Belfast Zoo is going Down Under with a brand new “Animals of Australia” habitat. Animals of Australia will transform the former elephant enclosure into an exciting new habitat that will show case the unique diversity of Australian wildlife and the challenges it faces. In a phased approach from August 2024 visitors will see the return of iconic Australian animals to Belfast Zoo.
Future development will allow visitors to get a more up close and personal experience with a new encounter area within the habitat.
Animals of Australia will also highlight the valuable conservation role that zoos like Belfast play with several threatened and endangered Australian species being added through participation in European Endangered Species Breeding Programs.
Education will be at the core of this exciting new development with emphasis on Australia’s extinction crisis.
Zoo manager, Alyn Cairns said “We are thrilled to have this new habitat at Belfast Zoo. This is an exciting development for us, and we appreciate the efforts of everyone who has come together to create this new and improved space. The arrival of the new Australian animals is a great way to educate the public about the conservation work that zoos do as part of EAZA breeding programmes and highlight the extinction crisis of many of Australia’s native species.”
From charismatic kangaroos to enigmatic emus, most of Australia’s wildlife is endemic – found nowhere else on the planet. Australia is one of the most important nations on Earth for biodiversity. In fact, it is one of only 17 ‘megadiverse’ nations and is home to more species than any other developed country. Most of Australia’s wildlife is found nowhere else in the world, making its conservation even more important – 87 per cent of its mammal species, 93 per cent of reptiles, 94 per cent of frogs and 45 per cent of bird species are found only in Australia.
The reason for this uniqueness is because of its isolation from the rest of the world. The land of Australia is far from other landmasses which led to the evolution of the animals in isolation in that area.
Australia’s wildlife is a living spectacle of nature’s wonder. However, many of its unique wildlife is rapidly disappearing, largely due to human activities and other threats.
The key threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, and various human activities.
Habitat loss and fragmentation are amongst the threats to Australian wildlife. This can happen when land is cleared for agriculture or urbanisation, leading to a reduction in the space available for wildlife to thrive. Climate change is another threat as Australian animals are especially vulnerable to alterations in temperature and weather patterns. Human activities such as hunting, and pollution contribute to the decline of wildlife populations.
Through the new Australian habitat, Belfast Zoo aims to educate and inform visitors of the threats to these species and to continue its conservation work with several threatened and endangered Australian species being added in 2025.
The first arrivals to the habitat are the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and the Red Necked Wallabies. Visitors can view these marvellous marsupials from the 8th of August.