Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve Logo |
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Cairns Wildlife Entrance |
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| Date opened | 2003 (as Mareeba Wild Animal Park)[1] 2006 (as Cairns Wildlife Safari) |
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| Location | Kuranda Queensland |
| Land area | 53.16 hectares (131 acres)[2] |
| Number of animals | 92 |
| Number of species | 25+ |
| Major exhibits | 22 |
| Website | cairnswildlifesafarireserve.com.au |
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve is a 53 hectares (131 acres) zoological park outside Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. The park is privately owned and operated by Jenny Jattke, and is currently for sale.[2] It was formerly known as "Mareeba Wild Animal Park" and "Out of Africa Reserve".
The park maintains a collection of both exotic and native animals.
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The zoo was originally opened by David Gill in 2003 (who also owns South Lakes Wild Animal Park in England) as the Mareeba Wild Animal Park. It was forced to close and was liquidated in 2004[3] amid some controversy over permits to transfer animals from a zoo that was closing in the Norther Territory,[1] and David Gill returned to England.[4] Local volunteers cared for the animals in the park with donations from the public until ZooWorks consultants were hired by the zoos administrators. In September 2006 Udo and Jenny Jattke purchased the zoo and spent $100,000 upgrading the facility.[4] It re-opened in September 2006 as Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve.[4] Many of the volunteers were offered keeper positions by the new owners.. The Zoo is currently for sale with an asking price of around $2 million amid controversy over the failure to pay staff and the ownership of some of the animals.[2][5]
The reserve maintains a large lion pride, primates, and rhinoceros among other animals.
The zoo sends lions to other areas of Australia to participate in breeding programs.[6]
In 2007, Jattke negotiated with Sea World in Gold Coast, Queensland to populate Sea World's new hippo exhibit.[7]
In 2008 the zoo started its Sumatran Tiger breeding program in line with recommendations from the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). The Zoo's resident male tiger and a female on loan from Perth were paired together. In 2009 the female gave birth to a cub on 13 December,[8] the cub died only 17 days later from severe gastroenteritis.[9]
In March 2009 Cairns Safari welcomed two Asian Small-clawed Otter's from UnderWater World at Mooloolaba.
In November 2009 Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve was granted Full Institutional membership by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). It is one of only three Zoo's in Queensland to obtain ZAA accreditation.[10]
In March 2010 the zoos only Siamang was joined by two males from Melbourne Zoo.[11]
In September 2006 an adult male African lion escaped its enclosure through a break in the fence. Tim Husband, the Zoo Curator at the time, secured the animal in a holding area until Vets arrived to tranquilise it and return it to its enclosure.[12][13]
In May 2010 it surfaced that staff at the zoo were going without pay and had been on pay cuts for around six weeks to ensure the animals did not go hungry. Staff complained to a local newspaper about the issues.[14][15]
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