Adelaide Zoo's Tree Trail: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia
If you haven't been to the Adelaide Zoo of late, you'll find that you can't see the cages for the trees. And that's deliberate.They are putting the ‘Garden’ back into its full name- The Adelaide Zoological Gardens. In fact, when it comes to the amazing free-flying Macaw show in the central lawn area, the trees are absolutely vital.
The brilliantly coloured Macaws swoop low over the heads of the crowd between their fellow native, the South American Jacaranda tree, and the lemon scented gum. The Macaws, responding to the hand signals of their keepers, fly from tree to tree to the absolute delight of the crowd.
You’d think they’d just keep flying once they had the chance but this is home, they’ve been raised here since birth and see the bird-keepers as part of their family and, perhaps most importantly, this is where lunch is served!
It’s a scene that epitomizes what the 21st century zoo is all about. Rather than the animals having to adapt to the zoo, the zoo adapts to the animals. And it’s the strategic planting of trees and other vegetation that creates a slice of the animal’s habitat within a zoological environment.
Get a copy of the Adelaide Zoological Gardens bushfood guide to find your way round the splendid botanical specimens, old and new, from every corner of the world.
The drive back to nature at its leafy best has come from the CEO and so it comes as no surprise that Dr. Ed McCallister trained in botany and horticulture.He is passionate about the continuing greening of the Adelaide Zoo, but there are some old timers of which he is particularly fond.
A prime example is the massive Moreton Bay Fig planted in 1873. It’s a legacy of the early Botanic Park planting ( a decade before the zoo took this corner by the Torrens River). Now it’s home to a busy pair of South East Asian monkeys, the Dusky Langurs.
They are right at home scampering amongst the tree tops. With the Tapirs (also from the Malayan Peninsula) strolling nonchalantly below, anyone would think they’d been transported to the jungles of South East Asia! Slowly but surely, the zoo has moved away from cages and into geographical groupings of animals and plants.
Each year 43,000 school children come to the zoo school and one of their favourite places is the bamboo forest that wasn’t even there 10 years ago - nowadays children are swallowed up by the profusion of green. And the Malaysian sunbears, just like the kids, are right at home.
The playful Siamang apes have their own island complete with a Moreton Bay Fig tree transplanted from North Adelaide. Then, there’ s the larrikin juvenile's poolside play-plant, the Philodendron , a giant relative of the favourite indoor plant, Monstera Deliciosa.
Following the zoo's bushfood botanical guidebook you can track down a huge Queensland Macadamia tree - it’s the largest Ed’s ever seen - and maybe while you’re there you’ll catch a demonstration of the Palm Cockatoo’s amazing mechanical equipment and expertise in,” how to crack a nut without ruining it”. These parrots have it down to a fine art!
Jeff Lugg is the horticulturist who’s been busy greening the zoo under Ed’s masterplan and one of his latest charges is the Butterfly Garden on the way to the Orang Utans. The Butterfly Garden is a colourful and restful new meander, and soon there’ll be an accompanying brochure to instruct keen gardeners on how to attract our delicate flying friends.
The natural settings give photographers the perfect short cut to the wilds - just the bush and the animals without bars to obstruct the "au naturel" shot.
Back on the bushtucker trail you’ll find a giant Manna Gum - the Koala’s favourite in the wild - that stands sentinel over the lions' new den. The sheer size and power of the adults demands a strong and high enclosure and it’s all built around one of their favourite resting-places, an old Carob tree. The lioness may seem to be missing, but look hard enough and you’ll find her curled amongst its branches.
Next door the young cubs are close to outgrowing their space and will soon move on to bigger and better accommodation. Mum’s keeping the snap happy paparazzi at bay but there’s no denying these cubs are the stars of the show... and the star show-offs!
The zoo is open every day, the Macaws show at 1 pm. daily on the Central Lawn (weather permitting) and the Bushfood botanical booklet is available at $3.95 at the Zoo Shop.
The Adelaide Zoo
Frome Road,
Adelaide,
South Australia 5000Open 9.30am - 5.00pm daily.
Ph. (08)8267 3255
