A proposed open-range zoo in Western Australia would provide an “essential piece of conservation infrastructure” and allow Perth zoo to build on its internationally renowned captive breeding programs, the environment minister, Albert Jacob, has said.
The 700ha zoo is proposed for a nature reserve at Lower Chittering, next to the Avon Valley national park, about 70km north-east of Perth, and would be managed as a second site of the 19ha Perth zoo, located in the city.
It was announced as the likely site in November, and on Sunday the WA premier, Colin Barnett, said early environmental assessments had deemed it “absolutely almost perfect for an open-range zoo.”
However, the estimated cost of the zoo has doubled in the intervening three months, from $50m-$100m in November to $100m-$200m.
No money has been allocated in the state budget.
Jacob said in November that both the cost and the estimated timeline for the project, which is anticipated to take between five and 10 years to develop, were “a broad guestimate”.
The Perth zoo chief executive, Linda Hunt, said limited space at the South Perth site meant the zoo was no longer getting breeding recommendations for a number of open-range species such as sun bears, and the new site would allow them to build on their breeding programs.
“This site is still absolutely fine for tropical animals, for some of our Australian breeding programs, but for large open-range species such as rhinoceroses and elephants, we are not getting breeding recommendations anymore,” Hunt told the ABC.
The zoo runs successful breeding programs for native WA species such as the numbat, dibbler and Western Swamp tortoise, which have been used to build up wild populations.
It also has a globally recognised Sumatran orangutan breeding program, and is the only zoo in the world to release them into the wild.
Hunt said the zoo had the expertise “to really make a difference for wildlife conservation” and that an open-range zoo would allow them to get breeding recommendations for animals such as sun bears and rhinos.
“We will get the recommendations when we’ve got larger spaces, when we can have a herd of rhinos and a herd of zebras,” she said. “We will make a real difference.”
The announcement has already attracted attention, Jacob said: bear rescue foundation Free The Bears contacted Perth zoo after the plan was announced in November to suggest moving rescued bears there from its south-east Asian sanctuaries.
“This would mean a better life for the bears, a great visitor experience, and showcase a strong Western Australian partnership between the group and the zoo,” he said.
Barnett, who is also tourism minister, first proposed the idea in 2013, saying that the public expected to see larger African plains species in an open-range environment.
In a video posted on Twitter by Barnett on Sunday, Jacob said WA was “already globally positioned at the forefront of threatened species conservation” and the proposed open-range zoo was the next step.
Delighted to see so many families starting the new year with a visit to @PerthZoo where we announced the latest on WA's open range zoo plans pic.twitter.com/PWkmkWZd7C
— Colin Barnett (@ColinBarnett) January 1, 2017
“And quite simply, with the animal standards of the 21st century, an open-range zoo is an essential piece of conservation infrastructure,” he said.
Sydney’s Taronga zoo has an open-range zoo at Dubbo, as does Zoos Victoria with both Werribee Open Range zoo and Healesville wildlife sanctuary. South Australia has Monarto open-range zoo, partnered with Adelaide zoo.
In a statement, Barnett said the site was suitable for both large exotic animals and native Australian animals, and also appropriate for visitor infrastructure such as viewing platforms.
“People prefer to see large animals in big open areas similar to their natural habitat,” he said. “While Perth zoo remains excellent for smaller or tropical species, the establishment of an open-range zoo will allow Perth zoo to continue its important breeding and conservation work for the larger open-range animals whose numbers are dramatically declining in the wild.”
