It has been about a decade since I last went to either Bonorong Sanctuary or Zoodoo Zoo, and given that they’re my local zoos, that’s not good enough! So I visited both on Friday 21 February, and thought I’d do a little write up on what’s changed and improved.
Both Zoodoo and Bonorong are located near Hobart, Tasmania.
Bonorong Sanctuary review here: Bonorong Sanctuary review February 2025
This small zoo has a mix of exotic, native and domestic animals. At the entrance is a café and indoor playground. Adjoining this is a walk-through aviary. This used to be the animal nursery, with baby animals and smaller domestic animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, but they have turned it into a walk-through aviary with lots of budgies and various other birds, giving them plenty of space to fly about. Outside, the first exhibit you see is the meerkats. From there you can go to other areas of the zoo.
ZooDoo Map
The Australian area has a free-range area for kangaroos, you can feed them by purchasing tokens from the entrance which are used to fill a cup from the feed machine. There are also enclosures for Tasmanian Devil, Common Wombat, Quoll, Koala and a number of birds.
Past this area is the farmyard, a newer area which houses domestic animals including cows, alpacas, ponies, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. Up the back of the zoo are a number of large paddocks containing camels, zebra, ostrich and emu.
Zebra
Ostrich
They used to do bus tours where you would get to go in the paddocks and feed the animals. These no longer seem to be running; however a master plan was on display which indicates bus tours are still planned, so this may be temporary situation. There was work happening around the zoo, with new playground areas and enclosures, though I don’t know what animals are planned – the master plan did not mention specific species.
ZooDoo Master Plan
On the other side of the main path are the exotic animals. There are lions and servals, a second meerkat enclosure and four species of monkeys - Common Marmoset, Bolivian Squirrel Monkey, Black Capped Capuchin and Cotton Top Tamarin.
Common Marmoset
Serval
Lastly there is an indoor area which seems to be trying to be both a reptile house and a nocturnal house at once – I’m not sure how well that works, but apart from a couple of empty enclosures, there were brushtail possums and a couple of large snakes, probably pythons – they weren’t signed. There was also a mish-mash of displays on wildlife and the environment. I feel like this area could use some improvement, but the rest of the zoo is looking good, and the master plan suggests more additions and improvements to come.
Compared to Bonorong, Zoodoo has less of a conservation focus, and is more about offering fun experiences for all ages, but especially kids and families, with the playground areas, the currently-not-running bus tour, and, for an extra cost, hands-on experiences with animals like meerkats, marmosets and servals.
Both Zoos are different, but I think each does a good job at what they offer, and are worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Zoodoo Zoo Species List
Budgerigar
Meerkat
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Eastern Rosella
Tasmanian Devil
Common (or bare-nosed) Wombat
Spotted-tail Quoll
Tawny Frogmouth
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Bush Stone Curlew
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Little Corella
Swift Parrot
Koala
Plains Zebra
Emu
Wild Turkeys
Geese
Dromedary Camel
Ostrich
Alpaca
Highland Cow
Miniature Pony
Domestic Chicken
Domestic Rabbit
Guinea Pig
Serval
Lion
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
Common Marmoset
Bolivian Squirrel Monkey
Black Capped Capuchin
Cotton Top Tamarin
Common Brushtail Possum
Unidentified Pythons
Peafowl
Other birds, including various Parrots, Doves, Pigeons and finches
Both Zoodoo and Bonorong are located near Hobart, Tasmania.
Bonorong Sanctuary review here: Bonorong Sanctuary review February 2025
This small zoo has a mix of exotic, native and domestic animals. At the entrance is a café and indoor playground. Adjoining this is a walk-through aviary. This used to be the animal nursery, with baby animals and smaller domestic animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, but they have turned it into a walk-through aviary with lots of budgies and various other birds, giving them plenty of space to fly about. Outside, the first exhibit you see is the meerkats. From there you can go to other areas of the zoo.
ZooDoo Map
The Australian area has a free-range area for kangaroos, you can feed them by purchasing tokens from the entrance which are used to fill a cup from the feed machine. There are also enclosures for Tasmanian Devil, Common Wombat, Quoll, Koala and a number of birds.
Past this area is the farmyard, a newer area which houses domestic animals including cows, alpacas, ponies, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. Up the back of the zoo are a number of large paddocks containing camels, zebra, ostrich and emu.
Zebra
Ostrich
They used to do bus tours where you would get to go in the paddocks and feed the animals. These no longer seem to be running; however a master plan was on display which indicates bus tours are still planned, so this may be temporary situation. There was work happening around the zoo, with new playground areas and enclosures, though I don’t know what animals are planned – the master plan did not mention specific species.
ZooDoo Master Plan
On the other side of the main path are the exotic animals. There are lions and servals, a second meerkat enclosure and four species of monkeys - Common Marmoset, Bolivian Squirrel Monkey, Black Capped Capuchin and Cotton Top Tamarin.
Common Marmoset
Serval
Lastly there is an indoor area which seems to be trying to be both a reptile house and a nocturnal house at once – I’m not sure how well that works, but apart from a couple of empty enclosures, there were brushtail possums and a couple of large snakes, probably pythons – they weren’t signed. There was also a mish-mash of displays on wildlife and the environment. I feel like this area could use some improvement, but the rest of the zoo is looking good, and the master plan suggests more additions and improvements to come.
Compared to Bonorong, Zoodoo has less of a conservation focus, and is more about offering fun experiences for all ages, but especially kids and families, with the playground areas, the currently-not-running bus tour, and, for an extra cost, hands-on experiences with animals like meerkats, marmosets and servals.
Both Zoos are different, but I think each does a good job at what they offer, and are worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Zoodoo Zoo Species List
Budgerigar
Meerkat
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Eastern Rosella
Tasmanian Devil
Common (or bare-nosed) Wombat
Spotted-tail Quoll
Tawny Frogmouth
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Bush Stone Curlew
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Little Corella
Swift Parrot
Koala
Plains Zebra
Emu
Wild Turkeys
Geese
Dromedary Camel
Ostrich
Alpaca
Highland Cow
Miniature Pony
Domestic Chicken
Domestic Rabbit
Guinea Pig
Serval
Lion
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
Common Marmoset
Bolivian Squirrel Monkey
Black Capped Capuchin
Cotton Top Tamarin
Common Brushtail Possum
Unidentified Pythons
Peafowl
Other birds, including various Parrots, Doves, Pigeons and finches
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