Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee Zoo Visit

Just a few things:

First, if there was a viewing area, the Hippos stay in within a certain area underwater so you WOULD be able to see them. The problem? The water is not clean! WORZ uses a natural filtration system and thus, having a glass viewing area would mean changing this. A no no!

The male Kudu died two(?) years ago, but I'm certain that the Dot isn't the new alpha male.. his the last of the bachelor herd of the Zebra and has been put in with the Kudu for company. They get along OK, but I'm almost certain his not that close to them..

WORZ WANTS a new male, but can't get it! I think there's a foot disease(?) in the area they are getting it from, thus, a ban on exports.. but eventually!

Also someone asked a question about what is in with the Hippos?

Nothing. The only place these reptiles etc are located is opposite the Wild Dogs.

:)
 
melbourne zoo has glass viewing for its pygmy hippo(s). an excellent exhibit.

werribee does not and i don't think it needs it. oddly, since moving to the new exhibit and given a sandy beach, the hippo are regularly sunning themselves on the banks of their river. also, since the zoo has a natural filtration system, a narrow river style pool and concrete banks (and i totally disagree that this means they cant have glass) the hippo are quite visible in the water as its largely clear. in a mud bank dam the water is opaque. even when the hippo are in their pools they are totally visible and enjoyable to visitors.
 
Werribee Visit 26/09/2010

I finally visited Werribee Zoo in the holidays and have been meaning to post a review but I've been very busy since, I've got some time now though so here it is. :)

The day I went was one of the first sunny, warm days we've had since about April so it seemed even better. For the most part the grounds were up to their usual brilliance although the main exhibit in the middle of the trail that normally has zebra, ostrich and waterbuck has temporary fencing around it and the lake's been drained. This is the first thing you see as you enter and it is a spectatcular exhibit so I'm sad to see it go BUT on the upside they hope hope to have a small batchelor group of gorillas on the island by next year.
We had our bus tour tickets for half an hour after we got in so went for a walk around the volcanic plains and I must say that after the recent rain we've had and the fact that its Spring it looks pretty impressive. We saw Cape Barren geese and goslings, Pacific black ducks and ducklings, about 15 emus, brolgas, kangaroo island kangaroos, blue-tongue lizards, spoonbills, and pelicans. It was simply teaming with life and its the best I've seen it look ever.

After that we lined up for our bus ride. First stop North America which is a large open paddock with about 10 bison including a few young ones. Then into Asia where you can see a small herd of Blackbuck and three Mongolian wild horses. This two exhibits could be improved easily with the addition of some easy to obtain deer species from the respective continents. After this the bus heads into Africa. The first paddock is for a couple dromedary camels and 2 scimitar-horned oryx. There are some works going on near the back of this exhibit that allow you to see into the cheetah exhibit over a moat hidden fence. It is a nice touch to add something new to the tour. After this you drive throughthe male hippos pool and he was sunning himself right near the path on a sandy bank. You can also see into the next two pools where the females live. Next is an enourmous paddock with a big lake for the remaining kudu and what seemed like a single zebra but the paddock is so gid that the bus didn't even get close. From this yard you can also see the back of the African Wild Dog exhibit. On the way from here to the main savannah you cross the Werribee River and pass by a paddock for a large group of addax and then come over a ridge to get and expansive view over the whole floodplain exhibit. The tour bus takes you in a big loop around most of the exhibit to see white rhinos, ostriches, eland, zera and giraffe. After this the bus takes you back past a few of the exhibits on its way back to the station. The whole tour takes about an hous so you get plenty of time to see each exhibit and the guide was happy to answer any questions as well as passing around some things to look at like an addax horn and some bison fur.

Back at the station we stopped for lunch next to one of the best meerkat exhibits I've seen before making our way around the main trail. The first exhibit you see is the vervet monkeys in a very nice exhibit with glass and a moat viewing and in the background is the soon to be gorilla exhibit. This exhibit was especially effective when you could see zebras and ostriches grazing behind the monkeys with no visible barriers seperating them. As you follow the trail from here you enter a pretend village with a few buildings with exhibits for madagascar ground boa, cichlids and freshwater crocodiles of all things. It is nicely done though and there's chickens walking around the visitors feet.

The trail leading off to the lions and wild dogs leaves from here and first thing you see along this path is the glass viewing area for the african wild dogs in their beautiful exhibit. We had planned our time perfectly because we got their in time to see the lion show but the female lion wasn't in the mood and was enjoying the lovely weather. the males did perk up when the show was on but their background exhibit is too far away for the keeper to give them any of the treats the female was meant to get. After this the path goes past another meerkat exhibit and up a boardwalk to give visitors a raised view over the whole wild dog exhibit and from here we could see a few of them moving around on top of a large mound in their exhibit but mostly they were enjoying the sun too.

Once you travel back through the village you come to my favourite exhibit at Werribee Zoo; the hippo exhibit. Even when the hippos are lieing on the sandy area at the back of their pool you get a good view like we did. There's a boat you can view them from as well as a large decking area and from this decking you can see into the next two exhibits. Its a great example of how excellent a well designed exhibit can be for the animals and the visitors.

