Perth Zoo — Zoo in City of South Perth

Perth Zoo and its collection

Perth Zoo, opened in 1898, is a zoo in South Perth, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

By 2011 the zoo held 1,258 animals of 164 species, along with a large plant collection.

History

Planning dates to 1896 and the first meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, whose aim was to bring European animals over and create a zoo. Gerard Smith, then state governor, performed the opening on 17 October 1898, under the original name Perth Zoological Gardens.

Exhibits

Asian Rainforest was built in stages from 1984 to 2007 and took that name in 1999, while African Savannah opened in November 1991 in place of barred cages and an old public oval. Australian Bushwalk took its present form in 1997 and includes a numbat exhibit for the threatened marsupial, and the wetlands habitat measures 2,750 square metres, with an adjoining exhibit area built in 1998 and upgraded in 2015. Penguin Plunge dates from 1998 and has a 50,000-litre filtered saltwater pool with underwater viewing, a beach, a reef and a rookery, while the Nocturnal House of 1977 is circular in layout, its animals kept under simulated moonlight.

Conservation and approach

Native species bred at the zoo go to managed habitats within the state, while non-native species are bred to widen the genetics of zoo populations.

What the venue says

• free daily keeper presentations and guided talks
• historical Streets Carousel
• Eye to Eye
• A variety of dining options are available on-site, including the contemporary Habitat restaurant (featuring digital QR ordering), Gatekeeper at the main entrance for quick coffee and ice cream, Wagtails for grab-and-go snacks, and Distil & Brew.
• Street and surrounding parking options are available on-site and nearby.
• accessible toilets across most sites, designated parenting rooms with microwaves, wheel chair rentals (requiring a fully refundable $10 deposit), child-pull wagon hires, and a specialized symbol-based accessibility map outlining sensory, tactile, and tranquil zones