Where are the best platypus exhibits?

DavidBrown

DavidBrown

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
A question for our Australian Zoochat friends and/or folks who have visited Australian zoos and aquariums: where are the best platypus exhibits in terms of viewing the animals and having a good chance of seeing them?

I visited Australia in 1987 and saw a platypus at the Lone Pine koala zoo in Queensland. I remember it having a very basic aquarium and that it came out at special feeding times. Is this the only way that visitors can reliably see this species?

I remember seeing the Taronga Zoo platypus exhibit and going back a few times, but never actually seeing the species.

What makes for a good platypus exhibit, or are they all pretty much the same?
 
DavidBrown said:
A question for our Australian Zoochat friends and/or folks who have visited Australian zoos and aquariums: where are the best platypus exhibits in terms of viewing the animals and having a good chance of seeing them?

I visited Australia in 1987 and saw a platypus at the Lone Pine koala zoo in Queensland. I remember it having a very basic aquarium and that it came out at special feeding times. Is this the only way that visitors can reliably see this species?

I remember seeing the Taronga Zoo platypus exhibit and going back a few times, but never actually seeing the species.

What makes for a good platypus exhibit, or are they all pretty much the same?
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I haven't seen all of them but from the ones that I have seen I would rank them as:

1. Taronga Zoo: Creatures of the Wollemi exhibit
2. Sydney Aquarium
3. Melbourne Zoo
4. Taronga Zoo: Platypus house

For me, I think a good exhibit has to be quite dark, which you might not think the Taronga outdoor exhibit is, but it is surrounded by foliage giving some sort of shade and is at the base of a waterfall also providing shade. I have to admit though, I have also been unlucky in seeing the platypuses in the outdoor exhibit, whereas Taronga's indoor exhibit provides underwater viewing, is more dark and probably more quiet, but Irefer the outdoor exhibit on aesthetics.
 
1987? Dude, how old are you? :D You came with your parents or something?

I can't comment on the best exhibit, because:

a. I have only seen about 4 exhibits - not a large enough sample size
b. I am not the platypus's biggest fan, so I never paid much attention to their enclosure

I think they are amazing animals, but they are not "must see" species when I visit a zoo. I'll say this though: the first time I saw a platypus, I was blown away by the size, because they are so tiny! I thought that they would be otter-size, but instead they are about 40cm long. Anyway, I am rambling a bit, and not adding any value to your thread. :D Sorry I could not be of much help.

PS* Healesville Sanctuary is supposed to have one of the best displays and breeding programmes in Australia, but the other folks will confirm that or not.
 
nrg800 said:
In Sydney the most reliable place to see them is at Sydney Aquarium.
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I am not sure, however, if they will remain at the aquarium after the re-branding and renovating/new theming. Still their exhibit is really nice and they are fairly active.
 
nrg800 said:
In Sydney the most reliable place to see them is at Sydney Aquarium.
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I don't want to make any false promises but I think if anyone wants definite platypus sightings than Healesville Sanctuary is probably the way to go. The indoor exhibit has about 3 or 4 exhibits if I remember correctly and I have never been disappointed.
 
I'm with PAT, definitely Healesville has the best set-up in my opinion of the places I've visited (the indoor house that is; I did not care for the design of the outdoor pool).

On my one trip to the Sydney attractions (in 2010) I did not see the platypus at the aquarium, at the platypus house in the zoo, or in the Wollemi exhibit at the zoo. I gather that was just incredibly bad luck because it seems both the zoo and the aquarium are very reliable in terms of seeing them, and I did like the design of the zoo's house. [That Sydney visit was supposed to be a three-monotreme trip but none of the platypus showed and neither did any of the short-beaked echidnas at the zoo or the Wildlife World; instead I "only" saw the long-beaked echidna at the zoo].

I liked Melbourne Zoo's platypus exhibit also, where last year I watched the platypus feeding on mealworms and being generally very active.

I've also seen quite a few platypus in the wild too, which is much better of course :)



Just as a matter of interest, can anyone list all the places that display platypus?
 
