Although the ultimate wildlife experience and a sign of good conservation is seeing wildlife in the wild, many visitors simply don’t have the time or the ability to seethe all in this way, and many captive wildlife ventures do excellent work in breeding rare species, research, raising if donations for conservation, and pubic education.
Most capital cities in Australia have a zoo and at least one other wildlife park
WTA members offering this experience include:
- Bat Hospital Visitor Centre (Far North Qld): see and learn about bats of all sizes that have been rescued when injured or orphaned,
- Cedar Creek Estate & Tamborine Glow Worms (Southeast Qld): glow worms in a cave specially built to take the pressure of wild populations and allow visitors to see them during the day, also Frog Hollow (breeding various species of local frogs)
- Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Southeast Qld) Many species of Australian mammals, birds and reptiles, and a large veterinary hospital taking care of injured, sick and orphaned animals brought in by the public. Conservation-related research, and breeding of threatened species
- Hartleys Crocodile Adventures (Far North Qld) Large reserve where you can cruise the moat viewing crocodiles on the bank and see many other species
- Cleland Wildlife Park (SA, near Adelaide) View native South Australian mammals, birds and reptiles, some of which you can walk amongst in large free-range enclosures
- Moonlit Sanctuary (Victoria, near Melbourne) Specialising in nocturnal mammals and birds, and successful releases of captive-bred threatened species
- Discovery Bay (WA) Smallwildlife sanctuary adjacent to historic whaling station
- Devils@Cradle (Tas)
- East Coast NatureWorld (Tas)
- Wings WIldlife Park (Tas)
NOTE: Some of WTA’s tour operators also visit wildlife parks in addition to seeking animals in the wild