Perth Zoo has a number of animals that fall in to the different IUCN Red List categories. Please check out the Animals page and use the conservation status filter to see which animals are critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable.

In Western Australia, it is illegal for people other than accredited zoos, certified wildlife carers or certified sanctuaries/animal parks to keep most exotic and native Australian mammals as pets. The WA Department of Agriculture has a list of birds, mammals and other species it is illegal to import or keep in this State. The Declared Animals List can be found on their website under Animal and Animal Products. Other Australian states have similar prohibitions.

In WA, some reptiles may be kept as pets, however a licence must be obtained from the Department of Parks and Wildlife. Their Reptiles and amphibians as pets page has information regarding licences and keeping standards.

CITES is a treaty between member States to prevent over-exploitation of wild flora and fauna through international trade. It stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Put simply, it is a global agreement which determines which species can be traded internationally, in what quantities and under what conditions.

There are three ‘appendices’ to the CITES agreement and each one sets out requirements and provisions for trade – Appendix III species are afforded the least protections, Appendix I species are the most tightly regulated. CITES approval considers the species, the purpose of the trade, the conservation impact (as determined by a scientific authority), whether the acquisition was legal, and (if relevant) questions of humane treatment.

Permits are issued by approved authorities if conditions are met by both the exporting country and (sometimes) the importing country. Customs monitors all flora and fauna trade for CITES breaches and the data allows regulators to monitor trade trends and adapt international conservation policies as necessary.

In Australia, CITES permits are administered by the federal Department of Environment and Heritage; further information can be found at www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use or CITES.

Caring for any animal in a managed environment is not just limited to meeting their basic needs for food, water and shelter.

Perth Zoo incorporates behavioural enrichment programs into our animals’ daily routine to optimise their physical health and psychological wellbeing. Under the guidance of senior Veterinarians and Curators, we research the behaviours of an animal’s wild counterpart and then create unpredictable environments for the animals in our care in order to challenge them and increase the range of natural (wild) behaviours they develop and use.

Some – like elephants – need a high degree of variability every single day; they will get walks, swims, games, puzzles and training to keep their big brains active. Others – like a boa constrictor – can be enriched with simple changes in their exhibit once a week.

The provision of enrichment helps ensure the animals will behave naturally in a natural setting which means you get to see them at their absolute best. But even more importantly, conserving and promoting the full range of wild behaviours is critically important for those animals that are bred in zoos and who (or whose offspring) might be destined for reintroduction to the wild.

Enriching their diet

Wild animals spend the majority of their day foraging/scavenging for food. We feed ours at random intervals with food of varied quantity, texture and freshness, but we also get creative to develop those wild behaviours by:

• smearing, scattering and hiding food;
• packing puzzle-feeders with food (bamboo with holes stuffed with food, artificial termite mounds, puzzle-boxes with fruit inside, a fish inside an ice-block, a pinecone stuffed with popped corn); and
• hanging cut branches/plants (‘browse’) in different locations and heights.

Enriching their environments

An animal’s physical environment can help stimulate natural behaviours. We can provide:

• pools or mud-holes for wallowing;
• interchangeable ropes/branches to create dynamic locomotive pathways and encourage exploration;
• novel objects such as dung from another species, a challenging food puzzle or a new play item to stimulate investigation;
• buried items to provide tactile stimulation and digging opportunities; and
• scent-based curiosities like perfume spritzes or using flowers/herbs.

Social enrichment

In the wild, some species groom, play and ‘court’ according to a social hierarchy. We take these social groupings into account and ensure that the social needs of the most active or reclusive animals are respected and met. At Perth Zoo, we:

• house social animals with appropriate members of the same species;
• house appropriate social animals of different species in shared natural habitats to simulate the wild; and
• house less social animals (like orangutans) individually or in smaller group where they might be able to see each other but aren’t forced to interact.

Training animals – especially the dangerous ones – allows us to take the best care of them while also being safe for us. We rely on a training technique called Operant Conditioning to deliver routine husbandry needs such as regular health checks, feeding, providing medication and preparing them for transport or exhibit changes.

Operant Conditioning – At Perth Zoo we use positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviours from individual animals. The success of this kind of training relies on voluntary cooperation in return for a reward, usually food-based. Conditioning allows keeping and veterinary staff to work with the animals in a way that is not disturbing to them – in fact, many of them look forward to the mental enrichment of going through their training paces. Ear, eye, mouth and genital checks, hoof-care, and scrub-downs become safe and quick thanks to successful training.

