| Zoo Name: | Monarto Safari Park |
| Location: | Monarto, South Australia |
| Area: | [1] |
Monarto Safari Park, formerly known as Monarto Zoological Park and Monarto Zoo, is a 1500ha open-range zoo located in South Australia administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. By area, Monarto Safari Park is the largest zoo in Australia.[2] It is located at Monarto, approximately from Adelaide's centre.
The safari park offers several unique attractions including opportunities to personally feed exotic species such as the African lion in 'Lions 360 experience', as well as one-on-one interactions with Black Rhinos, Southern White Rhinos, Giraffes, Meerkats, Ring-tailed lemurs and behind-the-scenes tours of Cheetah and African Painted Dog exhibits. The park is home to the world's largest African lion pride and giraffe herd outside Africa.[3] [4] Monarto Safari Park is the world's largest safari park outside Africa.[5] [6] [7]
The zoo was created in 1983, on land owned by the state government as a closed-to-the-public, purpose breeding area and endangered species sanctuary. In 1990, a study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of allowing public access to the zoo, and by 1993 it had been developed into a large educational facility, open to the public, with bus and walking tours.
Five major habitat exhibits have been developed, including the Asian steppes, arid north Africa, African plains, and Asian grasslands. The entire zoo is surrounded with vermin-proof fencing to keep the habitat as self-contained as possible. The area is not irrigated, and is populated primarily with native flora to cut down on water consumption and erosion in the semi-arid region. The roads and trails within the zoo are constructed of local materials to keep them low maintenance, and to allow them to be easily re-integrated into the habitat should the need arise. Waste water is recycled, and as much as possible, solar power is used for electric fencing needs.
In late 2019, Monarto Zoo began a three-year project to convert itself into a safari park with luxury resort facilities. As part of the overhaul, it is transitioning its branding to be "Monarto Safari Park" by 2021.[8] Monarto would also become the largest park outside of Africa.[9]
In Agust 2023, ZoosSA exceeded a fundraising campaign target of 2 million dollars to build a 15ha facility at Monarto Safari Park, to originally house Perth Zoo's remaining Asian elephants 'Putra Mas' and 'Permai', after their matriarch 'Tricia' passed away aged 65 in 2022, and an additional female elephant from Auckland Zoo called 'Burma'. In April 2024, a further two Asian elephants were announced to join the new herd from Taronga Zoo, Sydney. Burma will fly from New Zealand to Monarto in November 2024. Both groups of elephants from Perth Zoo and Taronga Zoo are expected to move to Monarto in mid 2025.
Monarto Zoo had achieved one of the most successful giraffe breeding programs in Oceania,[10] and has the most successful giraffe breeding programmes in Australia.[11]
The zoo is taking part in numerous conservation efforts with endangered species, and has breeding projects for many Australian native species, including bilby, eastern barred bandicoot, Tasmanian devil, warru (black-footed rock-wallaby) and yellow-footed rock-wallaby; as well as many exotic species (and endangered subspecies of some species) including addax, African wild dog, American bison, Barbary sheep, black rhinoceros, Persian fallow deer, Przewalski's horse, scimitar-horned oryx, South African cheetah and southern white rhinoceros.
In 2006, the zoo began a breeding program for Tasmanian devils which are free of facial tumour disease.[12]
Previously widespread throughout the ranges of central Australia, the warru, or black-footed rock-wallaby, is South Australia's most endangered mammal, primarily due to predation by foxes and feral cats. However Monarto has had some success in breeding the wallabies since the capture of 15 of them in 2007, and has helped to establish a viable population (22) of the wallabies in a 1sqkm fenced area, known as the Pintji, in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands. In June 2017 Monarto announced that 25 of the population bred at Pintji, along with 15 others, had been released into the wild. These will be monitored and feral animal control measures are in place.[13]
On-site shops and catering facilities at the zoo actively avoid using products containing palm oil.[14] Visitors are encouraged to go palm oil free and provided information on how to go about it.