Australia Zoo Survival

[voodoo]

I recently heard that Australia Zoo is in real financial trouble, And if things dont pick up soon they maybe facing closure. Does anyone have any insight on how true or how serious their situation is?.

Dee

 

[keeper10]

i heard the same thing awhile ago i would like to know if it is true to mate would be a great shame if it is true

 

[Specks]

apparently they have put of some new exhibits and have layed off a few staff aswell.
just to put your mind at ease they will never close, if it does get to the point where it is near closing, a wealthy miner or someone else will step in and intervein.

 

[Emilie]

Well, it might not be so weird they loose business there. I went once, paid a bloody fortune and the zoo was not even close to being a good zoo. I`ve been to zoo`s around the world, heard so much about Australia zoo, .....and then....well a HUGE disapointment it was. But, I believe the price is whats killing their trade. The average aussie familiy just can not afford to go to a place like that. Yearly pass in Australia zoo cost around $300-400 per person, while in a smaller, but yet really nice place like cairns tropical you pay about $120 for the whole family for a yearly pass.

 

[giglamesh]

they have been selling off assets for a while to try to regain some footing from the lost business this last summer due to the terrible weather. sold the block next to there 3.2 million dollar mansion. and several other places. but i think they have been trying to keep it on the down low. and yes people did lose jobs, one of my friends lost hers.

they are ridiculous prices to enter though, 70 odd bucks for an adult to look at some animals, you can get a year pass to all three major zoos, toronga, Adelaide and perth for less than what two entries into there costs.

 

[voodoo]

I went there last year and with my Racq discount card. I paid admission for 5 adults and 2 kids - around $390.00, Than paid Lunch upstairs was nearly $115 (and was still hungry at the end), a photo with koala $22, and bought a few small souveneers for about -$40. And on top of that add cost of travelling there (70 odd kms from Brisbane). Not a cheap day.

We found most of the staff to be miserable, didnt see too many of them smiling, apart from the PR people.
Unfortunatly, I really dont see us going back their again. For the same price (if not less) I will be taking my Overseas visitors to Dreamworld instead.

 

[Fuscus]

The Sunny coast has had a shocking tourist season so is no real surprise that they let some staff go. Couple that with a massive expansion plan that went nowhere and the loss of its main drawcard I would suspect that there is major trouble. Locals avoid it because of cost. There is a lot of conflicting information ATM
Australia Zoo 'crippled by debt' | National News | Breaking National News in Australia | Sunshine Coast Daily
Zoo calls for local support | Sunshine Coast News | Local News in Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast Daily
Zoo declares it will survive | Sunshine Coast News | Local News in Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast Daily

 

[Dipcdame]

It's poor Bob Irwin I feel for, having to sit by and watch all his hard work from years ago be plundered and exploited by those now at the helm. I had a feeling nothing good would come of it as soon as Bob was ousted from the place and lost all rights to have a say.
Voodoo, the staff are probably not smiling and being miserable because morale is probably at a very low ebb now, I doubt the staff will be much of a concern to those at the helm. I wonder what Steve would make of it all if he were to come back to see it now?

 

[mungus]

Typical American taking over..............................
Have'nt heard many good reports about her since Steve died.
Jeckle and hyde...........

 

[longirostris]

I visited Australia Zoo with my family about 3 years ago for the first and only time. I was not impressed. It was too expensive for what you actually got. It was also just too big to comfortably stroll around. The quality of the exhibits was ordinary. I hated the Komodo monitor display, it was tragic. If you have been to Komodo (as I have), you will know that their habitat looks nothing like what the animal I saw was displayed in.

I have visited most major zoos and wildlife parks around Australia because of my interest in animals generally and reptiles particularly and feel quite happy to say that there are much better zoos and parks that are much more customer friendly then Australia Zoo. I don't know why but they had this ridiculous idea that bigger is better, maybe its the american connection. I can tell you it is not. I don't know why people think zoos and wildlife displays have to be huge to be good. Most people want to wander around for no more then 2 to 3 hours, 4 hours tops and see everything. More importantly they want to see animals displayed really well.

Go and have a look Cairns Zoo or Canberra Zoo or even Mogo zoo which is one of my favorites. These people know what they are doing. The Sumatran tigers at Australia Zoo come from Mogo zoo. The Snow Leopards that you see at Canberra Zoo come from Mogo Zoo. The white lions at Taronga Zoo come from Mogo Zoo. What do these zoos all have in common? They are not too big that they loose sight of what they initially set out to do. To display the animals in their care in the most natural and best possible environment that will promote quality of life and facilitate successful breeding programs.

Most zoos have some success with captive breeding, usually more a result of the quality of the keeper involved then the zoo itself. But some zoos do it consistently, which is generally a reflection of overall management programs including training and retaining committed keepers. Again I come back to Mogo zoo. They are probably the most successful zoo in Australia with their big cat breeding program. But they breed many other species as well including Red Pandas, small clawed otters, various monkey species and others.

I actually live about 60 kilometers from Mogo Zoo so it is the closest one to me. But in all honesty if I was asked which Zoo I would want go back to if I was going tommorrow, I would say Mogo and have indeed done so many times. Interestingly their reptile collection is not that great but the work they do with the other animals in their care is outstanding. For a private zoo that relies almost entirely on gate entry fees and sponsorships/memberships they do a great job.

