Featherdale Wildlife Park

Featherdale Wildlife Park is a zoo in Doonside, Sydney, Australia. It is about 40 km (25 mi) west of Sydney’s center. The park has many animals that live in Australia and is known for having a large collection of Australian fauna.

Visitors can see many different animals, watch shows, and join fun activities. The park is 3.29 hectares (8.1 acres) and has places for animals to live, areas for visitors to see them, picnic spots, shops, and more. Featherdale focuses on animals that are native to Australia, like birds, reptiles, and marsupials. The park is approved by the Zoo Aquarium Association Australia to make sure the animals are well cared for.

History

Featherdale Wildlife Park started on a small 7-acre farm bought by Charles and Marjorie Wigg in 1953. It opened in 1972 as a special place for Australian animals, designed by their son-in-law Bruce Kubbere. Over the years, it has grown into a famous tourist spot, winning awards and welcoming many famous visitors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith. In 2019, Featherdale took over Mogo Zoo, but faced challenges like closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and fires along the south east coast of NSW.

Visitation

In 2016, the park had welcomed about 11.5 million visitors since it opened.

The number of visitors from inside and outside Australia changes depending on world events. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, fewer people from other countries could visit Australia. Before 2016, about half of the park’s visitors came from other countries. In 2016, about 180,000 of the 400,000 visitors each year were from Australia, many from Western Sydney.

Facilities and amenities

Featherdale Wildlife Park is located in Doonside, part of Western Sydney, about 40 kilometres from the city centre. The park covers 3.29 hectares (8.1 acres). It has spaces for animals and places for visitors to relax, shop, and get information.

The park offers many helpful facilities for all visitors. There is a car park, picnic areas, bathrooms, a café, an information centre, a gift shop, and a place for events. The park also has first aid and a special area for school groups. It is easy for everyone to visit, including those who use wheelchairs. The park supports programs for people with disabilities. The park is approved by the Zoo Aquarium Association Australasia, meaning it follows important rules to care for animals and visitors.

Exhibits and wildlife collection

The park has many animals that live in Australia. It has one of the biggest collections of Australian animals in the world. Some of these animals, like the Tasmanian devil and plains-wanderer, are rare in the wild. You can see kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, and many other interesting animals such as dingos, emus, and little penguins.

You can get close to many of the animals and even take part in special experiences. You might get to feed kangaroos or meet koalas, penguins, and quokkas.

Featherdale is a large place to see Australian animals. It shows more than 300 different species, including some of Australia’s most famous animals. It also has the largest group of koalas in the state.

Breeding, conservation and study contributions

Featherdale Wildlife Park helps with many projects to learn about and protect animals. These projects let scientists study animals in safe places with special food and care. The park shares samples and information to help these important studies.

The park helped a study about spotted-tailed quolls at the University of Wollongong. Scientists watched how the quolls grow and shared samples to learn more about them. Featherdale also helped with studies on koalas, echidnas, yellow-footed rock-wallabies, common wombats, and common brushtail possums. Scientists from many universities used samples and observations from the park to understand these animals better and help protect them.

Thefts

In 2006, some visitors broke into Featherdale Wildlife Park and took four special snakes called Collett's snakes.

In 2013, someone took a five-year-old female emu from the park.

During Christmas in 2012, ten special birds were taken from the park. Two of these birds, blue-and-yellow macaws, were later found and returned safely. The birds showed some signs of stress but were otherwise okay.

Ownership and management

Featherdale Wildlife Park is a private business and does not get money from the government. It has changed owners several times. In 1996, it was bought by a company called Amalgamated Holding Limited for $5.5 million. In 2013, it was sold to Moss Capital for about $15 million. Moss Capital later became the Elanor fund, which still owns the park today.

The park has staff members who care for the animals. In 2013, there were over 100 staff, and now there are around 73. In 2013, the park made about $9.2 million, but profits dropped later because of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. Running the park costs a lot of money each year for feeding the animals, security, and keeping the enclosures safe. The park also faces competition from other zoos in Sydney, such as Sydney Zoo and Taronga Zoo.

Species

Featherdale Wildlife Park is home to many interesting birds, animals, and reptiles. Some of the birds you can see include the Australian magpie, Budgerigar, Cockatiel, Emu, Galah, Kangaroo Island kangaroo, Koala, and Rainbow lorikeet.

There are also many reptiles like the Blue-tongued skink, Frilled dragon, Saltwater crocodile, and Tiger snake. You can also see mammals such as the Common wombat, Dingo, Eastern grey kangaroo, and Tasmanian devil.