The cheetahs are the last exhibit to see along the trail and now that some of the trees seperating them from the camel/oryx exhibit behind have been cleared visitors can get a really nice view over the cheetahs and uninterrupted into the exhibit behind. However the glass was really dirty on the inside and the outside so I couldn't get any nice photos.

That's really it exhibit wise but there is a nice walk you can go on past an old homestead to the Werribee River. :)
 
Thats a good review, I have been wondering though, werribee only has 65 species with 300 and something animals and I remember last year there was an article in the paper to change the zoo from 500 animals to 1500 over the next 5-6 years? Is this a realistic goal? Seeing as though the zoo doesn't even have 500 animals and if the zoo is planning to do this when will it really begin?
 
animal kid said:
Thats a good review, I have been wondering though, werribee only has 65 species with 300 and something animals and I remember last year there was an article in the paper to change the zoo from 500 animals to 1500 over the next 5-6 years? Is this a realistic goal? Seeing as though the zoo doesn't even have 500 animals and if the zoo is planning to do this when will it really begin?
Click to expand...

I've been thinking the same thing. It seems to have big ambitions and the new wild dog exhibit is nice but there doesn't seem to be much work being done on the gorilla exhibit and I've no idea what's next for Werribee Zoo.
 
I visted Werribee last Saturday (16/4/11). I really enjoyed my day,it was a different and great experience and I really enjoyed the safari tour. However, I wish there was a walking part for the Safari Tour (possibly in the future?) so you can soo the lower savannah animals as well as the bison, scimitar horned oryx/dromedary, addax and zebra/waterbuck/kudu.

Although the bus tour was rocky, I managed to get some good pics (which are in the gallery) and wish there are more animals in the lower savannah, maybe add more giraffe or in the future, more antelope species depending on import regulations. Unfortunately, the tour bus driver ran over a blue tongue lizard which she was upset about.

New species that I saw include vervet monkey, cheetah, common hippo, waterbuck, addax, bison, kudu and blackbuck.

Notes include:

-Harold and Brindabella the Common Hippos have been put together in the hopes of breeding.

-A zebra is expecting a baby very shortly

-Female lion Jarrah was in the front exhibit (sleeping away from the window) while the boys Thombo and Tonyi were sleeping in the back exhibit.

-Primrose, Tulip and Lotus were grazing when we drove past on the bus tour but when I reached the exhibit on foot they were sleeping behind a fake mud bank, meaning pictures were almost impossible (luckily I got a photo of Brindabella while we drove thru Harold's enclosure).

-Cheetahs kept pacing towards one corner of the glass, and interestingly, kept moving towards an elderly disabled man (might expand on the theory that they know he is weak and fragile/easy prey, as with the case of lions).

-I felt the Meerkat Bistro exhibit was great, the buffalo skull is a great enrichment tool, but there ae not enough meerkats for the size of the exhibit. This is the largest and best meerkat exhibit I have seen, but I only counted around 6 meerkats. The Lions on the Edge exhibit, however, was a touch on the small side but it is adequate for the current number of animals they have in their (only around 4).

-Gorilla exhibit construction is progressing fairly well, with the moats being dug out and constructed. There is a massive pile (mountain!) of dirt in the exhibit, and it looks like it will be big. After all, WORZ claims it will be the largest gorilla exhibit in the southern hemisphere.

-Today, 11 month old pure Rothschild's Giraffe Ajali from Perth left to go to WORZ, which the tour bus driver said would happen very soon. WORZ only hold males, and this will bring their giraffe population up to 8.

It was a great day and a very nice zoo! :)
 
UrMumzAGoat said:
I visted Werribee last Saturday (16/4/11). I really enjoyed my day,it was a different and great experience and I really enjoyed the safari tour. However, I wish there was a walking part for the Safari Tour (possibly in the future?) so you can soo the lower savannah animals as well as the bison, scimitar horned oryx/dromedary, addax and zebra/waterbuck/kudu.

Although the bus tour was rocky, I managed to get some good pics (which are in the gallery) and wish there are more animals in the lower savannah, maybe add more giraffe or in the future, more antelope species depending on import regulations. Unfortunately, the tour bus driver ran over a blue tongue lizard which she was upset about.

New species that I saw include vervet monkey, cheetah, common hippo, waterbuck, addax, bison, kudu and blackbuck.

Notes include:

-Harold and Brindabella the Common Hippos have been put together in the hopes of breeding.

-A zebra is expecting a baby very shortly

-Female lion Jarrah was in the front exhibit (sleeping away from the window) while the boys Thombo and Tonyi were sleeping in the back exhibit.

-Primrose, Tulip and Lotus were grazing when we drove past on the bus tour but when I reached the exhibit on foot they were sleeping behind a fake mud bank, meaning pictures were almost impossible (luckily I got a photo of Brindabella while we drove thru Harold's enclosure).

