Family & Pets
Bateman’s Bay animal encounters
When you think of getting up close and personal with animals in Australia, you think of the bigger zoos like Taronga Western Plains Zoo or Melbourne Zoo. But a little known animal hub is the coastal town of Bateman’s Bay in New South Wales. Home to both Mogo Zoo and Birdland Animal Park, it’s a must-visit destination for any animal lover.
The sprawling plains of Mogo Zoo are a sanctuary for over 200 endangered and displaced animals. Unlike other zoos it seems the tigers, lions, snow leopards, monkeys, gorillas, giraffes, meerkats and others have the freedom to roam and run. The zoo’s commitment to animal protection and conservation makes it an informative and important experience. At every animal presentation we joined (which was as many as we could make) the talks focused on educating the public on the plight of these endangered animals. At the Sumatran tiger talk, we not only delighted in seeing a majestic big cat so relaxed that it acted just like the family cat but learnt about the devastating effects of poaching that sees only 300 of these tigers in the wild. While we were awed to be so close to the regal white lion and lioness, it was sad to learn that white lions no longer live in the wild.
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It’s a zoo with a difference and the intimate experience with these animals not only leave you feeling amazed but with the conviction of how important it is to support efforts of animal protection and conservation.
With over fifty species of Australian native animals, birds and reptiles in a lush garden setting on eight acres of waterfront, Birdland is a small and well-presented wildlife park that lets you get up-close and personal with the animals. With a bag of feed in hand, you can wander into the kangaroo enclosure and feed the roos by hand. In fact, most of the animals in the park – goats, alpacas, deers and wallabies – are so friendly they’ll come right up to you demanding some food. There’s also the opportunity to cuddle two young wombats and hold a snake.
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It’s clear Birdland Park isn’t a commercial operation but a park dedicated to helping animals – you can tell that the keeper’s care for the animals deeply and the creatures all look content and well looked after.
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