One of my most favourite places in Sydney is Taronga Park Zoo and I have until recently, made an annual passage across the harbour and strolled down the hill viewing all the exhibits.
The only way you should do Taronga Zoo if you are South Side is to catch the ferry across from Circular Quay to Mosman and then ride the Safari Cable cars up to the top then weave your way down.
But Taronga Zoo was not always harbour side and Sydney's world famous zoo began life out at Moore Park in an area called Billy Goat Swamp that now houses Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls High School. This very first zoo opened way back in 1884. But this zoo outgrew its land mass and so the animals all moved, literally, across the harbour and Taronga Zoo as we know it today opened on 7th October 1916.
The zoo only became the education and conservation focused zoo we know today after a critical review in 1967. Before that we had monkey circuses and elephant rides, but these were replaced with Friendship farms and a Seal Theatre.
In 2000 a new elephant enclosure was built and 5 Asian elephants were purchased amid great controversy and resulted in the animals being quarantined for some time. They eventually made it to the zoo and the first elephant to be born at Taronga occurred on the 4th July 2009 called Luk Chai.
Since then a new attraction has been constructed and opened called the Great southern Ocean in 2008 housing marine animals from that part of the world.
Today there are around 340 species at Taronga Zoo and over 2,600 animals in attractions such as the Nocturnal House, African Safari and many other habitats.
Go for the animals and enjoy their friendliness and share their lovely view of Sydney
J G S
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