Victoria's Werribee Open Range Zoo Will Soon Be Home to a Treetop Gondola with 360-Degree Views
As part of an $84-million makeover.
The animals at Victoria's Werribee Open Range Zoo haven't had a whole heap of visitors of late, with zoos some of the many venues forced to shut their doors as the state raced to contain the pandemic (twice). But, in the not-too-distant future, the zoo's giraffes, ostriches, rhinos and bison will have plenty of two-legged folk gawking at them, as the venue prepares to undergo an $84-million makeover in a bid to make it Australia's leading open range zoo.
Located 35 kilometres southwest of Melbourne's CBD, Werribee already offers a heap 'animal experiences', including giraffe feeding, bus safaris and sleepovers, but none are quite as fancy as what it's about to get: a treetop Sky Safari gondola. The 1.6-kilometre tour will have 360-degree views of the zoo and the You Yangs.
Werribee Open Range Zoo by Visit Victoria
The zoo's makeover will also include a 22-hectare home for the six Asian elephants currently located at Melbourne Zoo, a new rhino and bison site, and a waterhole precinct for humans.
Construction on the zoo is expected to kick off this year. In the meantime, it remains open to those who live within 25 kilometres — and, from November 9, hopefully everyone in Victoria.
To encourage local to visit, both Werribee Open Range Zoo and Melbourne Zoo are keepings their doors open until 8pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So, you can head there for a socially distanced picnic and watch the animals at sunset. With limited capacities, bookings are essential and can be made at the zoos' websites.
Find Werribee Open Range Zoo at K Road, Werribee South. We'll let you know when the new features open.
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