Melbourne Zoo, Zoological park in Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne Zoo is a zoological park in Parkville, Melbourne, Australia, showcasing animals from every continent in themed enclosures. The grounds cover 22 hectares and house over 300 species in habitats that recreate tropical forests, Australian bushland, and open savannahs.
The Zoological Society of Victoria formed in October 1857 and first kept animals at Richmond Paddock; the zoo opened in Royal Park on 6 October 1862 on 55 acres donated by the City of Melbourne, modelled on London Zoo. Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souef, appointed in 1870, brought in exotic animals and developed the gardens. The society gained the "Royal" prefix in 1910, and the state took over the zoo through the Zoological Gardens Act 1936.
The zoo's name and prefix come from the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, which was granted the title "Royal" in 1910. The carousel, built in England and brought to Australia in 1886 by a touring carnival family, was bought by the zoo in 1997 after the fun fair closed. The Japanese garden's pond island is home to Siamang gibbons.
Access is via Royal Park station on the Upfield line or tram routes 58 and 19, both stopping at the entrance. The grounds are open daily and offer wheelchair-friendly paths along with toilets and baby change facilities in all major areas.
The carousel was made in England and brought to Australia in 1886 by a family running a touring carnival; after more than 60 years on the road it came to the zoo's fun fair in 1952, and the zoo bought it in 1997 when that fair closed. The zoo's elephant herd moved to Werribee Open Range Zoo in February 2025, and the Trail of the Elephants precinct was renamed Forest of Wonder.
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