As I said earlier I have visited most major and smaller zoos and wildlife parks around Australia, a considerable number of these more then once. But I doubt that I would ever visit Australia Zoo again because to me it was a major disappointment, It was trying to be a theme park with animals, and the focus was more on entertainment then education or conservation. I know there is a fine line between all of these ideals and that some would say entertainment allows you to sell your conservation and education message, but to me they were too focussed on the entertainment and not really focussed on the stuff that makes a zoo truly great.

Give credit where credit is due though. I read in todays Melbourne Herald Sun that a baby rhinoceros was born at Australia Zoo in the last few days. So I have to say well done on such a terrific outcome. Rhino's are one of the most majestic and vulnerable animals on the planet. Every breeding success is a wonderful achievement. Well done to the keeper.

 

[kawasakirider]

I've never been to Australia Zoo. I was going to go, but got sick on the way there and pulled the pin on the idea. This was just before Steve died, and I never bothered trying to go back.

I don't know what the zoo is like, but as longirostris said, it seems to be about the wow factor (which is important and probably why I'd go to a zoo), but at what cost? Terri letting bindi wade through the water with a 4m saltie was grossly irresponsible, no matter how you look at it. A few cheers aren't worth attempting a stunt like that.

I've been to the wildlife sanctuary at Currumbin, and Taronga Zoo a couple of times. They are both great! I've also been to Dubbo, but I don't remember it very well.

 

[Danger_Mouse]

When Steve died, that's when Australia Zoo obviously took it's biggest hit. There target was American/Asian tourists and their money. Obviously Steve was huge in the States and that obviously was the biggest draw card to the zoo, being able to see Steve. Now with his passing, Terri is pushing Bindi into his shoes to draw the crowds and no doubt Bob will follow suit.

Being a Zoo, there biggest revenue is tourists, which QLD isn't simply getting this year due to the natural disaters we've had this year. They should really just get back to basics and create a good day out and value for money for Families. Myself and my partner have been wanting to go with her little girl, but I can't simply justify the few hundred dollars (which I don't have) to go there for a day. When we could simply go to Currumbin, see basically the same animals (except a few of course) for almost half the price.

Would they be in the same situation if Steve was still around?

 

[Dipcdame]

Typical American taking over..............................
Have'nt heard many good reports about her since Steve died.
Jeckle and hyde...........

Agreed, although I wasn't going to go quite that far!! It's the owners living on the name of a dead man, trying to be more like hollywood stars than zoo owners. I doubt the downslide has been due to the economic downturn in the State, that may have had a small part, but it's people taking over and thinking they have an income without putting too much back into the park/business. I've never been there, and will never go now.

 

[sarah_m]

I know what you mean. I went to Australia Zoo in 1994 when it was a tiny wildlife park that you could comfortably walk around in an hour.

Steve and Terri did the snake show on the lawn with all the visitors standing around them in a circle. It had such a friendly feel about it. It was my favorite park.

The last time I went was on our honeymoon on 05. What a disappointment! I know I would have liked it better if I had not seen how it was back when I was a kid.

Too big, too commercial and SO expensive! I realize that with Steve's fame and increased popularity the park had to expand to accommodate the larger crowds, but I think they got carried away and lost sight of what Steve's parents had originally been aiming for.
I feel that the conservation message has gotten lost in the glitz and glitter that is the park today. Such a shame!!!

 

[harley0402]

i have been there twice and i love it, I got to touch and feed the rhinos and tortoises, it was awesome. How can you people put crap on it, you should be supporting it, yeah the zoo was doing better when steve was alive but, terry is giving it her best while raising 2 kids on her own. Get a life.

 

[Shadow86]

I went there not to long ago,son in tow of course.When i got there i got the feeling not of a family run zoo but of a over priced theme park.They seem to have lost the conservation message or a down to earth atmosphere i had seen years ago when i was a kid.I heard that also they had over bought in the land side of things and struggle now to maintain these assets. It should or would not close, someone will pick it up as it is a aussie icon really.

 

[KaotikJezta]

i have been there twice and i love it, I got to touch and feed the rhinos and tortoises, it was awesome. How can you people put crap on it, you should be supporting it, yeah the zoo was doing better when steve was alive but, terry is giving it her best while raising 2 kids on her own. Get a life.

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Disney essentially raising the kids, financially anyway. I have no sympathy for Terri, she sold the zoo's soul to Disney for a quick profit.

 

[snakeluvver]

I love Australia zoo. Yes it costs a lot but the animals are cared for very well and they have pretty good exhibits.

The quality of the exhibits was ordinary. I hated the Komodo monitor display, it was tragic. If you have been to Komodo (as I have), you will know that their habitat looks nothing like what the animal I saw was displayed in.

The Komodo exhibit is sand at one end, grass at the other. Yep its not like the natural habitat but most people on here dont keep their reptiles in a replica of the natural habitat. It looks completely fine.
The enclosures are extremely spacious, the elephants have a one acre day exhitbit and at night they are moved to a huge 10 acre enclosure. They do care for their animals very well and they replicate the natural environment very well in most enclosures.

 

[harley0402]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Disney essentially raising the kids, financially anyway. I have no sympathy for Terri, she sold the zoo's soul to Disney for a quick profit.

Yeah well., if you lose your husband and are left with 2 kids and a zoo that steve made that big, we will see how you cope.

 

[Smithers]

i have been there twice and i love it, I got to touch and feed the rhinos and tortoises, it was awesome. How can you people put crap on it, you should be supporting it, yeah the zoo was doing better when steve was alive but, terry is giving it her best while raising 2 kids on her own. Get a life.

Hmmm a 3 million dollar house would feed a few animals for a while.....perspectives please.