Some are nocturnal, some are more active at dawn and dusk, and some are very strictly on the day-shift.

There’s no one, good time to see every animal at their perky best but here’s a few of our top tips!

Catch a free Keeper Talk

Our FREE Keeper Talks are the best way to see animals in action!

We have a range of talks every day of the week, and they often coincide with feeding times or enrichment activities.

So as well as learning from the Keepers who know them best, you’ll get to enjoy the animals exhibiting their natural behaviours like foraging, swimming, or hunting!

The mysterious Cape Porcupine

We know the Cape Porcupine can be one of the trickiest animals to spot!

As a nocturnal species, porcupines tend to spend time in their burrows when the sun shines. But our Keepers do regular positive reinforcement training with our prickly crew most mornings, and trust us, when you see them it’s well worth the wait!

If you want to catch a glimpse of this incredible species, 9am is the best possible chance!

Otterly tasty

Join one of our expert otter keepers at 12:15 every day, to learn about the smallest of the otter species, the Asian Small-clawed Otter!

They may be little, but they sure have a MIGHTY appetite – eating up to one third of their body weight in food every day! 

You can see our otterly adorable pair at our daily Otter Talk & Feed.

Aussie, aussie, aussie

The Australian Bushwalk is the place to be at 3pm!

Whether it’s our cute Koalas or our delightful devils, there’s a bushwalk talk every afternoon.

If you enter the Australian Bushwalk from our playground entrance, you can follow the winding path to spot other awesome Aussie animals along the way.

Devilishly delicious!

Speaking of devils – Tasmanian Devils are what we call a gorge-feeder. They have a massive meal once every few days where they can consume up to 40% of their bodyweight!

Much like us after a big tasty meal, they love to spend the rest of the day having a hard-earned nap, which means you are most likely to see them in the mornings before their ‘food-coma’ kicks in, or during a Keeper Talk.

If you are visiting us on a cooler day, you might also see our devils sunbaking in the mid-morning. They LOVE to catch some rays!

Creatures of the night

The Zoo have reversed the lighting in the Nocturnal House so that you get to see the night-lovers out and about!

But that means they are still a little sleepy as their (artificial) sun sets.

Our Nocturnal House residents start getting busy from around 10am.

Zoo sounds

If you’ve been to the Zoo in the morning, there’s a good chance you’ve heard our charismatic White-cheeked Gibbons!

White-cheeked Gibbons have a very loud call called the ‘morning chorus’. This promotes bonding and marks their territory.

If you want to hear our gibbons iconic song echoing across the Zoo, the early morning is the best time.

All of our animals have choice when it comes to where they relax, roam and play in their home.

Just like wildlife watching, we always recommend a wait, listen and watch approach when visiting your animal friends.

Slowing down will also give you the best chance of seeing our beloved residents. You’ll be delighted with what you see!