Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo is a significant zoological institution located within Royal Park in Parkville, approximately 4 kilometers north of the Melbourne city center. It serves as the primary zoo for the Melbourne metropolitan area and is a key part of Zoos Victoria, which also administers Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary.

History and Development

The origins of Melbourne Zoo trace back to the formation of the Zoological Society of Victoria in October 1857, with an initial aim to introduce foreign animals and plants. The society later changed its name to the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. On October 6, 1862, the organization opened the new Melbourne Zoo in Royal Park on a 55-acre parcel of land donated by the City of Melbourne. Initially, the zoo played a role in acclimatizing domestic animals to Australia. The procurement of more exotic animals and the development of gardens and picnic areas began in earnest with the appointment of Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souef in 1870, the same year the society's name changed again to the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. The zoo was granted the prefix "Royal" in 1910.

Throughout its history, Melbourne Zoo has featured notable exhibits and events. Queenie the elephant was a famous attraction from the early 1900s to the 1940s. In the mid-1930s, financial difficulties led to the Zoological Gardens Act 1936, transferring the zoo to a Zoological Board of Victoria in 1937. The Lion Park exhibit opened in 1964. Significant animal births include Australia's first gorilla birth in 1984 and the birth of the first elephant calf in Australia, Mali, in 2010. The Trail of the Elephants exhibit, opened in 2003, was highly acclaimed. In 2018, the zoo completed construction on a new carnivores trail. The zoo also commemorates its history through heritage-listed structures like the Elephant House.

Exhibits and Operations

As of 2021, Melbourne Zoo houses 3,742 animals representing 243 species. The zoo is organized into bioclimatic zones designed to mimic natural habitats, including an African rainforest ('Gorilla Rainforest'), an Asian rainforest, and the 'Australian Bush'. Popular exhibits include the 'Butterfly House', 'Reptile House', 'Great Flight Aviary', 'Wild Sea', 'Treetop Apes and Monkeys', and 'Lion Gorge'. The zoo also offers educational programs for schools and hosts popular 'Roar and Snore' sleepover events.

The zoo is accessible via public transport, including the Upfield railway line and tram routes. Bicycles can be used to reach the zoo via the Capital City Trail but are not permitted inside.

Zoos Victoria and Conservation

Melbourne Zoo is an institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Zoos Victoria, the governing body since 1973, is committed to wildlife conservation. In October 2023, Zoos Victoria initiated a conservation project with Colossal Biosciences to preserve the Victorian grassland earless dragon and sequence its genome. The zoo's elephant herd was relocated to its sister facility, Werribee Open Range Zoo, in February 2025 to reside in a new, advanced habitat.