Belfast Zoo goes Down Under as a new 'Animals of Australia' habitat is formed
Belfast Zoo is going Down Under with a new ‘Animals of Australia’ habitat to transform the former elephant enclosure at the premises.
In a phased approach starting from this month, visitors to the zoo will now be able to see the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and the Red Neck Wallabies.
Plans are also in place which will allow visitors to get a more up close and personal experience with a new encounter area within the habitat.
The new Australian habitat will replace the former elephant enclosure after Belfast Zoo said farewell to the two remaining Asian elephants Dhunja and Yhetto, who headed off for retirement in the Netherlands at the start of the summer.
‘Animals of Australia’ will also highlight the valuable conservation role that zoos like Belfast play with several threatened and endangered Australian species being added through participation in European Endangered Species Breeding Programs.
Education will be at the core of this exciting new development with emphasis on Australia's extinction crisis.
Zoo manager, Alyn Cairns said: “We are thrilled to have this new habitat at Belfast Zoo. This is an exciting development for us, and we appreciate the efforts of everyone who has come together to create this new and improved space.
"The arrival of the new Australian animals is a great way to educate the public about the conservation work that zoos do as part of EAZA breeding programmes and highlight the extinction crisis of many of Australia’s native species.”
Most of Australia’s wildlife is found nowhere else in the world, making its conservation even more important – 87 per cent of its mammal species, 93 per cent of reptiles, 94 per cent of frogs and 45 per cent of bird species are found only in Australia.
Australia’s wildlife is a living spectacle of nature’s wonder. However, many of its unique wildlife is rapidly disappearing, largely due to human activities and other threats. The key threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, and various human activities.
Through the new Australian habitat, Belfast Zoo aims to educate and inform visitors of the threats to these species and to continue its conservation work with several threatened and endangered Australian species being added in 2025.