Tag:dubbo
Located in the heart of New South Wales at Dubbo, Australia, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, also known as Dubbo Open Range Zoo, is a leading force in wildlife conservation and education. Covering over 300 hectares and 100 species, the zoo provides an immersive experience, allowing visitors to observe animals in expansive, natural enclosures replicating their native habitats.
Historical Background
The Dubbo Open Range Zoo opened its gates in 1977 as a companion to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The goal was to establish a zoo with more space for larger animals and to support breeding programs for endangered species. Dubbo was selected as the zoo’s location because of its expansive, open landscapes, suitable climate, and distance from urban pressures. Since its founding, the zoo has expanded and developed into a prominent conservation and animal welfare advocate.
Conservation Efforts
Dubbo Open Range Zoo’s primary focus is wildlife conservation. The zoo participates in various breeding programs to protect endangered species. It is also involved in the worldwide initiative to save the critically endangered black rhinoceros. The large savannah exhibits at Dubbo create an optimal habitat for these rhinos, leading to successful breeding and providing hope for the species’ future.
The zoo also plays a vital role in conserving the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and the African Lion. These programs ensure healthy genetic diversity within captive populations and may lead to future reintroduction into the wild. The zoo works with international conservation organisations to align its efforts with global strategies to save these animals.
Educational Programs
Education is at the core of Dubbo Open Range Zoo’s mission. The zoo provides various educational programs to engage and inspire visitors of all ages. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours, and hands-on activities, visitors learn about the significance of biodiversity and their role in conservation.
One of the zoo’s leading educational programs is the Zoo Adventures holiday program. This program offers children a unique chance to participate in animal-themed activities led by the animal keepers, giving them an inside look at the zoo. Through this experience, children learn about animal care and conservation efforts. The zoo’s education centre also welcomes school groups and provides curriculum-aligned lessons that make learning about wildlife enjoyable and informative.
Visitor Experience
Like the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Victoria, the Dubbo Open Range Zoo has an open-range design that enables animals to roam in large, natural enclosures. This provides a distinctive and immersive experience for visitors. Visitors can explore the Dubbo Zoo on foot, by bicycle, by golf cart, or by driving their car through the expansive grounds, which offer a lot less walking!
A zoo highlight is the African Savannah exhibit, where visitors can observe giraffes, zebras, and antelopes grazing together in a setting reminiscent of the African plains. The zoo also features a sizeable Asian exhibit, home to elephants, tigers, and other species native to the continent. These expansive habitats enhance animal welfare and offer visitors a more authentic and educational experience.
Overnight experiences are available at the Zoofari Lodge and Billabong Camp. These accommodations allow guests to stay within the zoo grounds and enjoy exclusive tours and animal encounters. Staying at the zoo provides a close-up look at the zoo’s inhabitants and operations, fostering a deeper connection to wildlife and conservation.
Encounters and tours
Behind-the-scenes experiences are available, such as an Early Morning Walk with a Zoo volunteer, the safari truck that takes you out to venture amongst African species on the Savannah Safari, or entering into lion territory onboard Lion Pride Lands Patrol. All of these carry a reasonable (but additional) cost. On the day we visited, we took the Pridelands Patrol. For $29, you board a comfortable medium-sized bus and go into the lion’s domains, seeing them up close. The alpha male even put on a roaring show for us!
Impact on Local and Global Scales
Dubbo Open Range Zoo also plays a crucial role in the local community. It is a significant tourist attraction that contributes significantly to the local economy. The zoo draws visitors from all over Australia and beyond, bringing substantial economic benefits to the region. Additionally, it creates job opportunities and engages local businesses through partnerships and procurement.
The zoo’s conservation efforts have a significant impact worldwide. Through its breeding programs and collaborations with international conservation organizations, the Dubbo Open Range Zoo contributes to preserving endangered species and protecting biodiversity. The zoo’s research initiatives, often in partnership with universities and other scientific institutions, advance our understanding of animal behaviour, genetics, and ecology, providing valuable insights for conservation strategies globally.
Challenges and Future Directions
Even though Dubbo Open Range Zoo has been successful, it faces several challenges. The ongoing threat of climate change poses a significant risk to wildlife globally, and the zoo must continuously adapt its strategies to mitigate these impacts. Maintaining genetic diversity within captive populations is complex, requiring careful management and international cooperation.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo is located on Obley Road in Dubbo, central west NSW
Tickets: $47.70 Adults, Child (4-15) $27.90, Concession $36.90 (Zoos Victoria members Free)
Continued from Part One
Tom’s Amazing Adventures continued the next day. After walking all morning, Tom had picked up a ride to Dubbo with a lovely old lady in a Vauxhall. She regaled him with stories of her childhood during the Great Depression of the ’30s and the hardship of the ’40s with WW2. It particularly offended her that people were protesting their current “hardship” with the lockdown. “pfft”, she said. “They have no idea what hardship is. Have any of them ever had bread and dripping sandwiches or eaten Tripe?”