Different reptiles require different feeding routines according to their age and size. A Bearded Dragon might eat daily, or a crocodile every ten days or so in summer. The size of the meal will increase according to the size of the animal.

An adult snake ‘sloughs’ every 2–4 months. Young snakes slough every 3–6 weeks while they grow.

The only live prey Perth Zoo feeds to its animals are insects (crickets) and analids (worms) which the reptiles receive regularly. But this doesn’t mean that the snakes miss out. Because most snakes need the stimulation of a wriggling, live prey to stimulate their eating reflex, keepers will waggle a dead mouse or chick near a snake to stimulate that movement.

We are often asked why we don’t have certain types of animals in our collection — polar bears, hippopotamus, butterflies cobras and platypus – while having dozens of something else. There are a number of reasons:

Space - While it would be wonderful to have representatives of all the major animal groups in the Zoo, it is physically impossible to accommodate so many animals in a way that is satisfactory for them and for our visitors. Some species require a lot of space which would require other species having their space reduced to accommodate their new, larger neighbour. This kind of change is only approached with the utmost care and consideration.

Climate - Western Australia’s Mediterranean climate doesn’t suit a number of species without multi-million dollar exhibits to replicate their own colder or hot and humid ones. Butterflies, Polar Bears and Emperor Penguins, however popular, require exhibits with 24-hour specialist equipment to keep them comfortable and thriving.

Import Regulations - Some species are unable to be imported into Australia due to quarantine and import regulations.

Breeding Programs - Perth Zoo may have several animals from the same species as result of its role in a breeding program. These numbers fluctuate as the young head off for breeding in other Australasian zoos. With some species, the chances of breeding success are increased by the presence of a third or fourth animal to create some natural competition.

Social Hierarchies - Some species are most content when functioning in a large group. Meerkat ‘mobs’, Little Penguins and Hamadryas Baboons are good examples with dozens of animals thriving together. Other species (like Sumatran Tiger, Estuarine Crocodiles and Sumatran Orangutans) prefer their solitude. Perth Zoo tries, wherever possible, to keep the species in appropriate social groupings.

Specialisation - Zoos often focus their activities on a particular area of animal management. Perth Zoo has specialised in a breeding-for-release program for some of our most threatened Western Australian native species. For this reason, Perth Zoo has a significantly higher number of native animals than many other zoos.

For the welfare of our animals, only zoo keepers are allowed to feed Perth Zoo’s animals.

Thank you to all our visitors who understand how dangerous human food can be for animals. Human stomachs have developed to cope with spicy, salty, greasy, sugary foods but the average mammal, reptile and bird stomach have not. Ignoring our request not to feed the animals could mean sickness and even death for your favourite animal. Limited opportunities exist to go with a keeper for a close encounter with our animals. Some close encounters include feeding animals a part of their carefully managed diet.

More information - The diet of a zoo animal is very carefully managed, right down to the last gram. Experienced veterinary and keeping staff devise a nutritionally balanced, diverse diet for each of the 1,500 or more animals in the zoo to keep them in the best of health. Additional food items such as chips, lollies, bread, nuts and even fruit can be disastrous for some animals if thrown into their exhibits.

Animal diets

There are many different foods and diets for the Zoo’s animals. The Zoo’s smallest eaters include the Western Swamp Tortoises who eat brine shrimp and some birds who enjoy fly larvae. One of the largest includes the Southern White Rhinoceros who consume around 10 kg of lucerne chaff, 7 kg of pellets and 4 kg of carrots per day… each! The Zoo’s $5,000 annual grocery list looks a little bit like this (approximate):

• Apples - 40,000 kg
• Rockmelons - 150 cartons
• Pears - 7,500 kg
• Celery - 300 crates
• Bananas - 11,000 kg
• Broccoli - 150 cartons
• Paw Paw - 100 cartons
• Sweet Potatoes - 6,500 kg
• Grapes - 50 cartons
• Tomatoes - 2,000 kg
• Hay - 3,000 bales
• Beef-hearts - 5 Tonne
• Grain - 50 Tonne
• Eggs - 3,000 dozen
• Chickens - 40,000
• Crickets – 130,000
• Fish - 6 Tonne
• Mealworms - 208 kg

We get our fish, meat, bread, fruit and vegetables daily from local markets. The meals are prepared daily by zoo keepers in food preparation areas. All perishable food is stored in freezers and cool rooms. Cut leaves from plants – or ‘fodder’ – are generally sourced from within the Zoo’s extensive gardens, organisations we partner with and from the gardens of people in the community.

