Way back in 1986, my family settled in Woodend, Victoria after living in Darwin and Tasmania. I started a new primary school and for the very first time visited Melbourne zoo. It was the perfect year for an introduction to the site with the Butterfly House, the first every built in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only four in the world, having opened on 11th December 1985. Thirty years later and I was visiting with my kids. It has long been one of my favourite places to visit and a destination that I wanted my children to fall in love with as well.
We arrived on opening, a time I highly recommend if you are travelling to the zoo by car. Parking is limited but just before opening you are most likely to grab a spot. Parking is ticketed – .00 for 5 hours. The kids were so excited and made a wild dash to the entrance gates as soon as we parked the car. Again, if you arrive early you will find the lines are a breeze.
Our first stop was the Ring Tailed Lemurs! Oh my – you can quite literally walk through the middle of the exhibit with no barriers between you and the animals. Imagine that! The zoo has a large troupe of bachelors who spend most of the time socializing with one and other. They roam freely and can approach you if they wish however we are mostly just white noise – they seem to pay little attention to the people walking right past them.
In late September 2015, the Lemur Close Up Experience was launched which provides small groups with the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with the zoos troupe of Ring-Tailed Lemurs. We were fortunate enough to catch Ben, the primate manager, and the Lemur Keeper, Bianca, who showed us around and introduced us to the Lemurs. The kids (and us adults too) were in awe. Having a Lemur climb all over you is a most unusual experience. They are heavier than you expect and are almost totally consumed with trying to get sultanas from their keeper.
After waving goodbye to the Lemurs we headed to the Seal enclosure where we found ourselves being unexpectedly ushered behind the scenes where we were greeted by James and Greg, the seal and penguin keepers. Did you know that the Melbourne zoo also has a Seal Close Up Experience? You can get right up and close with some of the animals- you may even find yourself being kissed by one!
The kids have experienced a number of seal shows previously but have never been close enough to actually touch one. It was through the Seal Close Up encounter that we were introduced to Iha, a New Zealand Fur Seal who was super sweet. Iha was found stranded on Westshore Beach in June 2007 when she was around 6 months old. She was rescued by Marineland in Napier, New Zealand and was relocated to Melbourne Zoo earlier this year when Marineland closed down.
Iha showed us a number of her natural behaviours and was rewarded with her favourite fish. Obviously eating so much fish makes her breath a little fishy something we learned quite quickly when we each had a turn at patting her. We were even rewarded with a kiss (the most unusual kiss I’ve ever had!).
When Iha returned to her enclosure we were greeted by Wings, a Little Penguin, who was born at the zoo. We had heard her calling to us since we entered the area – she was so excited to see us. Wings was hand raised separately from her twin after being found significantly underweight and failing to thrive. She’s now back on track and will hopefully find her own mate. Wings is incredibly inquisitive and loves greeting new people. We watched her run around before having a pat. Her feathers feel like fur!
What I loved about the Seal Close Up was that James and Greg answered every question thrown at them and soon the kids had a fairly good understanding seals and penguins and the impact that us humans have on their environment. We learned how plastics and rubbish can affect our waterways and the animals living in them, the outstanding work the Melbourne Zoo does to help sea life that are hurt in the wild, and, the push to treat injured animals in the wild rather than bring them into captivity.
The Royal Melbourne Zoo has specially designed and installed special Seal the Loop bins, made from recycled plastic waste collected at the zoo, in selected fishing locations around Victoria. This makes it easy for anglers to dispose of their used line and rubbish ensuring their waste never harms wildlife. Having joined the ANSTO plastic project with my students, the Seal the Loop initiative really impressed me and I would love to see it spread Australia wide.
Throughout the zoo there are opportunities to learn about our impact on the animal kingdom and how we can work towards a better outcome for our animals. For example, did you know that in parts of Africa coltan is mined to create mobile phone batteries? To accommodate the mines, large sections of gorilla habitats are destroyed. I had heard about the They’re Calling On You initiative on a previous visit to the Melbourne Zoo and have already donated 2-3 old mobile phones which will be used by Gorilla Doctors raise much-needed funds for primate conservation and reduces the demand for conflict minerals, such as coltan.
