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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In the interest of public safety, the zoo will be closed today (Wednesday 28th August). As the wind is supposed to increase during the day, we have made the decision for our guests, animals and our staff.
Hoping to see everyone tomorrow!
If you had an animal encounter booked for today, we will be in contact to reschedule.
The weather is warming up, which means our reptiles are becoming more active.
Our lace monitor has taken advantage of the sun being out ☀️
📸 Keeper Tash.
#lacemonitor #lizard #reptile #hallsgapzoo #grampians #victoria
Bean the wombat thought he`d take re-mulching into his own paws.
📸 Keeper Paris
#commonwombat #barenosedwombat #wombat #hallsgapzoo #Victoria
Great hair, perfect lighting.
Pumba is ready for his modelling debut 🌟🙌
📸 Keeper Carmen
#highlandcow #scottishhighlandcattle #hallsgapzoo
Game time!
How many wallabies can you see in this photo?
📸 Supervisor Mila
#brushtailedrockwallaby #marsupial #hallsgapzoo
A Disney movie, or just another day at Halls Gap Zoo?
📸 Keeper Marcus
#greentreefrog #boydsforestdragon #reptile #hallsgapzoo #lizard #grampians #melbourne
When the afternoon light hits the quoll habitats 🙌📸
#spottedtailquoll #quoll #hallsgapzoo #grampians #visitvictoria #melbourne
Get to know our zoo keepers with a game of `I`m passing the phone` 📱🦜🦦
#impassingthephone #hallsgapzoo #zookeepers #redpanda #capuchin #sunconure #ruffedlemur #meerkats #beardeddragon #stickinsect
🦌 Meet the majestic elk! 🦌 Halls Gap Zoo is home to 4 elk- 3 female and 1 male.
Did you know? Female elk, also known as cows, play a crucial role in the elk community. They are highly adaptable and can be found in various habitats across North America, from forests to open plains.
Unlike their male counterparts, female elk don’t have antlers. Instead, they are known for their agility and nurturing instincts, especially during calving season in the spring.
These amazing creatures are excellent foragers, feeding on grasses, sedges, and shrubs. Their keen senses help them detect predators like wolves and bears, allowing them to protect their calves and thrive in the wild.
#elk #cows #hallsgapzoo #hoofstock #visitvictoria #grampians
Did you know- Tasmanian devils are the second largest surviving carnivorous mammal in Australia, only loosing out to the dingo!
When your wombat joey is never far behind 🥰🫶
📸 Keeper Jale
#wombat #joey #marsupial #australianwildlife #hallsgapzoo #victoria #melbourne #grampians
