Your top ten Australian and New Zealand zoos

[Cobi]

As there is no Oceania forum I will post this here. If it is better placed elsewhere then moderators feel free to move it.

What are people’s top ten zoos from Australia and New Zealand and why?

Of course the region’s zoos vary enormously from traditional city zoos to native fauna parks and open range zoos but I hope people can pick and rank their favourites.

 

[Zoofan15]

Favourite Zoos

A couple of points:

1. My list is divided into three categories (and includes 14 zoos). The reason being I started by making a list of my 10 favourite zoos, but the list was heavily main/open range biased and didn’t give due credit to Australia’s excellent smaller zoos.

2. We’ve previously used the term “small zoos” or “regional zoos” to describe Darling Downs Zoo, Mogo Zoo etc. I will hereby upgrade these to “medium” zoos as they’re a step above Hunter Valley, Kyabam etc. which I would consider “small zoos”.

3. I’m referring to these as my favourite zoos, rather than the best zoos as this is a subjective exercise.

Main Zoo:

1. Auckland Zoo
2. Taronga Zoo
3. Perth Zoo
4. Melbourne Zoo
5. Wellington Zoo
6. Adelaide Zoo

Open Range Zoo:

1. Monarto Safari Park
2. Werribee Open Range Zoo
3. Taronga Western Plains Zoo
4. Orana Wildlife Park

Medium Zoo:

1. Darling Downs Zoo
2. National Zoo and Aquarium
3. Altina Wildlife Park
4. Tasmania Zoo

I will provide my reasoning in a detailed follow up post.

 

[Zoofan15]

Explanation of Rankings - Main Zoos

My favourite main zoos in the region are as follows:

1. Auckland Zoo
2. Taronga Zoo
3. Melbourne Zoo
4. Perth Zoo
5. Wellington Zoo
6. Adelaide Zoo

I love a zoo with history and so it’s no coincidence that my favourite main zoos are all 100 years or older. Zoological architecture fascinates me and aside from seeing the animals, I like nothing better than seeing historical exhibits (either repurposed or remnants of).

Auckland Zoo:

I know the history of Auckland Zoo inside out and their history book (A Tiger by the Tail) remains my favourite book to this day. When I visit, I enjoy seeing elephants, orangutans and flamingos I’ve visited since I was a child; I enjoy walking through a century old giraffe house or seeing a red panda in a century old bear pit.

If you’re thinking this description paints Auckland Zoo in an outdated light, think again. Their South East Asian precinct is world class and features exhibits that are pioneering within the region:

A tropical dome houses the only False gharial in the region:


Tropical Dome (Photo by @Zoofan15)

The three tiger exhibits are rotational and the ingenious of their design both caters to life stages and allows interactions between the tigers. The viewing hut is in the middle (with glass windows facing the large and medium exhibits). On my last visit, Zayana (the female) focussed in on Ramah (the male) in the exhibit opposite and came right up to the viewing window to get a better look at him - staring through the crowds of people on the other side of the glass to do so.


Zayana watching Ramah, watching Zayana (Photo by @Zoofan15)

The Bornean orangutan and Siamang exhibits are connected to 2km of aerial pathway, 20-25m above the ground. At one point, it passes over the lake. The idea an (untamed) animal can routinely leave its exhibit is pioneering within the region.


Charlie (Bornean orangutan) crossing Central Lake (Photo by @Zoofan15)


Siamang on the aerial pathway (Photo by @Zoofan15)

Taronga and Melbourne:

These are both world class zoos and like Auckland Zoo, have impressive collections and fascinating histories. Auckland, Taronga and Melbourne are regarded as the region’s most prestigious zoos and this is reflected in the quality of their exhibits.

Taronga and Melbourne are rated below Auckland because each have a couple of blemishes. For Taronga, it’s their allocation of space to visitor amenities, which directly affects the space allocated to animals and exhibits. My preference is that zoos focus on being zoos. For Melbourne, it’s the uninspiring Growing Wild precinct that takes up a huge amount of space and the demolition of the magnificent Lion Park to build a handful of small exhibits for species already at the zoo. Both Taronga and Melbourne have been heavily affected by the phase outs trend.

