Western Plains zoo an alluring retreat

AT BEST, we read about zoos in are inthe travel pages and get excited when an endangered species has been successfully reared in captivity in some remote zoo and we make a mental note to drop on by when we are next there.

Zoos exist for many reasons with the main one being as a place for people to see animals that they would normally only see on television or just read in books.

How many Asians are ever going to get a chance to roam the remote and vast Mongolian grasslands in search of the near-extinct and the unique Przewalski's horse?

Zoo management also claim they are important for animal research, captive breeding programmes and for education. While many conservationists support the valuable work done by zoos, they argue that species preservation is probably done better, and more cheaply, in situ in the animals' native habitat.

In other words, breeding endangered species in zoos doesn't work that well and that protecting habitats so that species can reproduce naturally, is the best answer.

So how important then is education? It could be argued that the plight of endangered animals can be brought to the attention of the public through them seeing such animals in zoos.

While most zoos communicate their care for conservation, research and education, it's funding that determines a lot of what goes on within the enclosures.

People the world over are attracted to zoos to see the icon species such as monkeys, elephants, African lions, pandas, gorillas, monkeys, giraffes, chimpanzees, polar bears and seals. The birth of a baby panda does wonders for zoo box office takings.

While efforts have been made to remove much of the concrete that zoo architects once favoured, there's no denying that large animals need space and this is a commodity in short supply.

In these current days of privatisation, zoos have to compete for most government funding despite animals being a tourism drawcard.

Take as an example of the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, Malaysia. Its existence is possibly the main reason tourists are attracted to this part of Sabah. Singapore Zoo, especially its Night Safari, is a big attraction for the island bringing in tourists who spend their tourism dollars here and on a whole range of associated activities.

The state of New South Wales offers some hope for animals being reared in surroundings approximate natural habitats. Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo was running out of space some years ago in its harbourside location. Faced with a lack of land especially for the large animals, a decision was made to relocate sections of the zoo to a broad-acre location so that the large animals would be able to roam more freely.

Taronga has sent most of its large animals to the Western Plains Zoo.

In 1977 the Western Plains Zoo proudly opened in Dubbo some five hour's drive west of Sydney. Then, it displayed 35 different animals and due to its resounding success, this figure has grown to over 1,000 animals including the famed endangered black rhinoceros.

The zoo layout is superb and just perfect for seeing animals in a semi-wild location on the arid plains of central New South Wales. Through a system of natural barriers like moats and ditches with discrete fencing, there's nothing between visitors and the herds of antelopes, wild buffalos, lions and rhinoceros.

This creates a thrilling impression of being with the animals in the wild. Visitors can use their own car to go on safari to travel around the zoo stopping at each exhibit, or hire an electric vehicle, bicycle or walk. Then an undulating road encircles the zoo and some 15 kilometres of trails snake through the zoo.

The zoo offers visitors the opportunity to observe many exotic species as well as some rarely seen Australian animals. The large exhibits give animals plenty of space to run, hide and interact as they would in their natural habitats. It provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the true behaviour of many of these species.

Some of the endangered species on display include the scimitar horned oryx (listed on the IUCN Red List as extinct in the wild), African wild dog (endangered), cheetah (vulnerable), white-handed gibbon (near threatened), siamang (near or almost threatened), Przewalski's horse (extinct in the wild) and malleefowl (vulnerable).

Western Plains Zoo has made valuable contributions to wildlife conservation and is involved in several globally significant captive breeding programmes. Przewalski's horse is one programme as the species has been extinct in the wild since the 1960's. The zoo is part of an international programme that is re-introducing the horse to its former habitat. Western Plains Zoo acquired a herd of 43 horses from England in 1982 and in 1995, five of the zoo's offspring joined wild herds in Mongolia.

The zoo is committed to many other conservation programmes for all the Australian endangered species as well including the greater bilby, malleefowl and bridled wallaby.

While there are always some conservationists would claim that the best way to preserve endangered species is to protect the habitats, others would argue that this isn't always possible. A happy compromise would be to do both where possible to establish large tracts of land as national parks for the protection of animals and plants, and to have zoos where urban people can learn about the plight and importance of plants and animals.

If zoos do nothing more than educate the public that there are threatened animal species and that there are solutions to their plight, then they have succeeded.

The Western Plains Zoo is open daily and there's a range of cheap accommodation and services in the adjoining town of Dubbo just a few kilometres away. It's a family-friendly location with accommodation ranging from camping grounds to motels. Dubbo is a relaxed half-day drive from Sydney but as there are many things to see along the way during your trip, at least three days could be allocated to visiting Dubbo.

The Brunei Times