We try and feed animals to replicate how they would eat in the wild. Smaller marsupials, birds and reptiles eat several ‘snack’ meals throughout the day; giraffe, zebra, elephant and rhino ‘browse’ (graze constantly) throughout the day in addition to a big dinner; while the large reptiles and carnivores might get one massive feed once or twice a week. Crocodile might only eat once a month through winter. It all depends on the animal and its metabolic needs.

One thing that many of the animals have in common is that part of their daily food allowance is kept aside each day to be used as enrichment throughout the day. Scatter feeds, treats and hidden food portions all make the act of consuming the daily nutrition as interesting and rewarding as possible.

Perth Zoo is open every single day of the year. That means we need to do our maintenance, medical procedures and exhibit changes during the day when you might be visiting. We do our best to keep disruption to a minimum, but some of these things might be happening on the day of your visit:

Naturalistic Exhibits

Perth Zoo aims to provide naturalistic exhibits with safe, comfortable accommodation for animals with adequate opportunities for privacy, while also providing good opportunities for visitors to see these animals.

This means that in most exhibits there is an abundance of greenery or other vegetation or areas which animals can use for cover. You may need to be patient to see some animals. If they’re out of view, it’s because they needed a little time out.

Try again later in the day to catch them up and about.

Keepers at work

For the safety of keeping and maintenance staff and for the comfort of the animals, some animals are moved to their night-quarters whilst cleaning or maintenance is carried out on their exhibits.

Medical checks

Perth Zoo has a comprehensive preventative health-care program for its animals. Regular health-checks ensure the physical well-being of our animals.

We try to mimic conditions in the wild as much as possible and generally house species depending on their own natural preferences. In some cases (where housing them with others could cause stress and aggression) that means all alone.

Keep to themselves – Orangutans live solitary lives in the wild. Offspring remain with the mother for between 7- 12 years and then move on. Males and females come together every seven years or so for mating and then separate again. We keep our orangutans close, but not too close. They are never forced to interact with each other by unwillingly sharing a single enclosure.

Does not play well with others - Sometimes a species might be open to sharing but a particular individual definitely is not. An example at Perth Zoo is ‘Dangalabba’, the Estuarine Crocodile. He is most content when he is the only crocodile in his territory. Or anyone’s territory, really!

Perth Zoo is home to more than 1,500 animals representing 156 different species.

With births, deaths and animals moving out and coming in, the number of individual animals in the Zoo changes frequently.

As challenging as it seems to keep Polar Bears in a climate like Western Australia’s, yes, three Polar Bears arrived at the Zoo in May 1952. One moved on to Taronga Zoo the following year, and the other two lived on until 1974 and 1980 respectively.

When their enclosure was empty, Perth Zoo decided that a bear with such specialist (arctic) needs was not best suited to the Western Australian summer and so it was demolished to make way for exhibits for some animals much better suited to our climate – dingoes, wombats and wallabies.

If you have found a wild animal which needs medical assistance, contact WildCare (24hrs) on 08 9474 9055 for directions to your nearest wildlife shelter.

This helpline is managed by volunteers that can give the public phone numbers of either Wildlife Rehabilitators or the larger Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre local to them. Perth Zoo is unable to receive injured animals from the public for rehabilitation.

Definitive identification of many species can be difficult from photographs, however, if you are able to forward us a photo of the animal you would like identified, we would be happy to help. Send your request to: perthzoo@perthzoo.wa.gov.au.

As annoying as those holes might be, there is a pretty impressive upside – you are probably visited by one of our most beautiful little marsupials – the Quenda.

Southern Brown Bandicoots (Quenda) are a very attractive marsupial that can grow to the size of a large rabbit and have a long snout and a short tail. They tend to dig small holes to forage out the worms, grubs and insects below.

They were once plentiful in the Perth metropolitan area, however habitat destruction and predation by foxes and feral cats has reduced their numbers to very low levels.

If you don’t mind filling in the odd divet, maybe your garden could remain a sanctuary for Quenda.

Possums go into your roof to find somewhere sheltered, dry, secure and dark, to sleep away the day. They don’t mean to make a mess or break things but…yep….it can happen. We suggest the following:

Seal off all but one exit/entry points into the roof-space (especially under the eaves).