What do I like? Chimpanzees are my favourite species, so the Chimpanzee Park at Taronga is undoubtably my favourite. They’re currently the only zoo in the region to house a community of chimpanzees (multiple family lines established over decades). I’ve heard people speak of watching an exhibit for an hour or more, which is something I can’t really relate to; though I would note this as a potential exception.

Though I resent the demolition of Melbourne Zoo’s Lion Park, the Snow leopard facilities are excellent; and equally impressive is the Gorilla Rainforest exhibit. Melbourne Zoo architecture at its best!


Melbourne Zoo’s Gorilla Rainforest (photo by @akasha)

Perth Zoo:

I visited in 2016 and was impressed with their extensive collection. The allocation of multiple exhibits to housing a colony of orangutans was impressive and at the time, the best orangutan complex in the region. Their nocturnal house was phenomenal and one of the best I’ve seen in any zoo.

Wellington Zoo:

Wellington has similar reasons to Auckland Zoo. It’s a zoo I’ve visited since childhood and has a great collection of animals, including some that are unique within New Zealand e.g. Malayan sun bear and Snow leopard. Their chimpanzee troop is always the highlight; with my only complaint being the Hamadryas baboon phase out.


Chimpanzee Park (Photo by @Zoofan15)

Adelaide Zoo:

Considering they’re Australia’s smallest main zoos, they sure cram a lot into their sight. They have an interesting history and many species that interest me. They have the only Mandrill in the region (bar an elderly female at Tasmania Zoo) and the are notable for having the only Giant pandas and Malayan tapir in the region. Some of their exhibits are outdated (the lion exhibits are especially lacking) and their revised masterplan is a major disappointment, which contributes to its lower ranking.


Giant panda exhibit (Photo by @Swanson02)

 

[Jambo]

Explanation of Rankings - Main Zoos

My favourite main zoos in the region are as follows:

1. Auckland Zoo
2. Taronga Zoo
3. Melbourne Zoo
4. Perth Zoo
5. Wellington Zoo
6. Adelaide Zoo

I love a zoo with history and so it’s no coincidence that my favourite main zoos are all 100 years or older. Zoological architecture fascinates me and aside from seeing the animals, I like nothing better than seeing historical exhibits (either repurposed or remnants of).

Auckland Zoo:

I know the history of Auckland Zoo inside out and their history book (A Tiger by the Tail) remains my favourite book to this day. When I visit, I enjoy seeing elephants, orangutans and flamingos I’ve visited since I was a child; I enjoy walking through a century old giraffe house or seeing a red panda in a century old bear pit.

If you’re thinking this description paints Auckland Zoo in an outdated light, think again. Their South East Asian precinct is world class and features exhibits that are pioneering within the region:

A tropical dome houses the only False gharial in the region:

View attachment 661322
Tropical Dome (Photo by @Zoofan15)

The three tiger exhibits are rotational and the ingenious of their design both caters to life stages and allows interactions between the tigers. The viewing hut is in the middle (with glass windows facing the large and medium exhibits). On my last visit, Zayana (the female) focussed in on Ramah (the male) in the exhibit opposite and came right up to the viewing window to get a better look at him - staring through the crowds of people on the other side of the glass to do so.

View attachment 661314
Zayana watching Ramah, watching Zayana (Photo by @Zoofan15)

The Bornean orangutan and Siamang exhibits are connected to 2km of aerial pathway, 20-25m above the ground. At one point, it passes over the lake. The idea an (untamed) animal can routinely leave its exhibit is pioneering within the region.

View attachment 661321
Charlie (Bornean orangutan) crossing Central Lake (Photo by @Zoofan15)

View attachment 661320
Siamang on the aerial pathway (Photo by @Zoofan15)

Taronga and Melbourne:

These are both world class zoos and like Auckland Zoo, have impressive collections and fascinating histories. Auckland, Taronga and Melbourne are regarded as the region’s most prestigious zoos and this is reflected in the quality of their exhibits.

