Taronga Zoo - feathers, fur and fins
Right on Sydney Harbour, on the spectacular vantage point of Bradley’s Head, Taronga Zoo is one of Sydney’s premier attractions. First opened in 1916, Taronga is the place to get up close and personal with an incredible variety of native and exotic animals, and snap some first-class photos of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and city panorama while you’re at it. In fact, the name Taronga comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “beautiful view”. The zoo is home to over 2,100 animals and covers 21 hectares, making it one of the largest zoological parks in the world.
Taronga Zoo features spectacular recreations of wild habitats, from the Great Southern Ocean to Wild Asia, the Himalayan Mountains and the African Desert. Among its most popular attractions are the endangered Asian elephants, the Sumatran tigers, meerkats, chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas.
Taronga maintains a proud international reputation for animal care and conservation. To date it has participated in over 33 conservation breeding programs. Taronga is leading the way in safeguarding populations of threatened Tasmanian devils, and in recent years has successfully bred pygmy hippos, elephants, gorillas, sea lions and native Australian amphibians.
Daily tours of the zoo are run at 9:15am and 1:15pm. Other highlights include the free flight bird show in the harbourside amphitheatre, the seal show (be prepared to get wet!) and the walk-through rainforest aviary.
The zoo is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to educate, increase awareness and foster positive attitudes towards wildlife, encouraging the young and old alike to participate in conservation projects in their own communities.
Posted by Fiona Davies
