Werribee Open Range Zoo is breaking out of Africa with a major transcontinental expansion.
Bison, South American racoons, black-handed spider monkeys and cotton-top tamarins are tipped to join rhinos and other creatures of the savannah in the zoo’s collection.
A koala exhibit and a new nocturnal house will open next year, making the Australian Journey precinct of the park a must-see. This will eventually be followed by the opening of areas devoted to fauna of the Americas and Asia.
General manager of life sciences Russel Traher said while Werribee zoo’s major theme revolved around African wildlife, the need for conservation did not stop at borders.
“Africa and African grassland plains and herds are obviously our core brand, but we can also tell other stories,” he said.
“The Werribee River is a very interesting and historical part of Victoria. From the indigenous point of view, it is very culturally significant with the Wurundjeri people on one side, the Wathaurong on the other and the Boonerwrung to the south-east.
“The site itself, which is the Australian Journey precinct, is significant [and contains] hundreds of artefacts.
“We want to tell the cultural story in the experience together with local animals that frame up that picture.”
The Australian Journey exhibit is no overnight development.
Work began on restoration of the Werribee River wildlife corridor in 2000.
With a focus on Australian grasslands and endangered species of the grasslands, the exhibition features kangaroo, emus and brolga as its main inhabitants. But once the nocturnal house is complete the star turn will be the eastern barred bandicoot, a marsupial on the brink of extinction, which has become the focus of a major Zoos Victoria breeding and recovery program.
Visitors have not previously been able to see the animals, which have been bred on site and released into protected feral species-proof enclosures within the zoo.