-Cheetahs kept pacing towards one corner of the glass, and interestingly, kept moving towards an elderly disabled man (might expand on the theory that they know he is weak and fragile/easy prey, as with the case of lions).

-I felt the Meerkat Bistro exhibit was great, the buffalo skull is a great enrichment tool, but there ae not enough meerkats for the size of the exhibit. This is the largest and best meerkat exhibit I have seen, but I only counted around 6 meerkats. The Lions on the Edge exhibit, however, was a touch on the small side but it is adequate for the current number of animals they have in their (only around 4).

-Gorilla exhibit construction is progressing fairly well, with the moats being dug out and constructed. There is a massive pile (mountain!) of dirt in the exhibit, and it looks like it will be big. After all, WORZ claims it will be the largest gorilla exhibit in the southern hemisphere.

-Today, 11 month old pure Rothschild's Giraffe Ajali from Perth left to go to WORZ, which the tour bus driver said would happen very soon. WORZ only hold males, and this will bring their giraffe population up to 8.

It was a great day and a very nice zoo! :)
Click to expand...

Hi UMAG
Thanks for the quick notes, I particularly appreciated two bits of info, the news about Ajali leaving Perth and the attempts to mate Brindabella and Harold. Hopefully that will be successful.
 
jay said:
Hi UMAG
Thanks for the quick notes, I particularly appreciated two bits of info, the news about Ajali leaving Perth and the attempts to mate Brindabella and Harold. Hopefully that will be successful.
Click to expand...

My pleasure. I hope they can succeed breeding the hippos, it would be great both for the Australasian population and publicity for the zoo.
 
Last edited:
We popped down to WORZ for a visit, but mainly to do the serval encounter.

The zoo, animals, and enclosures have been exhaustively reviewed in other posts, so I will just mention that the gorilla exhibit looks to be completed on time, and I will focus on the serval encounter.

It costs $70 pp with a 10% discount for FOTZ, which was a deterrent for the last few months, but I am glad that we finally decided to do it, as it is definitely worth the money.

The video on their website is a good representation of what we experienced. http://www.zoo.org.au/Werribee/Wild_Encounters/African_Cat_Encounter

Six of us were ushered into the servals' enclosure, accompanied by a volunteer/photographer and the keeper. We all remained seated for the 40 minute experience with the cats within touching distance at time.

Each of the three servals came out one by one, and we were given a demonstration of their speed, agility, and jumping prowess. Those cats easily jumped 3 metres high! Then at the end they brought all three cats out to roam freely, which was a joy to watch. The volunteer/photographer used everyone's camera to get some great pics (ok, they weren't that great because I don't think the old guy grasped the concept of holding down the button half way until the camera focused, which is why quite a few pics of us were blurry). The keeper was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and had a great rapport with the cats.

The real highlight of the experience, of course, was the fact that you could actually touch the cats. They very often stood on foot-rests right in front of us, and we were allowed to pet them at will (except on the head of course). Interestingly, the servals' coats were rather long, thick, and 'bristled/rough' - definitely not like that of a domestic cat. The servals will even come on your lap if they so desire!

I'll not argue about the pros and cons of having these animals perform for a paying public, but I will say that the keeper clearly loves the cats, and they clearly love him, and clearly enjoy the exercise and stimulation.

If you enjoy animal encounters, then I strongly recommend this one if you are at WORZ.
 
Last edited:
A couple pics from the serval encounter.
 

Attachments

  • SAM_4316.JPG
    SAM_4316.JPG
    254.4 KB · Views: 8
  • SAM_4339.JPG
    SAM_4339.JPG
    144.2 KB · Views: 5
  • SAM_4348.JPG
    SAM_4348.JPG
    280 KB · Views: 6
  • SAM_4392.JPG
    SAM_4392.JPG
    335.2 KB · Views: 6
I visited Werribee today. First, since this is my first comment from this trip to Oz, I need to mention how expensive Australian zoos are! Granted it's been over a decade since my last trip, but I don't remember them being so crazy. Also, last time more seemed to reciprocate with the AZA. That being said, I loved the zoo. We got to see just about everything on the safari ride, and then I got to see them feed the hippos. This is really fun - I don't think anyone else has mentioned it yet. The hippos suddenly leave the pool, and disappear off to the side. You go into a sort of hut and then the keeper opens up the sides and there are the hippos. While he talks, they start opening their mouths, because they know what's coming - after he does a mouth check, they get a bunch of the "good stuff" - the high protein hay. Then he keeps feeding them as he talks about them, and finally gives them some of the "cheap stuff" to keep eating. Great views - just some posts between. If there aren't any photos of this, I'll post some eventually.
Others have mentioned the small number of species, which I also noticed. I guess I'd rather a small number well displayed than the opposite. It looked like the gorilla enclosure will be ready soon. You can see where the sod has been laid, but it's patchy still. A lot of construction was going on all over the park, and the lions were "closed".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top