Taronga and Melbourne are rated below Auckland because each have a couple of blemishes. For Taronga, it’s their allocation of space to visitor amenities, which directly affects the space allocated to animals and exhibits. My preference is that zoos focus on being zoos. For Melbourne, it’s the uninspiring Growing Wild precinct that takes up a huge amount of space and the demolition of the magnificent Lion Park to build a handful of small exhibits for species already at the zoo. Both Taronga and Melbourne have been heavily affected by the phase outs trend.

What do I like? Chimpanzees are my favourite species, so the Chimpanzee Park at Taronga is undoubtably my favourite. They’re currently the only zoo in the region to house a community of chimpanzees (multiple family lines established over decades). I’ve heard people speak of watching an exhibit for an hour or more, which is something I can’t really relate to; though I would note this as a potential exception.

Though I resent the demolition of Melbourne Zoo’s Lion Park, the Snow leopard facilities are excellent; and equally impressive is the Gorilla Rainforest exhibit. Melbourne Zoo architecture at its best!

View attachment 661324
Melbourne Zoo’s Gorilla Rainforest (photo by @akasha)

Perth Zoo:

I visited in 2016 and was impressed with their extensive collection. The allocation of multiple exhibits to housing a colony of orangutans was impressive and at the time, the best orangutan complex in the region. Their nocturnal house was phenomenal and one of the best I’ve seen in any zoo.

Wellington Zoo:

Wellington has similar reasons to Auckland Zoo. It’s a zoo I’ve visited since childhood and has a great collection of animals, including some that are unique within New Zealand e.g. Malayan sun bear and Snow leopard. Their chimpanzee troop is always the highlight; with my only complaint being the Hamadryas baboon phase out.

View attachment 661326
Chimpanzee Park (Photo by @Zoofan15)

Adelaide Zoo:

Considering they’re Australia’s smallest main zoos, they sure cram a lot into their sight. They have an interesting history and many species that interest me. They have the only Mandrill in the region (bar an elderly female at Tasmania Zoo) and the are notable for having the only Giant pandas and Malayan tapir in the region. Some of their exhibits are outdated (the lion exhibits are especially lacking) and their revised masterplan is a major disappointment, which contributes to its lower ranking.

View attachment 661327
Giant panda exhibit (Photo by @Swanson02)

Having visited majority of those zoos mentioned, I agree with majority of your list!

Each zoo has their pros and cons, but I feel like Auckland's ability to diversify and expand, despite the limited space they have sets them apart from the rest. The areas of the zoo are also clearly themed (geographically), and I think that's also something we can respect about Auckland's layout too; there's a clear loop that can be followed, making it easier to get around the zoo.

A lot of the other zoos above lack this, which I personally feel is a little bit annoying when visiting. Their exhibits are also all above standard (imo) and some are world class (namely their recent South East Asian precinct). Auckland is certainly a zoo that has a heap of potential going forward.

Taronga and Melbourne are definitely next up. Unlike Auckland, they tend to lack clear theming, and don't really have any modern exhibits or precincts that appeal to me. Both facilities of course have history and wonderful collections; but just don't match the development that Auckland has undertaken in recent decades.

Between the two, I would argue Taronga has the better collection and better exhibits for them. Melbourne is certainly more 'park' themed, and a lot of the exhibits there seem to have a lot more of a historic feel relating to them. I guess between the two it comes down to what you want when visiting a zoo. Melbourne's easier to navigate, but then again Taronga has the skyfari! I would be comfortable placing them equal second; but I feel like if I had to choose Taronga would have the edge due to the fact they tend to have a superior collection (in my eyes).

The other three are also very close too. I have never visited Perth so can't really comment there, but from what I've seen online and read from other Zoochatters, it seems to be quite the zoo based on it's size. In saying that, I would actually vote Adelaide over both Wellington and Perth.

