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Date opened | 1934 |
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Location | Healesville, Victoria, Australia |
Coordinates | 37°40′56″S 145°31′54″E / 37.6822°S 145.5316°ECoordinates: 37°40′56″S 145°31′54″E / 37.6822°S 145.5316°E |
Website | zoo |
Healesville Sanctuary, formally known as the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary, is a zoo specialising in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville in rural Victoria, Australia, and has a history of breeding native animals. It is one of only two places to have successfully bred a platypus, the other being Sydney's Taronga Zoo. It also assists with a breeding population of the endangered helmeted honeyeater.[1]
The zoo is set in a natural bushland environment where paths wind through different habitat areas showcasing wallabies, wombats, dingoes, kangaroos, and over 200 native bird varieties.
Guided tours, bird shows and information areas are available to visitors.
History
Dr Colin MacKenzie (knighted in 1929) set up the Institute of Anatomical Research in 1920 on 78 acres (32 ha) of land which had formerly been part of the Aboriginal reserve known as Coranderrk. The Reserve passed to the Healesville Council in 1927 and became the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary in 1934.
The first platypus bred in captivity was born in the Sanctuary in year 1943 when it was managed by David Fleay.
The park was placed under the management of the Victorian Zoological Parks and Gardens Board on 27 June 1978.[2]
In 2009, the sanctuary was threatened by the Black Saturday bushfires, and the sanctuary evacuated their threatened species to Melbourne Zoo.[3]
Animals and exhibits
- General exhibits
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- Koalas
- Birds of the bush
- Kangaroos
- Gang-gang Aviary
- World of the Platypus/Platypusary
- Woodland Aviary
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- Rock-wallaby
- Brush-tailed rock-wallaby
- Australian pelican
- Black swan
- Chestnut teal
- Dusky moorhen
- Magpie goose
- Pacific black duck
- Purple swamphen
- Australian white ibis
- Arid Birds
- Scarlet-chested parrot
- Princess parrot
- Budgerigar
- Rainbow bee-eater
- Variegated fairy-wren
- Gouldian finch
- Diamond firetail
- Painted finch
- Wetlands Aviary
- Wallabies
- Wombat Closeup
- Animals of the Night
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- Cockatoos
- Major Mitchell's cockatoo
- Australian brush-turkey
- White-headed pigeon
- Brush bronzewing
- Wonga pigeon
- Pacific emerald dove
- Blue-faced honeyeater
- Black-faced cuckoo-shrike
- Reptile Encounter
- Brown tree snake
- Broad-headed snake
- Chappell Island tiger snake
- Eastern bearded dragon
- Eastern blue-tongued lizard
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- Lyrebird Forest
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- Larger Wetlands Aviary
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- Flying Foxes
References
- ^ Menkhorst P, Smales I, Quin B (2003). "Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Plan 1999–2003". Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Water Resources. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
- ^ "Governance and policies". www.zoo.org.au. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019.
- ^ Kent, Melissa (6 September 2009). "Fire and flight no turn-off for horny devils". The Age. Melbourne.
External links
Media related to Healesville Sanctuary at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website