Perth Zoo first opened in 1898, making it over 120 years old. The zoo is located on a relatively small parcel of land, right in the middle of the city in South Perth. It actually used to be called the South Perth Zoo until at least the 1950s.
Originally the animals were housed in small cages and concrete enclosures, some of which can still be seen in parts of the zoo (for information purposes only). Over time the zoo has upgraded the animal habitats, for example the orangutan enclosure which now has structures going high up into the sky.
There are three main areas in the zoo, being the African Savannah, Asian Rain forest and Australian Walkabouts. The walkabout section may be of particular interest for anyone wanting to see a kangaroo or koala in person. There are also some smaller sections like the lesser primates and main lake.
One of the most famous animals is Tricia the elephant, who is one of the oldest known elephants in captivity. She was born in 1957 and came to the Zoo in 1963. After Tricia dies Perth Zoo will no longer house elephants as the enclosure space is too small for a herd of elephants which is the preferred option now.
While it always does seem a bit sad to see animals in captivity, it is good to know that they are always striving to improve their well-being. There are a number of other improvements that are being put in place over the next 20 years which will be great to see.
The Perth Zoo is open 9-5 every day of the year, even Christmas day. In fact the zoo has not closed once since the day it opened!
Ticket prices are currently $33 for an adult, and $16.50 for a child with concession and group prices. For more details visit the Perth Zoo website. It is also possible to become a member which gives you unlimited visits over a year.
There is a cafe on site which has a number of hot and cold food options, as well as plenty of drink and snack vending machines around the exhibits. You are also welcome to bring in food and snacks and have a picnic on the lawn.
What is your favourite animal to see at the zoo?
Categories: Australia, Perth, Western Australia
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Interesting post thanks for sharing! We love Perth Zoo and have been going there for many years – we have an annual membership. We’ve always loved Tricia – it’s great to see her walking round the zoo with her keeper. Will be sad when she finally goes – didn’t realise the zoo would then no longer keep elephants. However it is a good idea to only keep the elephants in herds as they would be in the wild. The zoo provides a lot of information about their animal conservation programmes too which is great for kids and the Perth Zoo setting is lovely 😃
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