Adelaide has a respectable collection, and they also have some great exhibits despite the size constraints they have. Wellington would be placed below as their collection is not as good imo, and they don't really have any stand out species (like Adelaide with the Giant Pandas, Malayan Tapirs). Additionally, Wellington don't really have any stand out exhibits, although I have to admit, I've yet to see the new Snow Leopard exhibit in person!

A genuine masterplan for Wellington would be exciting, but at the moment, I would probably place them last (behind Adelaide and then Perth), especially as both other facilities have strong masterplans that they are committed too and will be undertaking in the coming years to improve.

 

[Zoofan15]

Explanation of Rankings - Open Range Zoos

All four of the region’s main zoos would rank highly in my top 12, but this is how I would rank them in relation to each other:

1. Monarto Safari Park
2. Werribee Open Range Zoo
3. Taronga Western Plains Zoo
4. Orana Wildlife Park

I undertook the exercise of ranking Australia’s main zoos three years ago and what a difference three years has made. I then ranked Taronga Western Plains Zoo as the top; but taking into account recent developments, would now place it behind Monarto and Werribee.

The challenge of rating these zoos (particularly the Australian zoos) was deciding whether to take into account upcoming developments. Ultimately, I decided to as they’re an indication of progress.

Monarto Safari Park:

Monarto Safari Park continue to astound me with their progress. Their ethos is built around large open spaces and exhibiting animals in large social groupings. Herds of zebras numbering in the teens, herds of oryx numbering in the fifties and ambitions to accomodate a pod of up to eight hippopotami.

Most notably, Monarto Safari Park are home to Australia’s largest lion pride, a cohesive pride of 12 lions (plus a newborn litter of four cubs). It’s one of the best exhibits in the region in my opinion.

Monarto’s weak point where their lack of elephants. Their solution? Build a 14ha exhibit that will open next year. This is alongside plans to build the aforementioned hippopotamus exhibit and participate in the Australian Rhino Project.

Their success in breeding Spotted hyena is unmatched in the region and they currently hold four packs. Their chimpanzee colony is equally impressive and the second largest in the region at 12 chimpanzees (with two females off contraception).


Monarto’s lion exhibit (photo by @marmolady)


Monarto’s chimpanzee exhibit (photo by @Swanson02)


Indian antelope exhibit (photo by @Swanson02)

Werribee Open Range Zoo:

For years, Werribee Open Range lagged behind Dubbo and Monarto. While still a good zoo, it’s species list was minimalistic and to this day, the social groupings are small - a single digit herd of bachelor giraffe compared to the large breeding herds at the other open range zoos. They’re also the only open range zoo in the region not playing a major role in the Australian Rhino Project.

However, Werribee have gone up in my estimations by an ambitious masterplan. The highlight of which is the 21ha elephant complex, which sets a new standard of “world class.” It has a capacity of up to 40 elephants, with plans to develop a large multigenerational herd over the next few decades. This complex is accompanied by plans to exhibit African lion and African wild dog in new exhibits and acquire Spotted hyena. I’m excited for the future of this zoo.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo:

Taronga Western Plains Zoo (also known as Dubbo for those unfamiliar with our region’s zoos) is still a good zoo, but have failed to keep up the pace with Monarto and Werribee. They currently have the largest operational elephant complex in the region, but as of 2024, this will be dwarfed by what Monarto and Werribee have planned.

While the other zoos have been planning the exciting projects detailed above, the limit of Dubbo’s aspirations is to build a large integrated savannah exhibit. Considering this will likely contain species already at the zoo, this fails to inspire me and is a poor attempt to keep up with the competition.

Dubbo’s lack of great apes hasn’t gone unnoticed, but they do at least have Sumatran tigers, which represent a welcome departure from the traditional African centric focus of the region’s main zoos. Their Sumatran tiger exhibits are phenomenal too. They’re also the only Australasian zoo to exhibit three rhinoceros species, with Indian rhinoceros being a notable point of difference.


Sumatran tiger exhibit (photo by @akasha)

Orana Wildlife Park:

Orana Wildlife Park is a great zoo, but due to a lack of government funding, lags well behind the other three open range zoos.