Build or buy simple nest boxes to place in the trees near your house to provide alternative accommodation that fits the sheltered/dry/dark bill.

At night (once the possums have left your roof to go foraging for food) seal off the last entry/exit.

Hopefully your possum/s will find the door firmly closed to them and will gratefully relocate into your conveniently placed nest boxes.

If that doesn’t work or if you accidentally trap a possum in the roof, you can hire/borrow a possum-trap from the local council or Department Parks & Wildlife and then release the possum/s at dusk into the trees you’ve fitted with the nest boxes.

Department Parks & Wildlife has produced a brochure on living with possums.

We have good news and bad news…

The good news (if your froggie neighbours are keeping you up at night) is that most frogs only call during breeding season – a few weeks a year. So the chaotic chorus won’t last long.

The bad news is that frogs are becoming rarer and rarer in our urban areas, and because they are indicators of our overall environmental health, that’s not a good sign for the rest of us.

The second piece of good news is that if you have frogs in your garden then – congratulations! – you’ve managed to create a frog-friendly environment. Perhaps learning each frog by its individual call will help you to enjoy having them as near-neighbours. Many frogs’ common names are related to the sound of their call (like ‘motorbike frogs’, ‘moaning frogs’ and ‘banjo frogs’).

I know the thought of motorbikes, banjos and moaning is probably not exciting to you right now but – just like any new neighbour – they grow on you once you get to know them.

The level of chlorine in ordinary tap water is toxic to tadpoles. Stronger concentrations of chlorine, such as those used in backyard pools, are very dangerous to frogs who absorb moisture through their sensitive skin.

Maybe you can create a freshwater ‘soak’ for your frogs to enjoy, instead. Soggy soil, lots of plants for cover/protection and a mix of sun and shade and – soon enough – your frogs should leave the chlorine-filled pool for better accommodation.

Our first piece of advice would be – DON’T! Frogs are a sign of ecological health and they can be terrific little neighbours.

It is illegal to kill frogs (or any native wildlife) and moving them on doesn’t always work (they tend to return). But some people want to move the frogs on for their own safety because they have pets that harass the frogs or they are planning big landscaping renovations in the coming months.

The trick is to make it their idea – cover over or fill in any ponds or soak areas in your garden (but first make sure the frogs are safely out!), prune hard to open the garden up to a bit more sunshine (which will tend to make things too warm for our damp-skinned amphibian friends).

Better yet, see if a neighbour will be happy to create a frog-friendly garden instead and those friendly frogs should move right next door!

Regional zoological associations (worldwide) target species that have been identified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘threatened’ and then coordinate management and breeding activities across all the zoos in their region with the aim of creating and maintaining a genetically diverse population of that species.

In Australia, a specialist breeding group in the IUCN provides guidelines and recommendations to the central Australasian zoological body, the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). ZAA assigns a regional ‘Species Coordinator’ who makes decisions regarding which zoo will breed which species in what numbers. They determine which individuals are genetically best suited (pedigree, traits, health and history) and work with the individual zoos to bring those two animals together. This is the foundation of a zoo-based breeding program.

Lowest ‘relatedness’ = highest suitability - In determining which individuals should be paired, a complex formula is applied to the data about both animals and the results are analysed. The most suitable genetic match, of course, is the one offering the greatest genetic diversity but they are also scored in terms of geographic distance between the animals (which impacts on the welfare considerations for moving animals between zoos), medical histories and whether or not there is any political unrest or disease risks in the destination zoo. If there are no obvious hurdles to the matching, a breeding program is commenced and the very complicated business of ‘translocating’ one of the animals to its temporary or permanent new home begins.

Perth Zoo may send its animal/s out or receive animal/s from other zoos as part of these regulated breeding activities. In cases where the transport is either not in the best interests of the animal or prohibitively expensive, then artificial insemination (AI) is considered.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is a global index of plant and animal species that have been evaluated depending on their conservation status. Animals and plants are periodically assessed based on surviving populations, fragmentation and genetic diversity and placed into one of nine categories.

Anything classified as ‘Vulnerable’, ‘Endangered’ or ‘Critically Endangered’ is considered a THREATENED SPECIES.

