclosure
Adelaide is well-known for its pandas. And clearly a lot of money went into the multi-million dollar Bamboo Forest where the zoo houses their pairs of Red Pandas, Australia’s only Giant Pandas and a random aviary for Blue-and-Gold Macaw that really should be for Golden Pheasant/Mandarin Duck or something similar to tie in the theming as it was initially intended. The area started with an incredibly impressive enclosure for red panda that has a large fig tree with a row of clivias. The fig tree exhibit has a long aerial pathway that enables red pandas to walk through the panda courtyard and into a second hillside exhibit that can be sectioned off into two separate spaces. The pair of red pandas are currently being mixed for breeding and didn’t have access to the fig tree but rather the latter exhibit that was opened up.
Red panda (fig tree) enclosure
Red panda (hillside) enclosure
Red panda aerial pathway in panda courtyard
From the courtyard area there are two large well-landscaped exhibits for the Giant Pandas with rocky ledges, logs, chilled rocks and concrete cave-like structures that can be seen clearly with a central indoor building with two indoor rooms that brings the two outdoor exhibits together into a circular organic fashion, softening the harsh outlines and angles of the rocky display. If both giant pandas are indoors they are essentially side by side but both have spacious outdoor enclosures. The first panda enclosure also has a glass-fronted viewing area as well that brings the visitor forward into the space.
Giant panda enclosure #1
Giant panda enclosure #1 – viewing area
Giant panda enclosure #2
The pandas were very active during the morning as the female Fu Ni was in heat. The male Wang Wang was scent marking his enclosure actively and is quite nimble when he gets going. This ageing pair, as it has been well-covered, are being shipped back to China and a new pair will soon arrive by the end of the year, following fluctuating Sino-Australian relations. On a personal note, I really enjoyed seeing pandas. They are definitely overrated but they are interesting creatures and certainly a prominent feature species that is suited to Adelaide’s spacial constraints. It will be interesting to see how they do with the new pair of pandas.
Giant panda day rooms
Giant Panda – male Wang Wang
Part 2 will cover Adelaide Zoo’s loose South-east Asia area and its nearby standalone aviary complex The Jewels of Asia.
Adelaide Zoo [Part 3]: Walkthrough Aviaries and surrounds
Along a quiet path tucked away at the back of the zoo there are a set of two walkthrough aviaries for Australian species that are connected to one another – one themed around rainforests and the other around wetlands. Both are large spaces with the wetlands aviary being a breezy exhibit with a boardwalk, thick papyrus and grasses for good shelter contrasting the lush nature of its neighbour. I began at the rainforest aviary and quickly realised it’s definitely a space for tougher big birds rather than for delicate fig parrots or passerines. The crown jewel however in Adelaide’s bird collection is their male Superb Lyrebird. One of about five lyrebirds in zoos currently. Nova, a male lyrebird, came from Healesville Sanctuary where he hatched in 1989 and he moved to Adelaide in 2017. I was constantly hearing the locals with the families, “shall we go see Nova”? or kids saying they wanted to see Nova while watching sleeping carnivores. Birds can be charismatic. A lyrebird is on the Australian ten cent coin which helps but rarely do the general public get an opportunity to actually see one. Nova has a very particular perch near a bench where he sits for hours and showcases his wide-ranging repertoire of mimicry. I heard him cranking out alarm, photo, currawong, whipbird, blackbird, black cockatoo, kookaburra and construction noise among others. He had seniors and schoolkids captivated alike especially when he fans out his lyres and covered his head with his lace-like tail feathers. An absolute icon of Adelaide and a must see.
Nova the Superb Lyrebird
Icon number two of the aviary is Stevie who was among the first echidnas bred in captivity in 1997 at the zoo. He is equally as popular being on first name basis with much of the general public. Stevie is a Short-beaked Echidna that free ranges the entire rainforest aviary. He is a ridiculously active echidna and regular strolls past visitor’s feet and even stops to survey his surroundings on his continual waddles. The aviary is luckily fenced off so he can easily retreat as well if crowded as the ever-popular figure. I should point out Stevie is blind in both eyes but manages to get around with ease.