I have admiration for their commitment to the Australian Rhino Project and having visited twice, throughly enjoyed the personalised experience of the tour. Cheetah cubs were a highlight of my last visit; but hand feeding the giraffe and getting metres away from the rhinos as part of a free standard tour greatly enhanced the visit

 

[Zorro]

Much of the credit for Monarto zoos success would be due to its Director Peter Clark with much credit going to him. When I do fly into there to visit in the future its going to be money well spent plus planning on visiting the Adelaide Zoo as well.

 

[Grant Rhino]

Here’s my list - but note that I have never been to Auckland Zoo and thus can’t include it (I’m sure it will be in my top 5 when I eventually get there):

1. Werribee (WORZ): I love the setting (lots of greenery, lots of birds, native wildlife too, good food and most of the mammal species I like most). I’m probably a bit biased as I am a volunteer there but it was my favourite long before I started volunteering.

2. Monarto: Beautiful, arid, huge, desolate - awesome place. If they had a species of monkey they would move ahead of WORZ. Good animal collection and huge enclosures.

3. Melbourne: Snow leopards, lush green plant life everywhere, Morten Bay Fig Trees, good food, small monkeys, history, walking distance from my house, red pandas.

4. Wellington: I’ve only been once but really loved it. Great collection of interesting animals that include some of my personal favourites (snow leopards, red pandas, Himalayan moral, Lord Derby parakeet, tamarins, marmosets etc), great enclosures and the best coffee I’ve ever had in the whole of New Zealand. Cool funky neighbourhood too.

5. Mogo: Beautiful forest scenery with green grass and primate islands. Good collection of high profile species without any semi-domestic fillers. Good food too, and I like that you can feed the deer. It’s old fashioned in some ways but that’s part of the charm. In a sentence, “less is more”.

6. Taronga: Similar to Melbourne in that it’s beautiful and green with Morten Bay fig trees, views of Sydney Harbour, floral clock, nice architecture etc, but I don’t find the animals quite as interesting as Melbourne’s. The Francois langurs and fennec foxes are the exception. Still a good zoo and I enjoy going there.

7. Adelaide: Small but really pretty - once again Morten Bay fig trees - they make any zoo look better. Nice points of difference with dusky langurs, Malayan tapir, mandrill etc. Hard to split it and Taronga. On another day I may have put it ahead of Taronga.

8. Dubbo: The setting is amazing. Green, fairly lush, beautiful primate islands, not a cage in sight, good picnic spots, birdwatching, driving and walking options, Indian rhinos and otters, good mammal collection but could use an old world monkey species (no excuse for not having one). My only negative (and it’s only a small one) is that most of the enclosures look very similar to one another - but at least they look good and are spacious. I’m fairly sure it’s improved a lot since I last visited too (2017 from memory).

9. Orana: Only been once (2009) but I enjoyed it - it’s clearly a very good zoo. Good collection of high profile species and I like the single circuit walk around it.

10. Canberra: Could’ve been number 9 but I will give Orana the benefit of the doubt. Nice zoo with quite a lot of animals but isn’t really pretty and feels a bit disorganised. Beautiful pine forest though - but too many colourbond steel type fences (they look tacky) on enclosures. The newer section is much nicer than the older part. Good zoo but I like others more.

Please note: I’ve never visited Auckland, Hamilton, Darling Downs, Hunter Valley, Australia Zoo or ZooDoo. I haven’t been to Perth in 30 years so I haven’t included it either.

 

[Zoofan15]

Here’s my list - but note that I have never been to Auckland Zoo and thus can’t include it (I’m sure it will be in my top 5 when I eventually get there):

1. Werribee (WORZ): I love the setting (lots of greenery, lots of birds, native wildlife too, good food and most of the mammal species I like most). I’m probably a bit biased as I am a volunteer there but it was my favourite long before I started volunteering.

2. Monarto: Beautiful, arid, huge, desolate - awesome place. If they had a species of monkey they would move ahead of WORZ. Good animal collection and huge enclosures.

