TARONGA ZOO

Description

Essentials about Taronga Zoo in brief

Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney and not only for animal lovers definitely worth a visit. Because of the picturesque location of the zoo on a hill directly on the north shore of the natural harbor Port Jackson, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the harbor and the skyline of Sydney on the south shore (not without reason “Taronga” means “beautiful view” in the language of the aborigines). There are over 2,500 animals from around 350 species to see at the zoo. Of course, all the crowd favorites of the Australian fauna, such as kangaroos, koalas, platypuses and wombars are also represented.

The history of Taronga Zoo

Sydney’s first public zoo was established elsewhere as early as 1884. A visit to Hagenbeck’s zoo in Hamburg in 1908 inspired Sydney’s zoo director to establish a similar zoo without artificial fencing around the enclosures. Since the old zoo site was not suitable for this purpose, the present site in the suburb of Mosman on the north shore of the harbor was occupied.

The grounds and the wildlife of Taronga Zoo

Covering 28 hectares, Taronga Zoo is now home to more than 2,500 animals from about 350 species. The zoo grounds are divided into eight zoogeographical regions. Naturally, the Australian animal worlds are the main focus of the zoo. From kangaroos to koalas and dingoes to platypuses and wombats, all the prominent representatives of the continent’s extraordinary fauna are represented. Since the 1980s, a cable car has run from the zoo’s ferry dock up the hill over the zoo grounds, allowing a great view of both the harbor and the city as well as many of the animal enclosures.