The nine categories are:

• Extinct: beyond any reasonable doubt the last individual of a species has died.
• Extinct in the Wild: the species only survives in cultivation or captivity.
• Critically Endangered: the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild based on any of a number of categories — population reduction rate in the past decade; extent of occurrence and fragmentation; the current overall population and estimated declining population; and a 50% or greater probability of the species becoming extinct within a decade.
• Endangered: the species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild based on similar categories to those above.
• Vulnerable: the species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild based on any of similar but less extreme categories.
• Near Threatened: the species does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now but is close to qualifying or is likely to qualify in the near future.
• Least Concern: the species is widespread and abundant.
• Data Deficient: there is inadequate information to assign the species to a category.
• Not Evaluated: a species has not been evaluated against any of the criteria.

(Some argue that ‘data deficient’ should be classified as under threat, too, since often their data is deficient because there are so few left in the wild.)

For more in-depth information and to search for animals and plants on the Red List, please visit iucnredlist.org where this list was first published.

Perth Zoo specifically aligns itself with Australia’s most stringent exhibited animal management guidelines (the EAPA) and has actively created a committee whose responsibility it is to consider the ethical ramifications of animal-related welfare issues in the Zoo. This committee comprises a mix of Zoo personnel, independent specialists and wider community.

Perth Zoo was also one of the first Zoos in the country to become fully accredited by the central Australasian zoological body, the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). This provides another layer of (independent) validation for our ethical and welfare-based decision making.

EAPA

The Exhibited Animals Protection Act (EAPA) of NSW is currently Australia’s most stringent animal management legislation relating to the exhibition of exotic and native animals. Perth Zoo uses the EAPA as a guide to the construction of new, or upgrading of existing exhibits, and its animal husbandry activities are subject to the scrutiny of an Ethics Committee constituted per the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Code for the use and supply of animals for scientific purposes.

Exhibits

Perth Zoo provides naturalistic exhibits, striving to meet the delicate balance of providing safe, functional and comfortable habitats with adequate opportunities for privacy for the animals, while also providing good opportunities for visitors to (easily) see these animals in natural surroundings. These exhibits are regularly reviewed in the ZAA accreditation process and an annual capital works programs is planned around maintaining suitable spaces.

CITES

Australia is a signatory to the CITES agreement (the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) which regulates the importation of animals to control the illegal trade in wildlife. In short, international laws protect those species which are threatened in the wild from exploitation. Perth Zoo complies with all areas of that agreement.

ACCREDITATION

Perth Zoo is also a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association which has its own code of ethics and all member institutions abide by this code in their operation. ZAA also operates a peer-driven accreditation program which sets stringent standards in care, welfare and visitor management and certifies zoos against them.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

Research projects that involve direct access to Zoo animals require the approval of Perth Zoo’s Research and Animal Ethics committees in addition to the ethics processes of the supporting educational institution.

We receive many questions about what is involved in running a Zoo. It takes our entire website to answer just part of that question and so it is impossible to fully answer it here.

To start your research, a good indication of the kinds of activities (and expenses) involved in running a Zoo can be found by viewing Perth Zoo’s Annual Report which is published on this website (including archived copies back to 2001). Older reports may still be held in hardcopy in University libraries.

Please complete the Browse Enquiries and Donation form and if what you have available is of interest and can be used as feed for our animals, Perth Zoo Horticulture staff will be in contact with you within 72 hours to arrange collection.

Perth Zoo is a popular choice for students undertaking research assignments in various marketing and tourism related subjects. We love that you are so interested!

Unfortunately, due to the number of enquiries received, we cannot meet in person with student groups and nor can we give permission for students to conduct their own market research surveys within the Zoo or outside our front entrance.

Similarly, business confidentialities mean we cannot send you copies of our marketing plans, market research, surveys or business plans.

But… useful information can always be found in Perth Zoo’s Annual Reports which includes operational information and a vast amount of financial, business and statistical information.

We wish you the best of luck with your studies!

Sorry, no. Domestic animals are not permitted into Perth Zoo (Zoological Parks Authority Regulations 2002).

Assistance dogs may be brought into most areas of the Zoo. To streamline your visit, please notify the Zoo ahead if you are bringing an Assistance dog (08 9474 0444).

Perth Zoo is 100% Smoke-free venue. Smoking is prohibited inside the Zoo grounds.

We welcome strollers, wheelchairs, motorised mobility units and other essential mobility aids. Non-essential transport items (bikes, skates, scooters etc) are not permitted and may be left with the front entrance staff for collection after your Zoo visit.

