Werribee Open Range Zoo is set on approx 225 hectares within the Werribee Park Precinct in K Road Werribee.   Its neighbours in the Werribee Park Precinct are the historic Werribee Mansion and the Victorian State Rose Garden.

Fighting Extinction

The zoo is a world-leading, zoo-based conservation organisation dedicated to fighting wildlife extinction. To this end, Werribee Open Range Zoo has several captive breeding programs of critically endangered animals. As a result, in 2021, Zoos Victoria, of which Werribee Zoo is a part, successfully:

• 50 Grassland Earless Dragons – not seen in the wild in Victoria since 1969
• 4 Mountain Pygmy Possums – fewer than 2000 left in the wild
• 21 Helmeted Honeyeaters – fewer than 200 left in the wild
• 11 Eastern Barred Bandicoots – extinct in the wild on mainland Australia
• released 8 critically endangered Plains Wanderers into the wild – number left in the wild 250-1000
• released 1,380 critically endangered Southern Corroboree frogs into the wild
• bred 16 Tasmanian Devils

Modelled on an African theme, the zoo is home to gorilla’s, Hippo’s, Rhino, Camels, American Bison, Przewalski’s horse, several varieties of antelope, monkeys, painted dogs, giraffes, and cheetahs. You can take a free bus ride through the savannah lands as part of the entry fee. But this day, along with around 25 fellow photographers from the Victorian Photographers Collective, we took the off-road safari for an additional cost. 

Off Road Bus

For a very reasonable $50, we went off-road in the savannah over ninety minutes, stopping at each animal group for up close and personal photos. I’m spoilt now and can see myself ever doing the big free bus again. Once off the bus, we met up again for lunch, then wandered off in different directions to get some more shots before heading home. Fabulous day with lovely company!