Our dedicated keeping team spend their days providing the best possible care for our wildlife and are also responsible for the encounters. The animals listed below represent less than half of the zoo’s animal population but includes many of the favourites.
Caring for our Wildlife
Our dedicated keeping team spend their days providing the best possible care for our wildlife and are also responsible for the encounters. Our animal care philosophy is based on agreed standards and a focus on constantly improving these. These standards are usually based on the husbandry standards from the Zoo and Aquarium Association and include the provision of enrichment, training programmes and conditioning the animals to make managing them easier, to build the relationships between staff and wildlife and to reduce unnecessary stress. Our enclosures are generally large and naturally landscaped. We seek and receive advice from the likes of Werribee Open Range Zoo and many of the regional zoos which includes advice on both veterinary and animal keeping standards. We do not have our own veterinary staff but rely on the keeping team to monitor and report health concerns on a daily basis, which we then discuss with our consultant vets as needed. Some preventative veterinary care such as parasite control is implemented by our keepers on the advise of our consulting vets.
As part of the essential dietary requirements and enrichment we have a staff member who cuts browse three days per week. This browse supplies key nutrition for browsers such as giraffe, enrichment and some food for the likes of primates and parrots. As well as this we plan and commit to key exhibit upgrades to improve animal welfare each year. The latest has been a spend of over $100,000 on the giraffe paddock substrate, and larger new enclosures for our salt-water crocodile and pig-nosed turtle. Next we are turning our focus to larger enclosures and dens for our breeding group of capuchin monkeys followed by upgrade for our wombats.
Cheetah Training
As part of building a trusting relationship with our cheetah boys, which makes managing the boys easier and stress free, our team have worked wonders with the training program. The video provides an insight into how this achieved and if you want to see it in action, consider booking the cheetah encounter.
Rhino Training
Ever wondered how our keepers manage a three to rhino to move where and when asked and to participate in voluntary health checks? The answer is a training program that is a win-win for the rhino and the keepers. This focusses on building trust and ensuring the rhino finds the training rewarding while presenting the right behaviours to make their management easy.
The video provides an insight into how this achieved and if you want to see it in action, consider booking the rhino encounter.
Capuchin Training
Primates are highly intelligent and if not managed correctly they can become unruly to both the keepers and each other. By using a consistent training program our keepers build a trusting relationship that enables them to manage the troops in a stress-free environment. The training also enables ease of health care and even the ability to move the animals with ease. The video provides an insight into how the keepers achieve some of the trained behaviours and if you lucky you may even catch a keeper in action while training is underway.
Follow us @hallsgapzoo
🎃🐊🐍🦏 Spooky Season Special: Debunking Scary Animal Myths!🦏🐍🐊🎃
Happy Halloween from Halls Gap Zoo! 👻 Are you feeling a bit spooked by crocodiles, snakes, or rhinos? We’ve got a treat for you! Check out our latest video where we debunk some common fears about these amazing creatures and reveal why they’re not as scary as they seem.
From the gentle nature of rhinos to surprising facts about living with snakes and crocs, you’ll discover the truth behind the fright!
This Halloween, let’s celebrate the beauty and importance of all animals. Click the video below and see them in a whole new light!
#HallsGapZoo #Halloween #AnimalFacts #reptiles #Crocodiles #Snakes #Rhinos #spider #melbourne #grampians #lizard #perentie
In the lead up to Spooky Season, some of our animals were treated with pumpkin enrichment! 🎃
Check out how each species reacted to their carved pumpkin, and stay tuned for another Halloween special video tomorrow! 👻
#capuchin #monkey #bird #sunconure #cockatoo #lorikeet #marmoset #tamarin #emu #otter #hallsgapzoo #visitmelbourne #grampians #victoria
Perry the perentie! 🦎
Our resident perentie monitor, Perry, has recently learnt to walk outside his enclosure on a lead. This is fantastic enrichment for Perry, as he gets to experience new sights and smells, all the while basking in the warm Victorian spring sun. ☀️
If you see Perry out and about with his keepers, make sure to say hi!
