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.
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✨✨Have you ever wanted to meet and have a photo with the Queen of selfies? ✨✨
We are very excited to announce that encounters with Ember our little Quokka are starting this long weekend.
Come and meet Ember and as you are chatting to her keepers about all things Quokkas you can pat her and try to get the best Quokka selfie you can.
Please email frontdesk@hallsgapzoo.com.au to book in as we only have limited spots available.
Encounter time will be at 3pm every day.
Participants must be 4 years and older (4-7 year olds must have paying guardian with them).
Today we celebrated World Wildlife Day. It is a day to recognise all our fauna and flora and the role they play in our ecosystems.
We are so lucky to have all these animals to share this planet with and without them our world changes, we need to make sure we do everything we can to protect them.
For week 3 of Fast Fact Friday, we are focused on Dragons, Gippsland Water Dragons to be precise.
🦎They typically live in groups with a dominant male, many females and young of all ages.
🦎 Water Dragons can lay up to 18 eggs in a single clutch.
🦎 Like the name suggests these reptiles love the water and can hold their breath underwater for over an hour and they use this tactic to evade predators.
Next time you are visiting see how many you can count.
Knuckles has the right idea spending the hot day having his lunch delivered to him while taking a swim. 📸 Supervisor Mila
Welcome to week 2 of Fast Fact Friday.
This week we are looking at the fascinating Wedge-Tailed Eagle.
🪶 Wedge-Tailed Eagles are Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the world’s largest eagle, with an average wingspan of 2.3m.
🪶They build nests 1.8m across by 3m deep and will reuse these nests in following breeding seasons while continuing to add to them.
🪶Wedge-Tailed Eagle juveniles are a light brown colour and will darken as they get older.
Photo of our beautiful Hummer who is with us as he is unable to be returned to the wild after sustaining injuries from being hit by a car.
📸 Keeper Haylee
#nationalpark #hallsgapzoo #visitmelbourne #melbourne #grampiansnationalpark #hallsgap #wedgetailedeagle
Welcome to our first week of Fast Fact Friday.
Each week we will post new facts about a species we have here at the zoo. We want to share our beautiful animals with you and together we can explore what makes them so unique.
Obviously, we had to start with this animal. Who else? The Cheetah! The fastest land animal.
-Cheetahs can accelerate into a 112km/h sprint in only 3 seconds, but they cannot maintain high speeds for more than a minute.
- The Cheetah’s spots are designed for camouflage while hiding and during hunting and each Cheetah has a unique pattern in their spots.
-Cheetahs do not roar instead they purr just like our domestic cats at home.
Despite being very fast, they spend a lot of their time resting and lying in wait for the right moment to chase prey, you will see our boys lazing around in the sun and surveying their area.
What animals would you like to have featured in Fast Fact Friday? Comment below.
Running low on personal space after these school holidays? (Our Redneck Wallaby mum knows how you feel) Hop on in to the zoo today to let the kids run off some steam so they sleep well and are ready for the new school year. The weather is going to be perfect to see all the animals out and about.
📸 Keeper Sherrin
#grampians #grampiansvictoria #grampiansnationalpark #schoolholidays #schoolholidaysmelbourne #hallsgap #hallsgapzoo #hallsgapvictoria
Bristles would like to let everyone know we are open everyday this long weekend from 10am-5pm. Bring the kids for a nice day out before school is back. We have keeper talks planned, encounters will be running and our food van will be open for coffees, drinks and hot food. We can’t wait to see all of you . #hallsgapzoo #grampians #visitmelbourne #victoria #visitvictoria #redpanda
We would like to introduce our new babies. Firstly we have 2 baby elk calves that you might be lucky enough to get a glimpse of. Mum will usually keep the babies in the thick bush for the first few weeks to keep them safe and as they get older they start venturing out more, they are born with spots and without a scent so they don’t attract any predators.
We also have a beautiful baby Quokka keepers named Ember she is not on display just yet but be sure to keep an eye out on socials on when she will make her debut. #hallsgapzoo #grampians #visitmelbourne #victoria #visitvictoria #quokka #elk
Come and enjoy some up close encounters with our animals and while our keepers talk to you about facts and individual personalities you can:
😍Have a Red Panda walk across your lap,
😱Pat a rhino,
😄Hold a lizard,
🤭Feed a cheetah,
🤗Get kisses from the dingoes,
😮Feel small standing next to our giraffe
🥰Hold an otters hand
🤪Deal with the craziness of our meerkat mob
🤗Or walk our baby wombat
If you’ve had encounters what has been your favourite?
Check out the link below for more information and it is always best to pre book as some encounters are limited to only 2 people a day.
https://hallsgapzoo.com.au/encounters/
WE ARE OPEN!!!!
From Tuesday the 7th of January at 10am we officially reopen to visitors. It has been a long 17 days of being closed so our animals are so excited to see you all. Encounters will be up and running so please call to book or arrive early to avoid disappointment.
#hallsgapzoo #grampians #visitmelbourne
🎄✨ Merry Christmas from our zoo family to yours! 🎅🏼🐾
We’d like to thank you all for your amazing support throughout the year—your love for the animals and our work means the world to us!
Just a friendly reminder, the zoo is closed today.
Wishing you a joyful day filled with love, laughter, and a little wild magic. 🌟🦒🐆
- The Halls Gap Zoo Team
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As you may know, Halls Gap Zoo (Grampians VIC, Australia) has always been a cherished part of our community, providing a home for hundreds of animals and offering unforgettable experiences for visitors from near and far. However, like many other local businesses, we’ve been devastated by the recent bushfires that forced us to close our doors during our busiest season- a critical time for us to generate revenue and ensure the wellbeing of our animals.
These fires not only caused damage to the surrounding environment but also severely impacted our ability to operate and care for our beloved animals. Despite the challenges, we have remained committed to their care, but the financial strain has been overwhelming. The closure has made it incredibly difficult for us to meet our daily operating costs, and without support, we risk losing the progress we’ve made.
How Your Support Will Help:
Animal Care: The costs of feeding, vet visits, and maintaining the animals’ habitats remain constant, even when the zoo is closed.
Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in helping us get back on our feet and continue our important work. We’re asking for your support now so that we can continue to care for our animals and provide a unique, educational experience for future generations.
Thank you for standing by us during this challenging time. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us and to the animals that call Halls Gap Zoo their home.
https://gofund.me/f0539bc9
🌅 After an intense few days, this is the view we woke up to this morning.🌅
We’re so grateful for the stunning beauty that surrounds us here at Halls Gap Zoo, especially after the challenges of the past week. Our team has been working tirelessly, and we are happy to report that all animals are safe and being cared for daily by our dedicated keepers.
A huge thank you to the CFA (Country Fire Authority) and Forest Fire Management Victoria for their relentless efforts in keeping the zoo and surrounding areas safe during these challenging times.
We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our supporters for your patience, understanding, and kindness as we navigate this difficult period.
Our team has set up a GoFundMe page to help alleviate the costs of caring for a zoo as large as ours. You can visit the link https://gofund.me/09c777da to donate.
As per the VIC Emergency website, Halls Gap town is still not safe for return, and as such, we remain closed until further notice. Please continue to check the VIC Emergency site- https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/ for the latest updates on the situation in the area.
Stay safe and keep an eye on our social media for more updates as we work through this. Your support means the world to us.
