Monday, August 07, 2017

A Visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo


On Thursday, July 27, I visited Taronga Zoo in Sydney with my brother and his wife. It had been over 20 years since I last visited this well-known zoo situated on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman and opened in 1916.

Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning beautiful view.



Above: As I'm sure is the case with most folks who visit Taronga Zoo, we did so by catching a ferry from Sydney's Circular Quay.



Above: The lower-level entrance of Taronga Zoo.

Divided into eight zoogeographic regions, the 28-hectare (69-acre) Taronga Zoo is home to over 4,000 animals of 350 species. It has a zoo shop, a cafe, and information centre.



Above: A female red kangaroo, also known as a "blue flyer."



Above: A plains zebra, also known as
the common zebra or Burchell's zebra.



Above: Ibex.






Above: A giraffe.




Above: Meerkats.



Above: A bongo.




Above and right: Built in 1915, the Elephant Temple was one of the first buildings at Taronga Zoo.

Notes the Zoo: "Many of [the building's] original features remain. The wooden floor has been worn smooth by many elephants' feet. . . . A large bath originally stood in the grounds of the temple [below]. Elephants entered the water via a stepped ramp. The bath was demolitioned in 1985. . . . [The Elephant Temple] is one of only a few of its kind in the world and is now heritage listed."








Above: A fishing cat.



Above: A lemur.



Above: A sun bear.



Above: A red junglefowl.



Above and below: A zoo with a view!




Above and below: Return to Circular Quay.






For more zoo pics, see the previous Wild Reed post:
Road Trip to St. Louis – Part 3

Images: Michael J. Bayly.


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