#perentiemonitor #lizard #monitorlizard #hallsgapzoo #visitmelbourne #victoria #grampians
Here’s a rainbow to brighten everyone’s day! 🌈
#rainbowlorikeet #lorikeet #bird #hallsgapzoo #enrichment #victoria #visitmelbourne
Just a reminder that you can meet our sooky rhinos up close and personal by booking an encounter online! 🦏
https://hallsgapzoo.com.au/shop/rhino-encounter/
#rhino #southernwhiterhino #hallsgapzoo #visitvictoria #Melbourne
Happy International Wombat Day from our resident wombats- Bean, Bonnie, Bootsie, and Sprout!
Today, we celebrate one of Australia`s most iconic and beloved marsupials—the wombat! With their unique backwards-facing pouch and their incredible digging skills, these chunky herbivores play a vital role in maintaining their ecosystem.
Sadly, wombats face a number of threats, including habitat loss and diseases like sarcoptic mange, which has heavily impacted wild populations. Here at Halls Gap Zoo, we`re committed to raising awareness and protecting these amazing animals through education and conservation efforts.
You can take Sprout for a walk with his keepers by booking an interactive wombat encounter
https://hallsgapzoo.com.au/shop/wombat-encounter/
#internationalwombatday #wombat #marsupial #hallsgapzoo #Victoria
Pygmy Marmosets! Halls Gap Zoo is home to 7 of these little cuties.
Here`s some fun facts:
1. Tiny Size: Pygmy marmosets are the world’s smallest monkeys, weighing just around 100 grams and measuring about 12-15 cm (excluding their tail).
2. Tree Dwellers: They are excellent climbers and can rotate their heads 180 degrees to look for predators while navigating through the treetops!
3. Sap Lovers: These monkeys are known as "gummivores" because their diet primarily consists of tree sap and gum, which they extract using their sharp teeth.
4. High Energy: Despite their small size, pygmy marmosets are incredibly active, jumping distances up to 5 meters between branches!
5. Family-Oriented: Pygmy marmosets live in tight family groups, and males are very involved in the care of their young, carrying them on their backs for protection.
6. Communication: These monkeys have a complex system of communication with high-pitched calls that are often so fast or quiet that humans can’t hear them.
📸 Keeper Larissa
Spring days be like.... 🌼
📸 Keeper Zoe
#dingo #flowers #hallsgapzoo #alpinedingo #australianmammal #grampians #visitvictoria #Melbourne
This guy is a huge favourite amongst zoo visitors.
Have you taken a photo of our white peacock? Make sure to tag us in your photos! 📸
📸 Keeper Larissa
#whitepeacock #peacock #hallsgapzoo #bird #victoria
“Excuse me, do you have a minute to talk about your cars extended warranty” 👏
📸 Keeper Larissa
#commonmarmoset #marmoset #monkey #primate #hallsgapzoo #victoria #grampians
JOIN OUR TEAM!
Gardening/Landscaping Role 🌳
What we are looking for/ job requirements:
🌳 High level of physical fitness for a physically demanding job.
🌳 Works well as an individual and is highly self-motivated, but works well in a team.
🌳 Observational skills to notice other jobs when working around the zoo.
🌳 Free from allergies aggravated from animal hair, feathers, fur, and dust.
Jobs include : Raking, weeding, planting, pruning, mulching, browse collection, and more.
Start date 21/10/24
9 days a fortnight.
Please email info@hallsgapzoo.com.au if you are interested or to find out more.
Alpine dingoes are found in high elevation areas of the Australian Alps, and grow a second thicker coat during late autumn for warmth which usually sheds by mid to late spring. 🐕
Meet our fluffy dingos by booking an encounter https://hallsgapzoo.com.au/shop/dingo-encounter/
#dingo #australianmammal #hallsgapzoo
Bootsie says there’s nothing as good as a midday nap! 😴
#southernhairynosedwombat #wombat #marsupial #hallsgapzoo
🌍🐾 Happy International Zoo Keeper Day! 🐾🌍
Today we celebrate the incredible dedication, hard work, and passion that zoo keepers around the world bring to their role every day. But did you know we’re more than just keepers? We’re chefs, cleaners, trainers, and even vet nurses, working tirelessly to ensure the health and happiness of the amazing animals in our care.
From preparing specialised meals to maintaining habitats, building trust through training, and monitoring health—our job is never the same, but always rewarding.
Check out this video for a behind-the-scenes look at all the different hats we wear. 🎥👇
#InternationalZooKeeperDay #MoreThanKeepers #Wildlife #Zookeeper#hallsgapzoo #grampians #victoria #melbourne #meerkats #dingo #otter