Stevie the Short-beaked Echidna among feet
The eclectic mix in the rainforest aviary continues with a huge Channel-billed Cuckoo which I have mentioned previously fits a hornbill niche for zoos willing to exhibit this enormous migratory cuckoo that can be mixed with other species. Although the bulk of its diet is fruit, this species is however known to take the occasional nestling. With Blue-winged Kookaburra and Tawny Frogmouth also in the rainforest aviary, baby birds beware. The bulk of columbids were Torresian Imperial Pigeons in the canopy and Wonga Pigeons everywhere on the ground, providing a constant presence, along with glimpses of Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves feeding from fruiting plants in the aviary and White-headed Pigeons as well. Bush Stone-Curlews, Buff-banded Rails and Radjah Shelducks filled the ground, Eclectus Parrots added colour while Australasian Figbirds and Satin Bowerbirds provided canopy movement with flashes of olive wings. A great exhibit.
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove feeding on fruiting plant within aviary
Australian Rainforest aviary
The wetlands aviary was smaller but had a nice mix of common waterbirds with the bulk being Glossy Ibis and Little Pied Cormorant with the crowd pullers being the pair of Black-necked Storks that remained in a little corner. There was also some stately Royal Spoonbill, Little Egret and the occasional Buff-banded Rail that would dart from shelter to shelter. Although Wandering Whistling-Ducks were signed but not seen, it does feel like the aviary was missing some additional activity either from some ducks or a flock of something up above. Both Murray River and Eastern Long-necked Turtles were also signed but not seen which would have been interesting to see among the waterbirds.
Wetlands aviary
Then there is a dead end past these two major aviaries. On one side there are two older exhibits; one contained a large Aldabra Giant Tortoise and a single African Spurred Tortoise. Nothing particular outstanding but it does the job followed by an old yet shady enclosure for a male Brazilian Tapir and two Patagonian Mara. Opposite them were four stone-backed aviaries that although clearly old were very pleasant and stately spaces. The largest one had Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys with thick plantings followed by the following species of birds listed below with two major conservation focus species being Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater across two aviaries. Red-faced Parrotfinch was a nice little active exotic among familiar species.
1. Diamond Firetail, Pied Stilt, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
2. Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Noisy Pitta, Regent Parrot, Star Finch, Zebra Finch, Regent Honeyeater, Superb Fairywren
3. Australian King Parrot, Swift Parrot, Red-faced Parrotfinch, Regent Honeyeater
Aviary row
Brazilian Tapir – male Arturo
Part four will cover the Envirodome and surrounding exhibits.
Adelaide Zoo [Part 4]: Envirodome, Australian area, tamarins and giraffes
Opened in 2009, the Envirodome is Adelaide’s ode to the small critters. It serves as a children-focused indoor space for a range of ectotherms as the hub for education. It has a much cleaner and modern feel than other parts of the zoo but a very random assortment of species. The old brick exterior of the building contrasted the glass doors which led to a large green wall that continued through towards the three initial exhibits and live plants that surrounded all three tanks; three large tanks for Magnificent Tree Frog, Rough-scaled Python (also in the reptile house) and Spiny Leaf Insect. A beautiful display as plants soften everything. Then there was an empty tank signposted for native fish species being Murray River Rainbowfish and Purple-spotted Gudgeon and then it was followed by a second large tank with garish fake plants for Yellow Seahorse as a popular marine display. There is further a standalone set of two vertical tanks with a set of Red-eyed Tree Frogs – the Australian ones of course – and Spiny Rainforest Katydid which seem to be new as their label hadn’t been created yet. A large tank filled with eucalyptus is a staple for most Aussie zoos and Spiny Leaf Insects were the main contender here. The katydids make good display animals because they remain visible during the day, remaining motionless against a branch as opposed to hiding out of view. They are flanked by an empty tank that used to have Pig-nosed Turtle (again also in the reptile house).