Dubbo
More than a bit shamefaced with her words, Tom remained silent. After being dropped off in Dubbo, Tom decided to take a couple of days rest from the road and picked up some casual work repairing burst pipes. So it seems with all the excess eating of desserts. The cream was building up and causing the old pipes to crack.
Tom had been in Dubbo for three days. With work on the pipes done, he spent a day relaxing. He had been sleeping rough under the bridge alongside the Macquarie River in Biddybungie Reserve. Wandering alongside the river, and through the town’s parks, he indulged his hobby of birdwatching.
This was also a good cover for keeping an eye out for checkpoints and police roadblocks. Next, Tom stopped off at the local Salvation Army Op shop. Taking a leaf out of his hero Jack Reacher’s life on the road, he purchased a change of clothes. He then discarded his old clothes in a bin. He would simply wear them until he needed to replace them. He then sneaked into the NRMA Dubbo holiday park for a shower. He planned to head up the Newell Highway the next day, hoping to get a lift as far as Walgett.
On the road to Walgett
Tom set out as the sun was coming up and started walking along the edge of the highway, thumb out. After about half an hour, he was picked up by a cattle truck heading north. Grateful that the wind was blowing south, Tom accepted the ride. He chatted with Bluey, the driver, all the way to Walgett. Walking into town, Tom found a café and ordered a coffee.
Chatting to a local, he found out that Walgett had artesian bore baths, naturally heated to a temperature of 41.5°. Even better, the baths were free. Having been on the road now for almost two weeks, a good soak sounded perfect.
Tom’s goal of getting to Walgett was based on it being a quiet little town but a stop on the Great Inland Way. This was a tourist route that travelled 2,956 kilometres from Sydney to Cairns, through inland NSW. He surmised that he would have no trouble picking up a lift from travelling tourists. And camping in the national parks along the way would be easy. The border to Qld was also only an hour and a half away by car, though he planned to cross by foot. Again under the cover of darkness in a day or so. In the meantime, he would camp at the free campsite in Walgett to rest up and be ready for the night crossing.
The giant Cos tree
After a comfortable night, Tom made himself a billy tea – and decided to go for a hike through Cos Valley. He had heard other campers talking about the valley in glowing terms. It had plenty of birdlife and the tallest Cos tree in Australia. So after a breakfast of sausages in bread, cooked on his campfire (god, he missed Bunnings), he packed his backpack with a few supplies and set off.
He hiked through Cos Valley and ate his lunch under the shade of the Cos tree. Tom enjoyed the solitude before he headed back to Walgett via an ancient Celery Forest, Where much to his surprise, he encountered Bill and the scout troop Bill, behaving as he didn’t know Tom, gave him a brief nod and said ‘afternoon sir, enjoying your walk?” and kept going.
Rendevous
Back at camp, Tom put the billy on and sat down. Then, realising it was Bill who had been watching his last night, he sat and waited. It wasn’t long before Bill ambled over. They greeted each other warmly, and Bill said to Tom, “you made good time then” “Yes, said Tom, I had some luck on the trip with picking up rides, But I didn’t expect to see you till I got to Lightning Ridge”.
“My dear old mum always said you were lucky bloke,” said Bill, “she said you would always land on your feet. But, mind you, I don’t see how that’s good. If I landed on my feet, I’d snap both ankles” They hung by the campfire and talked quietly. Bill explained with the good weather; he thought he had time to get an overnight trip in with the scouts before Tom arrived.
“Everything on your list is ready at the house,” Bill said. “Beryl was a bit annoyed at the start, but she’s come around and is looking forward to seeing you,” They said their goodbyes for now, and Bill headed back to the scouts’ Tom settled down for the night as he had an early start in the morning.
Lightning Ridge
The camp was still quiet. With most still sleeping in their tents, Tom packed up and left in the morning. He wandered through the sleeping town and hit the Castlereagh Highway just after 7 am. Walking along with his thumb out, he got his first lift from a truck as it pulled out of the Walgett Wheat Siding. He rode with the driver as far as the Gwydir Highway junction. From there, he was on foot again until he was picked up by a fossicker who took him all the way to Lightning Ridge.
Beryl had been thinking about Tom. Was he having a fantastic Adventure? However, she had to work that afternoon, so no time to think about Tom Beryl was a caddy at the Lightning Ridge Golf Club Tom and Bill decided to go with her and have a drink at the clubhouse while she worked then they would all stay for dinner “Not looking or smelling like that”, said Beryl “You,” she said, pointing at Tom, “are going to take a long, hot shower, WITH soap AND shampoo, and throw those clothes out the door into the hall You will find clean clothes and shoes in your room, because Bill, you are going to burn what’s he’s wearing They aren’t going in my washing machine, and aren’t fit for the oppy”.