www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au

A Western Australian icon, Perth Zoo has changed dramatically over the course of its 104-year history - always offering visitors something new along the way. The Zoo began operations in October 1898 with two lions, a tiger and just six staff and has opened its gates to the public every single day since then.

Today, the award-winning world class Perth Zoo is home to more than 1500 animals representing over 220 different exotic and Australian species.

With its magnificent gardens, the Zoo covers a total of 19 hectares and attracts more visitors per head of population than any other capital city zoo in Australia. A major tourist attraction, Perth Zoo is also an important conservation agency, renowned for its successful breeding programs for endangered exotic and native animal species.

The Zoo’s animal and plant collections are managed by highly skilled specialist staff who help ensure that visitors are provided with an unforgettable living conservation experience.

In addition to its fauna and flora, Perth Zoo is a popular venue for functions and conferences.

The Zoo runs a series of extremely successful twilight concerts in February and March as part of an action-packed summer events program that includes the popular Alinta Night Zoo in January when the Zoo stays open late.

Perth Zoo is open from 9am to 5pm every day of the year (with extended hours in January) including Christmas Day, Easter and public holidays.

Perth Zoo Mission: To advance the conservation of wildlife and to change community attitudes towards the preservation of life on Earth.

Visitors can enjoy various keeper talks and guided tours around the Zoo, which is divided into a number of distinct zones:
The Asian Rainforest Tropical trees and climbing vines grow tall in the Asian Rainforest zone, which is home to an array of exotic primates, elephants, tigers and bears. Gibbons high in their treetop homes look down onto the otters splashing and diving in their river habitat.

Perth Zoo’s Asian Rainforest is also home to four Asian Elephants and a successful breeding program for the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger. A popular feature of the rainforest is the Zoo’s much-loved colony of Sumatran Orang-utans. Perth Zoo is a world leader in the captive breeding and management of this critically endangered orang-utan species, which, tragically, is facing extinction in the wild within five years.

The Zoo’s 20-year-old orang-utan exhibit is undergoing major redevelopment work with the first stage – a new enclosure with state-of-the-art climbing structures for the animals and elevated viewing deck for visitors – already open to the public.

This redevelopment project will enable Perth Zoo to breed its third generation of Sumatran Orang-utans and to continue its important contribution to the gene pool of this most threatened species. Importantly, the project, with its world-first design work, will provide the Zoo’s orang-utans with many more opportunities to live and move in the ‘vertical sphere’ – where orang-utans belong!
The African Savannah Zoo visitors can immerse themselves in an African experience, following a dry riverbed through the rugged African Savannah encountering rhinoceros, baboons, lions, cheetah and giraffe along the way. Striking landscapes, tall African grasses, thorny trees and rocky outcrops offer the sights, sounds and smells of Africa in this wonderful part of the Zoo.

The African Savannah provides a real sense of the diversity and beauty of Africa. Perth Zoo’s Rothschild’s Giraffe are popular residents in the savannah. The Zoo’s breeding program for the Rothschild’s Giraffe has been enormously successful with offspring bred at Perth Zoo making important contributions to interstate and overseas breeding programs to increase genetic diversity.
Australian Walkabout Perth Zoo has re-created Australia’s flora and fauna diversity in its Australian exhibits, providing visitors with the opportunity to wander through some of Australia’s stunning habitats as part of the Australian Walkabout experience.

The Australian Walkabout comprises several major exhibits – the Reptile Encounter with lizards, snakes and other fascinating reptiles; the Rainforest Retreat showcasing the plant life and tranquillity of Australian rainforests; the Water Corporation Wetlands with amazing birds and crocodiles that inhabit our country; and the Penguin Plunge with natural habitat from coastal Western Australia and a Fairy Penguin colony.

There is also an Australian Homestead - a working example of how to ‘live lightly’ on our planet - and a Nocturnal House exhibiting the wonders of Australia’s night animals.

A real feature of the Australian Walkabout is the Bushwalk - a walk through exhibit where visitors can experience wallabies, kangaroos and Australia’s amazing bird life up close. The Bushwalk also features the Numbat and extremely rare Australian cockatoos.
World of Birds Nature’s extraordinary paint-palette is displayed to its fullest in some of the bird species on display in the Zoo’s World of Birds. Beautiful and rare birds of all sizes are displayed in large enclosures full of plants and timber to replicate the birds’ natural habitats. This walk-through exhibit runs parallel to the African Savannah and emerges near the Nocturnal House.
Perth Zoo Gardens Perth Zoo’s varied and comprehensive gardens are as much an integral part of the Zoo experience as the animals. The botanical charm of the Zoo is heightened by a selection of trees - some more than 100 years old; a botanical walk through a magnificent Rainforest Retreat containing more than 5,000 plants; and one of the finest collections of palms (over 50 species) in southern Australia.