Envirodome wall garden tanks
Envirodome interior
There aren’t many decent displays for invertebrates in Australian zoos but Adelaide has a fantastic space with rows of neat walled exhibits that showcase an interesting variety in an appealing manner among a few herptiles along the back wall of the building. The Tiger Huntsman was very exciting to see in particular. The species is still being officially described after only being collected in 2006 from north Queensland. Spectacular looking spider. The exotic Egyptian Beetles were neat as well; they were accidentally introduced into the country and have established themselves in South Australia particularly. Dart frogs were once exhibited in this wall but were no longer here; not sure if they are still at the zoo. To finish, there was an open-topped tank with archerfish that would allows visitors to see them hunt for crickets. Well above the archerfish there was meant to be a space for a free-ranging golden orbweaver spider but unfortunately it was empty. Happy to donate one from my Brisbane backyard! A few loose ends to tie up in the building in terms of signage and a couple of empty exhibits but it was an engaging space.
Down the hill and a set of stairs is Adelaide’s current awkward spot. It’s a narrow dead-end pathway that is where the old children’s zoo was located and a lot of the old infrastructure remains here. It does contain the zoo’s hospital and learning centre. There is a small row of enclosure with a whopping three Meerkat enclosures with one containing an old white one (sort of freaky looking if you ask me), a sloping exhibit for a pair of Rhinoceros Iguana and an empty enclosure next to them as well. Down the stairs was a quiet corner for a decent enclosure for a Maned Wolf; the only Australian major zoo to have them as the species is largely a passion project among private zoos led by Altina. It’s among the quietest sections of the zoos so its position is excellent. Plenty of shade and hiding opportunities as well. The wolf’s neighbour is the zoo’s last 27-year-old Australian Sea-Lion in an old exhibit and wonderful coastal garden. The zoo has been very open about this enclosure and its flaws. The zoo renovated the enclosure in recent years adding a sandy section to the exhibit which the female was actively using during my second visit, removing a boardwalk as a potential stressor for the sea-lions so visitors no longer look down at the exhibit, adding glass panelling which has maximised space around the perimeter and adding new shade sails for greater sun protection. The size of the pool is alright for a single elderly sea-lion I thought. The only overwhelming fault is the depth of the pool which would be a highly stressful process to fix for the single one left. The zoo had explored moving the sea-lions to other facilities but that never eventuated. It wasn’t that bad I thought for their context. Far better than the giraffes...
Maned wolf enclosure
Australian sea lion enclosure
Continuing towards the furthest point of the zoo, there were a few small exhibits peppered randomly along. There was a meshed enclosure for Spur-thighed Tortoises which was a basic enclosure for them but there was plenty of room for the group and they were fun to watch. This was contrasted with a new breezy enclosure for Little Penguins making my way back up around the closed-off old children’s zoo; their second exhibit for the species. There was a final courtyard space for an aviary with Yellow-naped Amazon Parrots and another simple enclosure for unsigned Elongated Tortoise across two spaces. All very random and bitty. This space will hopefully be transformed into the Tropical North area complete with aquarium, tree-kangaroos (which aren’t at the zoo currently), crocodiles and walkthrough aviary across the coming decades. Continuing along the main trail I made my way towards the centre rotunda and noted a fabulous complex of two aviaries that enveloped the brick toilet blocks; Australian parrots for the female toilets and South American parrots for the male toilets. There are fortunately viewing areas outside the actual toilets themselves so everyone can view both aviaries. The Australian aviary had black cockatoos of course with Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, at least four Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gang Cockatoos with Major Mitchell’s Parrots and Regent Parrots for pops of colour. It was good to see a decent South American aviary as well with Scarlet Macaw and a pair of Illiger's Macaws being a new one for the list. They were mixed with Sun Conure and a large flock of Crimson-bellied Conures which were glorious on this sunny day. I can’t believe Adelaide doesn’t have agouti but they’d work a treat here. These aviaries have a future in the masterplan and are set to be for colobus and African birds.
