Yesterday I also visited the Western Australia Reptile Park, about 30 minutes north-east from Perth - It’s just around the corner from Caversham. It’s a small farm/bush property. Once you’re out of your car, a small wooden walkthrough that has signs noting that someone attempted to release an eagle by cutting a hole in their enclosure, and that large bags are no longer allowed after a snake named ‘Marbles’ was stolen. You then walk up a short path with some ponds near them, before entering a large shed where the reception area is. There’s a small cage that contains a Sulphar-Crested Cockatoo that greets you when you enter. After I paid my $20 entry fee, the gentleman directed me out of the shed and to another shed about 50m away and told me to take a look around the property for what else they had.
Outside of the first large shed, there was a Salt Water Crocodile. This croc looked to be a bit too big for its enclosure and it couldn’t lay straight, and it appeared to be constructed of a plastic tub with plywood walls. Once in the shed, there were a range of small tanks for reptiles along the walls. Overall, these enclosures were all very, very basic. Most had astroturf along the bottom with no natural materials in the tanks. Some had taller enclosures that included timed areas. Only a few had any leafs or sand. I was quite disappointed in their layout, and while I acknowledge I’m definitely not an expert in reptile care, I think the park could do a better job in their tanks. The species in this shed include:
This shed also included a Cane Toad exhibit that had dead toads in specimen jars, and there were some crocodile skins up on the walls. There was also a room off the shed that included a variety of taxidermied animals and birds, turtle shells and a huge collection of sea shells.
Outside the shed, there were three Fresh Water Crocodile exhibits, and one noted as ‘Nearly completed for Malcom’.
There was a second shed, which mostly included an old motorcycle that had some parts around it, a display of old military patches, some old farm equipment and a pair of Pig-Nose Turtles and a Carpet Python. After walking through this shed, you can then head out the back where there’s a variety of other enclosures and aviary’s. The first aviary had a pair of Tawny Frog-Mouths and the second had a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo. There was then a pair of kangaroos, who were signposted only as ‘macropods’, but they looked to be Red Kangaroos to me. They lived next to an Emu and another pair of Tawny Frog Mouths and a Barn Owl. Up next was two European Red Fox enclosures, with signs that stated the foxes had been rescued by members of the public as they’d been abandoned at birth and cannot be released. Both enclosures were lived in, but I wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of anything in either.
Next along the path was a Wedged-Tailed Eagle, with signage about how it had a pined wing and couldn’t fly, and another copy of the sign at the entry about the misguided release attempt. The next enclosures included Goanna and Gould Monitor, but I wasn’t able to spot either, even on a nice sunny day. There was then a lone Kookaburra, then a pair of Dingo enclosures. There was a lone Dingo in one of them, who was very friendly and came right up to the fence to sniff my hand. The path then circled back tot he first shed, and had another Fresh Water Crocodile enclosure with three crocs, and a Flat-Shelled Tortoise and Macquarie Tortoise.
I then found another small trail I’d missed initially, which included aviary’s with:
Overall, while definitely the cheapest ticket I’ve had in years for a zoo visit, the overall standard of husbandry in the enclosures and tanks could be improved. It’s an old facility and that very clearly shows. I’ll upload some pictures to the gallery for anyone interested
Outside of the first large shed, there was a Salt Water Crocodile. This croc looked to be a bit too big for its enclosure and it couldn’t lay straight, and it appeared to be constructed of a plastic tub with plywood walls. Once in the shed, there were a range of small tanks for reptiles along the walls. Overall, these enclosures were all very, very basic. Most had astroturf along the bottom with no natural materials in the tanks. Some had taller enclosures that included timed areas. Only a few had any leafs or sand. I was quite disappointed in their layout, and while I acknowledge I’m definitely not an expert in reptile care, I think the park could do a better job in their tanks. The species in this shed include:
- Woma Python
- Stimson’s Python
- Carpet Python
- Sand Goanna
- Spotted Mulga Snake
- Dugite
- Common Death Adder
- Another Salt-Water Crocodile
- Black-Headed Python
- Central Blue Tongue Lizard
- Common Blue Tongue Lizard
- Lace Monitor
- Bobtail
- Children’s Python
- Western Tiger Snake
- Eastern Water Dragon
- Olive Python
- Thick Tailed Gecko
- Western Netted Dragon
- Guilbert’s Dragon
- Green Tree Frog
- Marbled Gecko
- Black-Headed Python
- Central Bearded Dragon
- Black Headed Monitor
This shed also included a Cane Toad exhibit that had dead toads in specimen jars, and there were some crocodile skins up on the walls. There was also a room off the shed that included a variety of taxidermied animals and birds, turtle shells and a huge collection of sea shells.
Outside the shed, there were three Fresh Water Crocodile exhibits, and one noted as ‘Nearly completed for Malcom’.
There was a second shed, which mostly included an old motorcycle that had some parts around it, a display of old military patches, some old farm equipment and a pair of Pig-Nose Turtles and a Carpet Python. After walking through this shed, you can then head out the back where there’s a variety of other enclosures and aviary’s. The first aviary had a pair of Tawny Frog-Mouths and the second had a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo. There was then a pair of kangaroos, who were signposted only as ‘macropods’, but they looked to be Red Kangaroos to me. They lived next to an Emu and another pair of Tawny Frog Mouths and a Barn Owl. Up next was two European Red Fox enclosures, with signs that stated the foxes had been rescued by members of the public as they’d been abandoned at birth and cannot be released. Both enclosures were lived in, but I wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of anything in either.
Next along the path was a Wedged-Tailed Eagle, with signage about how it had a pined wing and couldn’t fly, and another copy of the sign at the entry about the misguided release attempt. The next enclosures included Goanna and Gould Monitor, but I wasn’t able to spot either, even on a nice sunny day. There was then a lone Kookaburra, then a pair of Dingo enclosures. There was a lone Dingo in one of them, who was very friendly and came right up to the fence to sniff my hand. The path then circled back tot he first shed, and had another Fresh Water Crocodile enclosure with three crocs, and a Flat-Shelled Tortoise and Macquarie Tortoise.
I then found another small trail I’d missed initially, which included aviary’s with:
- Carnabys Cockatoo
- Cockatiel
- Zebra Finch
- Gouldian Finch
- Budgerigar
- Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
Overall, while definitely the cheapest ticket I’ve had in years for a zoo visit, the overall standard of husbandry in the enclosures and tanks could be improved. It’s an old facility and that very clearly shows. I’ll upload some pictures to the gallery for anyone interested
