My daughter and I love the Melbourne zoo. It is actually 1 part of 3 zoos, the Werribee Open range zoos for large animals, the Healesville sanctuary for birds and of course the melbourne city based zoo.
It was founded in 1857, moved in 1862 and established in its current location in Royal Park in 1862. For context Australia was not made its own country till 1901. It is also Australia's oldest zoo and modeled on the London zoo. It was actually originally used to acclimatise domestic animals when they arrived and only started being sued for exotic animals in 1872.
It has around 320 animal species and is accessible by train (it has its own train station!) , tram and car. Also a fair few bike trails for those so inclined. They are involved in conservation programs in six countries, have built up eight grass-roots community conservation campaigns as well as a large number of research project
What I really like about the zoo is it has kept its old history and not shied away from it, you can see the terrible small cages that the animals used to live in and it gives you a real feel for how large the exhibits are now in comparison. There is also plenty of hiding space for the animals if they don’t wish to be viewed.
If you ever in Melbourne you must visit it, it is a really fun day with heaps to see and easily an all day activity, with wheelchair access and a wide range of pathsto follow.
Here are some of our favorite animals for your, hopeful, enjoyment!
All photos are mine and shot on a Samsung phone, edited in light room