Toilet block – Australian aviary
Toilet block – South American aviary
Crimson-bellied Conures
The central hub for all the tamarins was a small indoor building with four glass-fronted exhibits; two on either side for Golden Lion Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Cottontop Tamarin completed with twin infants and more Golden Lion Tamarin. This space was once home to Pygmy Marmosets and before that Black Lion Tamarins. There were some tiny outdoor exhibits in front and next two to these four outdoor enclosures providing the tamarins with several options. Quite an innovative move by Adelaide to upgrade a simple space for the tamarins into one that provides this small building to be expanded in dimension with the aerial pathways that travel from here into the central lawn area. The golden lion tamarins again were interesting to observe from the runways particularly; a lot of vocalising and posturing.
Tamarin house
Golden lion tamarin in runway
The almost century old giraffe enclosure was ridiculously small for their three females and there is no way of sugar-coating that fact. Comparing city zoo giraffe enclosures I have seen; Melbourne’s was alright (more room now without zebra), Taronga’s is snug on a good day but Adelaide’s was downright uncomfortable. It was one of instances where photos I had seen of it inflated the size of the space. Not as wide as I had thought with little opportunity for privacy or escape from the elements. I had also previously thought the zoo had already opened up the space at least just past the old elephant house permanently but there was a lot of fencing preventing access. The future African Oasis promises an expansion but looking at plans again and again; is it really worth it? The addition of nyala and ostrich will only further limit space again for a footprint that will have to compete with an “African village”. In complete agreeance with other members that the giraffes should be put on the next truck out to Monarto and something more appropriate should be added in their place like gorillas. I liked the succulent-filled enclosure for Meerkats in front of the giraffes. Smart use of space. There was also a sad row of empty aviaries opposite aviaries with signage indicating that most of those species had moved to the new children’s zoo.
Giraffe/meerkat enclosure
African oasis plan
To finish this section before heading to the nocturnal house, there are set of enclosures for native mammals. There were a row of old exhibits; the best one of the lot was for two new Southern Koalas that had just arrived from Ballarat Wildlife Park mixed with Long-nosed Potoroo and a hyperactive Short-beaked Echidna that filled the space below. I would love to see to more koala mixes like this considering the inactivity of koalas. I thought the small sandy enclosure was poor for Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat with some odd box-like structure as their ‘burrow’. The Tasmanian Devil enclosure was, albeit thick with plantings, small and uninspiring. Finally, there were two large exhibits for a pair of wild-born Dingos from the Northern Territory and a large historic low-fenced exhibit with a large moat for a breeding colony of Yellow-footed Rock-Wallabies and a Western Grey Kangaroo. Red Kangaroo was signed but not seen.
Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby enclosure
Koala/potoroo/echidna enclosure
Part 5 will cover the nocturnal house and the rest of the carnivores.
The almost century old giraffe enclosure was ridiculously small for their three females and there is no way of sugar-coating that fact. Comparing city zoo giraffe enclosures I have seen; Melbourne’s was alright (more room now without zebra), Taronga’s is snug on a good day but Adelaide’s was downright uncomfortable. It was one of instances where photos I had seen of it inflated the size of the space. Not as wide as I had thought with little opportunity for privacy or escape from the elements. I had also previously thought the zoo had already opened up the space at least just past the old elephant house permanently but there was a lot of fencing preventing access. The future African Oasis promises an expansion but looking at plans again and again; is it really worth it? The addition of nyala and ostrich will only further limit space again for a footprint that will have to compete with an “African village”. In complete agreeance with other members that the giraffes should be put on the next truck out to Monarto and something more appropriate should be added in their place like gorillas. I liked the succulent-filled enclosure for Meerkats in front of the giraffes. Smart use of space. There was also a sad row of empty aviaries opposite aviaries with signage indicating that most of those species had moved to the new children’s zoo.
Completely agree. What bothers me most about the revised Adelaide Zoo masterplan is that the original masterplan was perfect - with Adelaide’s collection complimenting Monarto’s; not mirroring it on a smaller scale like what they’re planning now.
Monarto Safari Park has the largest lion exhibit in the region, which houses a multigenerational pride. Rather than Adelaide building a small exhibit to house a pair of bachelor males, I’d much rather see Sri Lankan leopards. City zoos are confident in phasing out Asian elephants and Common hippopotamus, often without any direct replacement. African lions have four counterparts from the Panthera genus, all of which thrive living solitary lives.