Brisbane Forest Park - 1992 to Present
Bronx Zoo - 1947 to 1958
Budapest Zoo - 1913 to 1917
Fleay's Fauna Park - 1952 - Present
Australian Reptile Park - 1968 - Present
Healsville - 1933 - Present
Lone Pine - 1972 to 1988
Melboune Zoo - 1937 to Present
Sydney Aquarium - 1997 to Present
Taronga Zoo - 1934 to Present

According to Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive Management.
 
nrg800 said:
Brisbane Forest Park - 1992 to Present
Bronx Zoo - 1947 to 1958
Budapest Zoo - 1913 to 1917
Fleay's Fauna Park - 1952 - Present
Australian Reptile Park - 1968 - Present
Healsville - 1933 - Present
Lone Pine - 1972 to 1988
Melboune Zoo - 1937 to Present
Sydney Aquarium - 1997 to Present
Taronga Zoo - 1934 to Present

According to Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive Management.
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I'm surprised they include Budapest in that list: the animal kept there was in fact a western long-beaked echidna not a platypus.
 
nrg800 said:
Brisbane Forest Park - 1992 to Present
Bronx Zoo - 1947 to 1958
Budapest Zoo - 1913 to 1917
Fleay's Fauna Park - 1952 - Present
Australian Reptile Park - 1968 - Present
Healsville - 1933 - Present
Lone Pine - 1972 to 1988
Melboune Zoo - 1937 to Present
Sydney Aquarium - 1997 to Present
Taronga Zoo - 1934 to Present

According to Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive Management.
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Lone Pine recently (2009/2010) opened a brand new platypus house.

The Platypus exhibit I like best is the Wollemi enclosure at taronga - but I've never seen the platypus there. I've seen them in Taronga's Platypus House, Sydney Aquarium, Lone Pine, Fleays ion 2010 and in 1979 (two different setups) and Healesville (in 2007). Lone Pine and Fleay's are recent buildings and provide large tanks with excellent viewing, Sydney Aquarium also is good but gets very crowded (as does Taronga's Platypus House).

Unfortunately, most of these are in nocturnal/darkened conditions which makes viewing a little difficult and photography nigh on impossible.

:p

Hix
 
Not that I've seen - primarily so the platypus can get away from people and feel secure somewhere if they feel stressed.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
Not that I've seen - primarily so the platypus can get away from people and feel secure somewhere if they feel stressed.

:p

Hix
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I was thinking that they have both an on show burrow and then one not on display so the platypus can choose which to go to, much like Taronga's Tasmanian devil exhibit.
 
Jabiru96 said:
I was thinking that they have both an on show burrow and then one not on display so the platypus can choose which to go to, much like Taronga's Tasmanian devil exhibit.
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I can imagine the complaints now: "hey there's no platypus in the tank...but there's no platypus in the burrow! There's no platypus here at all...what a scam!!"
 
nrg800 said:
Brisbane Forest Park - 1992 to Present
Bronx Zoo - 1947 to 1958
Budapest Zoo - 1913 to 1917
Fleay's Fauna Park - 1952 - Present
Australian Reptile Park - 1968 - Present
Healsville - 1933 - Present
Lone Pine - 1972 to 1988
Melboune Zoo - 1937 to Present
Sydney Aquarium - 1997 to Present
Taronga Zoo - 1934 to Present

According to Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive Management.
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You can add the Platypus House at Beauty Point in Tasmania, also Warrawong in South Australia, although of course Warrawong is a very different style, in ponds and effectively free range.
 
I have seen platypus in natural surroundings (albeit damed areas) at Tidbinbilla Nature reserve on the past 3 occasions I've been there (over a 6 year period)...and that included two times in the middle of the day in full sunlight. It's interesting that Tidbinbilla is not really covered on this site as it is an excellent wildlife park. I often take overseas visitors as it's one of the best places to see Australian animals in a natural setting.
 
Another vote for Healesville Sanctuary.

Hang around the Platapussary when it's quiet (during the bird show is a good start - most people will be elsewhere).
 
Shirokuma said:
It's interesting that Perth and Adelaide have never had them.
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That could be to do with the fact that platypus only live along the eastern coast of Australia. Adelaide and Perth are both outside this range.
 
PAT said:
That could be to do with the fact that platypus only live along the eastern coast of Australia. Adelaide and Perth are both outside this range.
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Would it be problematic to transport them even within Australia? (I get that it's a big place).
 
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