Cairns Tropical Zoo : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cairns Tropical Zoo

Zoo in Queensland, Australia

16°45′29″S 145°39′46″E / 16.7581°S 145.6627°E / -16.7581; 145.6627Date opened1980Date closedMarch 2016LocationCairns, Queensland, AustraliaLand area6 ha (15 acres)MembershipsZoo and Aquarium Association^[1]Websitewww.cairnstropicalzoo.com.au

Cairns Tropical Zoo was a 6-hectare (15-acre) tropical zoo in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It had a small collection of native and introduced species, and was a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association. It was owned by the Freeman family.

The zoo opened in 1980 in a tranquil bushland area and grew to have the largest collection of animals in Far North Queensland. By 2015, the site was surrounded by suburbs and the zoo became a nuisance to local residents.^[2]

The zoo closed on 31 March 2016 with the land sold to a local developer. Many of the animals were relocated to other zoos and wildlife parks also operated by the Freeman family, including Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Kuranda with $2 million being spent on creating new exhibits.^[3]

References

^ "Member Location Map". zooaquarium.org.au. ZAA. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
^ Bateman, Daniel (21 October 2015). "Cairns Tropical Zoo to shut doors after 35 years". The Cairns Post. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
^ Bateman, Daniel (24 March 2016). "Wild times ahead as Cairns Tropical Zoo prepares to close next week". The Cairns Post. Retrieved 9 September 2016.