OUR LOCAL
CONSERVATION, RESCUE AND BREEDING PROGRAMS
P Have you ever looked into an African Lion’s eyes, just centimetres away, felt its breath and shared a moment; a peaceful gaze? If you haven’t, you should and you can at Darling Downs Zoo.
Y
ou can also hand feed zebras and giraffes, hold tiny marmosets and pat meerkats. It’s all part of the zoo’s “Personal Encounters” program which ensures you get to fulfil your dream of interacting with these amazing animals. It’s a humbling and joyous experience and one that owners of Darling Downs Zoo (DDZ), Steph and Steve Robinson, are happy to share. “The animals enjoy meeting people and in fact they really missed our visitors during COVID,” said Steph. “Especially the giraffes, they were just not themselves.” Steph and Steve started the zoo from scratch 15 years ago with just 50 acres and 100 animals across 20 species. Now they have 150 acres and 500 animals across 50 species. “Steve adores our animals,” said Steph. “He grew up with exotic animals having literally run away from home as a child and joined the circus. That’s where he learned to train big cats and he started rescuing and caring for any animals that were going to be destroyed – including a rather famous old female Jaguar that he saved.
“He started Robinson’s Family Circus and was collecting more and more animals all the time. So owning a zoo was a natural progression.” The meandering pathways at DDZ cover 1.8km but it doesn’t feel like a big zoo because it has a relaxed, friendly feel. It’s really a stroll in the country that just happens to include very close exotic animals.
HOW YOU CAN HELP? “We don’t need volunteers as such,” said Steph. “We need animal food, especially eucalypt for koalas – they are very fussy eaters. We also need acacia, tipuana and mulberry leaves for the giraffes. “We have planted trees to feed the animals but there is no way we could grow enough for them.” Steph says the local community was amazing during the COVID lockdown when there was no income for the Zoo but plenty of hungry mouths to feed. “People made donations and local farmers phoned us and said we could
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come and collect branches from their properties - which was fantastic. “Our weekly feed is sourced from many different places and includes fresh items such as fish and insects as well as special nuts and seeds and of course meat for the big cats.” The best way to support the Zoo and its conservation programs is to come and visit. Enjoy a day in the country and maybe include Nobby, Clifton and Allora while you’re out and about.
eople who own zoos don’t do it for the money. Read some Gerald Durrell, Benjamin Mee and even Steve Irwin and you’ll understand that zoo owners are absolutely dotty about exotic animals and the Robinsons are no exception. DDZ is not just for visitors. It contributes to a number of breeding programs for endangered animals including the Bilby and an African desert antelope called an “Addax”. “Our Bilbys aren’t on display,” said Steph. “We breed them for release into the wild, for the Charleville Bilby Centre and for other zoos. “The Addax is almost extinct in the wild but our buck Adam is proving to be a great breeder and he is doing his bit to ensure the survival of the species. “We are also part of an international program with approval to breed the Sri Lankan Leopard.”
COME VISIT! Darling Downs Zoo is our local zoo and it’s just 40 minutes from Toowoomba (ten minutes from Clifton/Nobby and Allora) on a hill with grassy pastures, native bushland and glorious views across the Pilton Valley. The Zoo is open to groups, including schools, they host birthday parties and even AGMs. You can enjoy the daily sausage sizzle or you can bring your own picnic and use the BBQ facilities on site.
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info@aaronleeretreat.com.au www.aaronleeretreat.com.au V1 - TCHE01Z01ST
TOOWOOMBA STYLE, Friday, August 7, 2020
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