Australian Reptile Park, Wildlife park in Central Coast Council, Australia
The Australian Reptile Park is a wildlife sanctuary in Somersby on the Central Coast of New South Wales, about 60 km northwest of Sydney. Its entrance is a low tan facade of blocky pillars and panels with a wide central opening; above it sits a large sculpted reptile with a broad frilled head, bumpy back and long tail, and raised gold letters reading "AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK". The park holds close to 50 reptile species, including Komodo dragons, tuataras and American alligators, alongside kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils and cassowaries.
Eric Worrell opened the Ocean Beach Aquarium at Umina Beach in 1950, where he began milking snakes for the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. In 1958 he moved the collection to Wyoming and renamed it Eric Worrell's Australian Reptile Park, which opened to the public on 3 October 1959. The park relocated to Somersby in 1996, reopening on 7 September.
Staff regularly collect dangerous spiders from the public and use them to produce lifesaving antivenom. Visitors can watch through glass windows as spiders and snakes are milked.
The park sits one hour from Sydney and Newcastle and offers parking, a café and barbecue areas. Sturdy shoes are advisable for walking paths through the bushland.
The Tasmanian devil enclosure is one of the largest in Australia and helps protect this threatened species. The park also breeds wombats and releases them into the wild.
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