A Sanctuary for over a Century: the history of Perth Zoo

In 1897, the Director of Melbourne Zoo, Mr Albert Le Souef, was invited by the Western Australian Acclimatisation Committee to choose a site for Perth's proposed zoo. The South Perth site was chosen and Perth Zoo opened in 1898 with two lions, a tiger and six staff. Originally the role of the Zoo was one of recreation and entertainment.

Step back in time...

Imagine what it might have been like visiting Perth Zoo at the turn of the century, dressed in your finery, excited at the prospect of having a ride on elephant, Ranee; feeding the monkeys; enjoying a picnic on the lawns; and taking a bath in the natural hot springs. After a relaxing dip in the mineral-rich waters and a relaxing massage, you were off to the tea rooms for Devonshire tea, and then a delightful stroll through the gardens. You may well have been inspired to visit the Zoo after reading a report from a visitor to Perth Zoo in 1901...

The evening concerts, where you could dance the night away under fairy lights, were held on the Zoo oval. The oval — now the African Savannah exhibit — was the place to go enjoy a ride on the Zoo Train, or sit in the grandstand and watch the baby shows, marching girl competitions, and fireworks displays.

If you were visiting Perth Zoo on 25 July 1902, you would have witnessed the Duke and Duchess of York planting two Norfolk Island pine trees which are referred to as the King and Queen trees (located behind the current Australian Bushwalk).

Perth Zoo owes the beauty of its gardens to the foresight of Le Souef, who saw the horticultural possibilities of the site chosen for the Zoo. Because of the sandy condition of the soil, during the first eight years of planting, two loads of manure were collected twice a day by horse and cart from East Perth (a 10km return trip) in order to improve structure of the soil. Many of the palms and bamboo were planted before the Zoo was opened in 1898, and because of Le Souef's love of these plants, Perth Zoo now has the finest display in Western Australia.

Viewing the animals was a source of enjoyment for visitors, but what did they really think about the way the animals were displayed? Iron bars, concrete and small display areas made it easy for the visitor to view the animals, and easy for the keepers to clean. However little thought was given to displaying animals in exhibits simulating the animals' natural habitat.

Changes for the better

Today, the visitor to Perth Zoo is presented with a very different picture to those described by visitors in the early 1900's, and even to those of 10 years ago.

Perth Zoo now houses around 1300 animals from 200 different species, looked after by a staff of about 200.

The changing role of education at Perth Zoo is intrinsically linked to the changing nature and mission of the Zoo itself.

Perth Zoo aims to provide experiences of wild animals which would otherwise be unavailable to people, and seeks to develop, through these experiences, positive community attitudes towards wildlife which benefit both society and the environment. This vision is reflected in the Perth Zoo's Mission.

Realising the vision of the Zoo has meant a great many changes. Most obvious of these is the replacement of the cement and wire enclosures with naturalistic exhibits...

The Asian Elephant Exhibit
Gone is the concrete jungle — the new exhibit is surrounded by tropical vegetation and within the exhibit the elephants are provided with a pool, shady trees, large rocks, and secure, comfortable night quarters.

The Oriental Small-clawed Otter
Moved from their old concrete castle, these otters can now be viewed through a glass window, which allows the visitor to observe them swimming and diving in a simulated river bed.

Life on the Lakes
Both the Main Lake and Australian Wetlands exhibit are home to a wide variety of bird life, including pelicans, Jabirus, ducks, cormorants, spoonbills, egrets, swans and herons. The Black-handed Spider Monkeys and White-cheeked Gibbons find sanctuary on the islands in the middle of the Lake as the water forms a natural barrier. Visitors are now able to view these primates high in their naturalistic habitat.

Apes and Monkeys — It's All Relative!
Perth Zoo is home to a number of species of apes including orang-utans, Silvery Gibbons, and 21 species of other primates including baboons, marmosets, tamarins and lemurs. Most of our primates have been moved from their concrete cages and into exhibits designed to give the animals a sense of their natural habitat.

The Great Cats
Moved from their concrete and iron barred cages, the majesty, spirit and movement of lions, tigers and cheetahs can be observed closely in exhibits designed to reflect the cats' natural habitat as much as possible.

African Savannah
Replacing a variety of old concrete and barred cages, the African Savannah is the most extensive and dramatic construction project ever undertaken by Perth Zoo. Planned to provide an 'immersion experience', visitors may well feel they are part of an African landscape as they view zebra, rhino, giraffe, hyena and meerkats from a meandering pathway which simulates a dry riverbed.

• provides a recreational venue where living native and exotic animals are displayed and which acquaints the visitor with many facets of nature;

• aims to increase the public's general knowledge of animals and their environments by providing educational opportunities and informative materials. A better informed public is also one that is more critical of housing and care of animals; zoos must continually strive for improvement in these areas;

• uses educational facilities, informative zoo materials, and interpretive signage to reflect biological knowledge;

• is an important contributor to scientific knowledge through research and breeding;

• has left behind the "trial and error" approach to animal keeping. The care of zoo animals has become a scientific endeavour for zoos, with stringent requirements for animal husbandry and housing of zoo animals;

• has a key role to play in species conservation. The growing threats to nature necessitate the careful and coordinated management of zoo animal collections. Captive breeding programs of threatened species are essential to the survival of these species in the wild;

• is interlinked to zoos worldwide through common goals for conservation, species managment, and breeding loans; and

• strives to enlarge the role of off-site habitat restoration and reintroduction of species back into the wild by networking with other Government agencies and non-Government organisations.