We continued on our way, spotting a baby pigmy hippopotamus, the mandrills and the treetop apes and monkeys before heading to the Butterfly House. In my experience, zoos typically focus their efforts on mammals, birds and reptiles. Invertebrates rarely get a look in despite making up 97% of all animal species on earth. Melbourne Zoo has always been forward-thinking and it was Zoo chairman Alfred Dunbavin Butcher back in the mid-80s who realized that it was important that zoos also focus conservation efforts on this group of animals so he set about creating the Butterfly House. It was a wonderful success.
Having developed a reputation as an authority on invertebrates, the Melbourne Zoo was approached when a small population of Lord Howe Island Stick Insects, previously thought extinct, were found on Balls Pyramid in 2001. A pair were sent to the zoo in 2003 and were successfully bred, bringing the population back from the grips of extinction. The story of the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect is captured in the new picture book Phasmid by zookeeper Rohan Cleave.
It took us a while to move the kids out of the butterfly house. It is quite a marvellous place with hundreds of butterflies flying around, eating and occasionally landing on you. On exiting they spotted the path to the elephants. While Melbourne Zoo’s enclosure isn’t as visually appealing as the Asian themed exhibit at Taronga, I think it is noticeably bigger. We were in time to watch the elephant keepers try to move the males from one paddock to another. Turns out, you can’t move an elephant if they don’t want to move!!
After exploring these sections of the zoo, we had time to fit in a third experience before heading off to lunch. This time we found ourselves at the Squirrel Monkey exhibit where we were to meet two boys- Cruz and Bart. I never realized how easy it is for us larger primates to transfer illness to these little primates and vice versa. To protect us all, we disinfected our hands and put on a special gown before entering the exhibit. We were also told to refrain from eye contact as it is seen as an act of aggression. Luckily, the boys would warn us with a squeal, giving us time to look away. The monkeys loved jumping all over us! They are very inquisitive and wanted to check us out. Most surprising, despite the heat, their little hands and feet remain super cold. They are also quite agile so if you move, they are able to quickly reposition themselves so they don’t lose their balance. What an experience – one perfect for the new year as we move into the Year of the Monkey!
Lunchtime! The Lakeside Bistro was our choice although you can also bring your own or pick something up from the Plaza Takeaway or zoo bakery, or enjoy something from one of the many cafes spread out around the zoo. The Lakeside Bistro has a wonderful menu that changes each season. It had a good range for vegetarians too. I enjoyed a scrumptious Moroccan salad, T a Wagyu Burger, and the kids chose a yummy healthy meal from the children’s menu. For dessert we feasted on Christmas Mince Tarts made fresh that morning from the onsite bakery. Fancy that! Melbourne Zoo has the only zoo bakery in Australia. You can even grab a Zooperman lunch pack that combines a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a fresh juice for the kids if you would like a more relaxed eating adventure.
The problem with lunch is that it often makes us tired! At this point, the kids started to lose their stamina so we decided to fit in a trip to the aquarium and the lions before heading home. The lion enclosure if new and provides a large viewing area of the pride. We sat and watched them for a good thirty minutes, letting our lunch settle before moving to the main gates. On the way, we passed the carousel, a marvel that you should definitely stop and have a look at when you visit.
The carousel was built in England in 1878 and arrived in Australia in 1880s. It was made specifically for the travelling carnival circuit and can be pulled apart, moved and reassembled (by those who actually know-how) in a few hours. It arrived at the Melbourne Zoo back in 1963 and has been a feature ever since – something I loved riding as a kid. With the help of Heritage Victoria, the carousel was restored in 2005 back to its original state. See if you can spot the intricate details. I love the elephants. A ride is $3.00 per child
While exploring the zoo grounds we noticed that many of the keepers were wearing multicoloured beaded bracelets. We learned that they are part of the Beads for Wildlife initiative that works towards building a reliable income for Kenyan women. The creation of the bracelets provides enough work for individual female beadwork artisans to support her entire family. Currently, at least 900 families are supported through the program, reducing community need for large numbers of livestock which lessens the native wildlife’s competition for natural resources.
As a not-for-profit conservation organization, the Royal Melbourne Zoo is dedicated to fighting wildlife extinction through both breeding and recovery programs for threatened species. What we noticed during our adventure around the site was employees are extremely passionate about their work. They are always ready to answer questions and talk in-depth about the animals that they care for. I think our visit will be the highlight of our Victorian adventure.
A big thank you to the Royal Melbourne Zoo for welcoming us as guests. I was so impressed with our visit that I purchased my brother and his family annual membership for Christmas.
