An unusual sign
Sign at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
I was amused by this sign on one of the gates at Monarto Zoo, an open range zoo in South Australia.
At first glance you may be wondering what is so unusual about it.
It happens to be on a gate leading into the lions’ paddock!
Not the best place to be riding a bike, I’d say.
Lions, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Meerkats at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Meerkat at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
My local zoo, Monarto Zoo, has a small enclosure near the Visitor Centre which always attracts a lot of attention. The enclosure is on the way from the centre to the bus stop, and almost every visitor to the zoo passes by it. It is the Meerkat enclosure. This wonderful little animal is usually a crowd favourite.
The shuttle buses take visitors on guided tours of the zoo, as well as taking them to various stops along the way. Visitors can alight at any of these stops and walk along the numerous walking trails taking them to viewing platforms o see the animals.
On my most recent visit we thought that the Meerkats had gone to ground for the night. Sunset was not too far away and the zoo was about to close. Then one of them popped out to bid us goodnight, posing for photos – as they are wont to do.
Meerkat at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Meerkat at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Meerkat at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
African Wild Dogs, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
African Wild Dogs, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Monarto Zoo near Murray Bridge in South Australia has a large pack of African Wild Dogs on display. These colourfully marked animals are native to large parts of southern Africa. Sadly, their numbers have dwindled in recent decades and they number about 5000 individuals in the wild. Some packs are so small they are no longer viable breeding groups. Zoos like Monarto are therefore a key to the conservation of this species. You can read further about this species on the Adelaide Zoo website here.
On my recent visit the pack was resting right on the track taken by the shuttle bus, allowing excellent photos of the animals. I noticed that the dog shown below has a small wound on the back rump. I guess life can be rugged in a wild dog pack.
Further reading:
- African Wild Dogs – from the Adelaide Zoo website.
- Monarto Zoo
- ZooChat Forums – features nearly 1000 zoos from all over the world, with over 100,000 photos.
- Archived articles – more articles I’ve written about zoo animals.
African Wild Dogs, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
African Wild Dogs, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Giraffes at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Giraffe at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
The giraffe herd at Monarto Zoo here in South Australia is quite large. They have bred successfully over recent years and now number well over twenty. I took these photos on a recent visit and I love the shot above. One of the giraffes came up close to the shuttle bus and posed for me, looking straight at the camera on cue. I zoomed in and just captured its head.
Monarto Zoo near Murray Bridge is the largest open range zoo of its type in the world. It is about 45 minutes’ drive from the Adelaide city centre and is a part of Zoos South Australia.
Further reading:
- Giraffes – information about giraffes
- Monarto Zoo – web page of the zoo
- Adelaide Zoo – web page of the zoo
- ZooChat Forums – information about nearly 1000 zoos around the world.
- Archived articles – more articles I’ve written about zoos I have visited
The last 2 photos show a giraffe drinking. To do this they have to splay out their front legs in quite an ungainly manner. It is at this point that giraffes are most vulnerable and can easily be taken by animals like lions. The animal nearby is a Blackbuck.
Giraffe at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Giraffe at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Giraffe at Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Chital Deer, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Chital Deer, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Monarto Zoo, just a few kilometres from my home in Murray Bridge, is a part of the Adelaide Zoo. Until the 1980s Monarto was a farm, but in the 1990s it became an open range zoo, now the largest of its type in the world.This zoo has a large collection of Chital Deer and similar species like Blackbuck, Addax and Scimitar-horned Oryx.
Further reading:
- Chital Deer – on the Monarto Zoo webpage
- Monarto Zoo – more information about the zoo
- Adelaide Zoo
- ZooChat Forums – about zoos all over the world with over 100,000 photos.
- Archived articles – about zoos I have visited
Chital Deer, Monarto Zoo, South Australia
Chital Deer, Monarto Zoo, South Australia