HUNDREDS of animals at Brisbane's iconic Alma Park Zoo face an uncertain future with moves to bulldoze the park and turn it into a massive housing estate.
A development application lodged with Moreton Bay Regional Council seeks approval for 151 housing lots and a new road within the sub-tropical 12ha zoo, which has been operating for 40 years.
Endangered and vulnerable species including ``Raya'' the sun bear, red pandas, lemurs and monkeys will be forced to make way for urban sprawl, after the council signed off with preliminary approval.
The application is by local brothers Bob and David Trask, who operate Trask Development Corporation.
David Trask said he was unable to comment on the proposal, except to say details of the plans would be made publicly available in coming weeks.
The keen powerboat racers have been behind major developments in the region over the past 20 years.
They made news when it was revealed they had contributed $100,000 to Moreton Bay mayor Allan Sutherland's successful 2008 bid for office in the merged council.
Zoo owner John Quinn said he was approached by the council three years ago to relocate the zoo when the region was earmarked as a future medium-density residential zone but it was only when housing development reached the zoo perimeter recently that he realised moving was in the best interests of the zoo and the animals.
Mr Quinn said he was now in confidential talks to relocate and expand the zoo in undisclosed areas around Brisbane.
``This is early days and Alma Park could be there in one year or five years,'' Mr Quinn said.
``We remain committed to the animals and the experience of people who come to the zoo.''
There are 53 species and 229 individual animals housed at the zoo.
The pending closure will be a blow to thousands of tourists who have walked through the attraction since it first opened 40 years ago. In that time, the zoo has had only three owners including founder the late Bill Williams, who originally established the land as a market garden.
It was sold in 2003 to the current owner, who is behind the development company Quinnco Pty Ltd.
The zoo made headlines last week after two rare monkeys were stolen, with one later found beaten to death.
The male and female cotton-top tamarins escaped after thieves broke in. The female monkey is still missing.
It will be the second local tourist attraction to close after the Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast closed its doors ``indefinitely'' last week, shocking staff and tourists.
