Thousands of eager Zoos Victoria members applied for a ticket to visit the reopened Werribee Open Range Zoo last week.
Melbourne’s three zoos, including Werribee, closed their gates to the public during the pandemic lockdown.
But last Tuesday, 75,000 zoo members log onto the Zoos Victoria website in the hope of securing a ticket to visit Werribee zoo last Thursday for its reopening.
The tickets were available free-of-charge to Zoos Victoria members.
A Zoos Victoria spokesperson said: “We are so grateful for members’ support and for their patience as ticket bookings were processed.”
Zoos Victoria chief executive Jenny Gray said that “an absolute boom” of baby animals had been born during the pandemic closure, including baby Blackbuck and baby Oryx at Werribee.
“We know immersing yourself in nature is one of the best ways to rebuild your resilience and your wellness, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors back again,” Dr Gray said.
“Our zoo grounds are looking spectacular, with flowers in bloom everywhere and big lawn areas for relaxing.
“It’s a perfect time of year to reconnect with nature.”
All indoor areas at the zoos will remain closed for now, however, the zoo shops will be open for cashless purchases and takeaway food can be bought from the cafes.
All three zoos will have a cap on daily visitor numbers to allow plenty of room for physical distancing and all tickets – for both members and non-members – must be pre-booked online at zoo.org.au.
To keep up with demand, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo will offer evening sessions, from 4pm to 8pm, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, starting November 6.
Werribee Open Range Zoo will be capped at 1500 visitors per day, plus 1500 visitors per evening session.
All zoo visitors aged 12 and above will be required to wear a facemask at all times, unless eating, drinking or if they have a valid medical exemption.
Groups visiting the zoo must be capped at a maximum of 10 people, including children aged 12 months and older. Details: zoo.org.au/update.
