| Werribee Open Range Zoo | |
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 Werribee Zoo hippo exhibit | |
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| 37°55′22″S144°40′02″E / 37.9229°S 144.6673°E /-37.9229; 144.6673 | |
| Date opened | 1983 |
| Location | Werribee,Victoria,Australia |
| Land area | 225 hectares (560 acres) |
| Memberships | ZAA[1] |
| Major exhibits | Some of the animals include: elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, meerkats, gorillas, bisons, zebras, wild horses, camels, numerous antelopes, Australian animals, ostriches, and tortoises |
| Website | www |
Werribee Open Range Zoo is an African themed zoo inWerribee, about 32 kilometres (20 mi) south-west ofMelbourne,Victoria,Australia. It is part of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board or Zoos Victoria, which also includesMelbourne Zoo,Kyabram Fauna Park, andHealesville Sanctuary. It is situated on approximately 225 hectares (560 acres) and is located on theWerribee River inWerribee Park, adjacent to theWerribee Park Mansion. It was originally agistment land to the Melbourne Zoo. Werribee Open Range Zoo was home to 360 animals of 40 species as of 2021.[2]
Visitors to the zoo can take a bus tour, which normally lasts 35–40 minutes, multiple times a day, and takes up to 140 people per bus.
The zoo has a simulated African village, with educational and entertaining features, including a mock scenario of an African ranger and his adventures tracking lions, and an interactive soundscape walk with simulated lion sounds surrounding the walker. There are two independent trails that visitors may follow: the Pula Reserve Walking Trail which focuses on African animals and the Australian Journey Walk, which focuses on Australian animals.
A Learning Centre teaches more about the history and geography of animals in their environments.
Visitors can also book various "speciality" tours, including the Off Road Safari, or close encounters with gorillas or giraffe.
Werribee Open Range Zoo also has an animal/adoption sponsorship program, which is used for gifts and other altruistic purposes.
In April 2008 it was announced that a theme park known asAfrican Safari World was proposed, byWarner Village Theme Parks to be built on the grounds of the zoo. On 1 July 2008 the proposed theme park plans were indefinitely postponed, with the government citing the potential $100 million cost to the taxpayer as the reason for the delay.
The zoo is setup in multiple large areas:
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In 2011, Werribee Zoo gained three male western lowland gorillas from Melbourne Zoo. These consist of an adult silverback and his two sons. The new public display gorilla habitat is a 10,000 m2 (2.5 acres) sanctuary that features wide-open spaces, climbing structures and indoor facilities. This new facility enable Zoos Victoria to provide best-practice care for the bachelor gorillas and confirm the organisation's reputation as a world leader in gorilla management.[3] The Victorian Government recently gave $1.5 million to support the construction of this $2.2 million facility. Zoos Victoria Foundation is seeking public support to help raise the remaining $700,000 through the West Gorillas in the West campaign.
In 2010, the zoo made national headlines over the gorilla enclosure when comedy duoHamish & Andy dressed ingorilla suits and played with radio controlled cars and golf clubs as part of a television special. Some viewers believed the zoo was attempting to con them and complained.[4]
In 2024, Werribee Open Range Zoo expanded with the development of a state-of-the-art, 210,000 m2 (52 acres) habitat designed forAsian elephants. The $88 million project, funded by the Victorian Government, included two purpose-built barns with 9-meter-high ceilings and 2-meter-deep sand floors to ensure the elephants' comfort. The habitat consists of seven management yards, two large pools, a visitor walking trail, and elephant overpasses. In February 2025 Melbourne Zoo's nine Asian elephants were relocated to this facility. The 'Elephant Trail' habitats opened to the public in late March 2025.[5]
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Zoos ofMelbourne | |
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Zoos ofVictoria | |
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| Zoos |
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| Aquariums | |