3. Melbourne: Snow leopards, lush green plant life everywhere, Morten Bay Fig Trees, good food, small monkeys, history, walking distance from my house, red pandas.

4. Wellington: I’ve only been once but really loved it. Great collection of interesting animals that include some of my personal favourites (snow leopards, red pandas, Himalayan moral, Lord Derby parakeet, tamarins, marmosets etc), great enclosures and the best coffee I’ve ever had in the whole of New Zealand. Cool funky neighbourhood too.

5. Mogo: Beautiful forest scenery with green grass and primate islands. Good collection of high profile species without any semi-domestic fillers. Good food too, and I like that you can feed the deer. It’s old fashioned in some ways but that’s part of the charm. In a sentence, “less is more”.

6. Taronga: Similar to Melbourne in that it’s beautiful and green with Morten Bay fig trees, views of Sydney Harbour, floral clock, nice architecture etc, but I don’t find the animals quite as interesting as Melbourne’s. The Francois langurs and fennec foxes are the exception. Still a good zoo and I enjoy going there.

7. Adelaide: Small but really pretty - once again Morten Bay fig trees - they make any zoo look better. Nice points of difference with dusky langurs, Malayan tapir, mandrill etc. Hard to split it and Taronga. On another day I may have put it ahead of Taronga.

8. Dubbo: The setting is amazing. Green, fairly lush, beautiful primate islands, not a cage in sight, good picnic spots, birdwatching, driving and walking options, Indian rhinos and otters, good mammal collection but could use an old world monkey species (no excuse for not having one). My only negative (and it’s only a small one) is that most of the enclosures look very similar to one another - but at least they look good and are spacious. I’m fairly sure it’s improved a lot since I last visited too (2017 from memory).

9. Orana: Only been once (2009) but I enjoyed it - it’s clearly a very good zoo. Good collection of high profile species and I like the single circuit walk around it.

10. Canberra: Could’ve been number 9 but I will give Orana the benefit of the doubt. Nice zoo with quite a lot of animals but isn’t really pretty and feels a bit disorganised. Beautiful pine forest though - but too many colourbond steel type fences (they look tacky) on enclosures. The newer section is much nicer than the older part. Good zoo but I like others more.

Please note: I’ve never visited Auckland, Hamilton, Darling Downs, Hunter Valley, Australia Zoo or ZooDoo. I haven’t been to Perth in 30 years so I haven’t included it either.

Good list. If you’d been to Auckland Zoo, I can guarantee it would be on your list. It’s very similar to Wellington Zoo in terms of the history, though I agree Wellington has a very cool neighbourhood. Parking there is terrible, so I walk through the neighbouring streets to get there when I visit.

Both Monarto and Dubbo would benefit from acquiring Hamadryas baboons and they’re in the plans for Monarto. Dubbo’s lack of a great ape species also hasn’t gone unnoted.

I visited Australia Zoo as a child in the 2000’s and was blown away by the zoo. It’s lack of progress in the years that have followed meant it didn’t make my list. There’s similarly been little progress with Hamilton Zoo since the early 2000’s, which contributed to that not making my list either.

 

[Abbey]

Here’s my list - but note that I have never been to Auckland Zoo and thus can’t include it (I’m sure it will be in my top 5 when I eventually get there):

1. Werribee (WORZ): I love the setting (lots of greenery, lots of birds, native wildlife too, good food and most of the mammal species I like most). I’m probably a bit biased as I am a volunteer there but it was my favourite long before I started volunteering.

2. Monarto: Beautiful, arid, huge, desolate - awesome place. If they had a species of monkey they would move ahead of WORZ. Good animal collection and huge enclosures.

3. Melbourne: Snow leopards, lush green plant life everywhere, Morten Bay Fig Trees, good food, small monkeys, history, walking distance from my house, red pandas.

4. Wellington: I’ve only been once but really loved it. Great collection of interesting animals that include some of my personal favourites (snow leopards, red pandas, Himalayan moral, Lord Derby parakeet, tamarins, marmosets etc), great enclosures and the best coffee I’ve ever had in the whole of New Zealand. Cool funky neighbourhood too.