Other sporting and leisure items such as balls, kites, whistles, balloons and frisbees are prohibited for the safety of the animals and other Zoo visitors and may also be left with front entrance staff. Any items left are left at your own risk.

Perth Zoo welcomes visitors with still cameras and video cameras for the recording of zoo images for personal use only. All visitors using such equipment are required to stay in visitor areas and to be considerate of other Zoo users. Photographs/video taken from visitor areas or during official behind-the-scenes activities may be shared via social media with appropriate credits.

Unauthorised commercial or promotional photography at Perth Zoo is prohibited (Zoological Parks Authority Regulations 2002).

For further information, contact the Zoo’s Media and Communications Manager on 08 9474 0444.

Perth Zoo’s Butterfly House was built as a temporary exhibit with limited funds and operated from 1995 to 2001. It stood where African Painted Dog exhibit now spreads.

Butterfly houses require a significant amount of energy to maintain the kind of temperatures, humidity and bio-security necessary to keep and breed butterflies from around the world in Western Australia. Suitable pupae (young caterpillars) also need to be imported into the State to display a good collection of butterfly species. This makes keeping and responsibly maintaining a butterfly collection quite a carbon unfriendly activity compared to other zoo activities.

Three device charging points are available across the Zoo, located beside the lockers and at Bukit Station and Camp N’dutu. These charging points accommodate USB-A and USB-C cables, as well as plugs that fit the Australian standard power socket (Type I 10-amp plugs). BYO cable.

As the Zoo has evolved, animals have come and gone from the collection – we once housed Polar Bears! As we continue our evolutionary journey, we will be saying goodbye to our much-loved elephants.

The decision to rehome Permai and Putra Mas has been made because it is the best thing for them. We are putting their needs first. They need to be with a bigger herd of elephants, something we simply cannot accommodate on our small inner-city site. However, Permai and Putra Mas will not be moved anytime soon. Right now, we are focussed on supporting them to transition to life without Tricia. We will also take our time finding them the perfect forever homes, both from a social structure point of view, but also the very best environment for them. And, a lot of work will go into preparing them for their move. They’ll also initially be accompanied by their current zoo keepers who will travel with them to provide support and help them settle into their new zoo homes. Everything we do is for them.

Both Permai and Putra Mas will benefit from being part of the regional herd, particularly Putra Mas whose genetics are exceptionally valuable. By being closer to breeding females, he can continue to sire calves and help put his species a step further away from extinction.

They will be moved in specially designed transport crates. We aim to make any zoo animal’s move as stress free as possible, so in the near future you will see transport crates arrive on site. This doesn’t mean they will be moving soon, rather it will give our expert elephant keepers time to get the elephants used to the crates well in advance of any move.

The keepers who have a very close relationship with the elephants will travel with them to provide support and help them settle into their new zoo homes.

A picture tells a thousand words, so take a look at the brochure and video.

We are currently looking at what other zoos in Australia and overseas are doing. We have a desire to create defining moments for you while building a better zoo and giving our animals more room to roam. Other zoos have achieved this by creating overhead animal exploration trails and interconnected exhibits so animals can be moved around regularly. It would create an environment that is constantly evolving for you and the animals.

We are also keen to show off a lot of the work we do behind-the-scenes. This would include the work of our talented veterinary team, enabling you to watch animal procedures take place and giving you opportunities to see into our breeding areas where we are helping to save wildlife together.

At the moment we are at the very beginning of long-term planning. We are keen to shape the future of the Zoo with the people of Perth and learn from cutting edge zoo design both in Australia and overseas.

All of this feedback and research will then be used to develop a comprehensive master plan for the Zoo which would be rolled out over a 20 year period.

It is always interesting to get an understanding of what animals inspire you, but choosing what specific animals we have on our site is a very scientific business. Many of our species are at Perth Zoo as part of collective regional or global efforts to conserve them. We also must work within the constraints of not only the physical footprint of our site, with Perth Zoo one of the smallest Australian city zoos, but also animals that are available to us from other regional or international zoos or which are able to be imported under existing Australian import restrictions.

We also need to take into consideration which animals are suitable for Perth’s hot, dry climatic conditions.

Our master planning process includes development of a fundraising strategy. Staged sections of development will be realised through Perth Zoo's capital budget, together with private sector investment and fundraising. The community may also wish to support us with donations.