When I first visited Healesville Sanctuary in 1974 it was an Australian animals for entertainment place. Few zoos in those days were focused on breeding endangered species and research. I worked at the London Zoo back then, in charge of keeping track of what zoos were doing ( or not doing) around the world. We kept tabs on 1000+ zoos and I delighted in visiting as many as possible on my trips abroad.
Healesville sanctuary catered to the visitor. You could cuddle a koala or play with a lapful of dingo pups and feed kangaroos. But they had an exibit which I still remember. It was the first time I actually saw a platypus swimming, my nose pressed to the glass of the aquarium. Just that experience was worth a return visit 26 years later.

I hardly recognized the sanctuary. Exibits were tucked along shaded walkways, and each seemed to be devoted to a special endangered species breeding project. The animals and birds generated their own entertainment with a strictly hands-off policy. Again the huge platypus exhibit was a highlight -- a whole building recreating a river bottom with three platypus zipping up and down and into their submerged burrows.
So artistically done it really is hard to believe it is not in the wild. Small wonder that Healesville bred their platypus last year -- a very rare and wonderful event. And proof that the platypus are also quite at home and happy there.

And so are many other rare creatures. The helmeted honeyeater's population is down to less than 50 but here they are flitting around a large aviary and nesting far from marauding cats or bulldozers tearing down their habitat. We spent a rewarding heart-warming day at Healesville. The sanctuary has blossomed from a small suburban zoo to a haven for endangered species. If all zoos followed its example endangered species would have a chance of surviving a while longer.

You can visit the Healesville Sanctuary web site at: http://www.zoo.org.au/hs
Nicole

Platypus

Yabby, food for the Platypus

Echidna

Dingo

Dingoes

A rare Tasmanian wallaby

Koala