5. Mogo: Beautiful forest scenery with green grass and primate islands. Good collection of high profile species without any semi-domestic fillers. Good food too, and I like that you can feed the deer. It’s old fashioned in some ways but that’s part of the charm. In a sentence, “less is more”.

6. Taronga: Similar to Melbourne in that it’s beautiful and green with Morten Bay fig trees, views of Sydney Harbour, floral clock, nice architecture etc, but I don’t find the animals quite as interesting as Melbourne’s. The Francois langurs and fennec foxes are the exception. Still a good zoo and I enjoy going there.

7. Adelaide: Small but really pretty - once again Morten Bay fig trees - they make any zoo look better. Nice points of difference with dusky langurs, Malayan tapir, mandrill etc. Hard to split it and Taronga. On another day I may have put it ahead of Taronga.

8. Dubbo: The setting is amazing. Green, fairly lush, beautiful primate islands, not a cage in sight, good picnic spots, birdwatching, driving and walking options, Indian rhinos and otters, good mammal collection but could use an old world monkey species (no excuse for not having one). My only negative (and it’s only a small one) is that most of the enclosures look very similar to one another - but at least they look good and are spacious. I’m fairly sure it’s improved a lot since I last visited too (2017 from memory).

9. Orana: Only been once (2009) but I enjoyed it - it’s clearly a very good zoo. Good collection of high profile species and I like the single circuit walk around it.

10. Canberra: Could’ve been number 9 but I will give Orana the benefit of the doubt. Nice zoo with quite a lot of animals but isn’t really pretty and feels a bit disorganised. Beautiful pine forest though - but too many colourbond steel type fences (they look tacky) on enclosures. The newer section is much nicer than the older part. Good zoo but I like others more.

Please note: I’ve never visited Auckland, Hamilton, Darling Downs, Hunter Valley, Australia Zoo or ZooDoo. I haven’t been to Perth in 30 years so I haven’t included it either.

I enjoy Canberra (and it's the zoo outside of Sydney I visit the most), but I have to say I agree with your comments about feeling a little disorganised. Perhaps because the 'old zoo' is still largely intact, and the new section is a rare Australian zoo development which is 'here are some larger enclosures for additional species to the zoo', rather than specific precincts.

Then again, I'm familiar with Taronga, which has been very precinct-focused in the past two decades, and so that possibly warps what I'm expecting in a zoo a little bit.

I'll have a think about my rankings and post at some stage.

 

[Zoofan15]

Explanation of Rankings - Main Zoos

My favourite medium zoos in the region are as follows:

1. Darling Downs Zoo
2. National Zoo and Aquarium
3. Altina Wildlife Park
4. Tasmania Zoo

All of these zoos are fantastic. Darling Downs Zoo rates highly due to their exponential growth over the past decade, which has been fascinating to follow. Their imports - both of new species and to sustain regional populations of exisiting species have been an asset to the region and the zoo has consistently demonstrated an initiative in this area that’s been unsurpassed.

The National Zoo and Aquarium have a decent collection of exotics and their exhibit of multiple tigers is impressive. They were the first in the region to import Sri Lankan leopard and breed them and previously were only the second zoo in Australia to breed Malayan sun bear. My only criticism of this fantastic zoo is their social media. Four pumpkin posts in as many days; while countless high profile news events have gone unmentioned.

Altina Wildlife Park are another facility with high ambition. Their specialist areas are ungulates and canids and they have exceptional results with both. They single handily saved the Maned wolf from disappearing from the region and are one of the most successful breeders of African wild dog. @akasha provided great coverage of their exhibits, which are simple, yet spacious. This zoo is 100% on my bucket list.

Tasmania Zoo. Tasmania Zoo has acquired several high profile species in recent years including Sumatran tiger and Snow leopard. They’re also notable for their large primate collection and being one of two holders of Mandrill in the region (the other being Adelaide Zoo). They’ve previously mentioned intentions to import a female Snow leopard, which I hope to see them follow through on. Their recent DeBrazza’s import was also great to see.