Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton, Queensland, Australia | Arts and entertainment

Darling Downs Zoo

Locality: Pilton, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 4696 4107

Address: Corner of Gatton-Clifton Road and Baines Road PILTON Q 4361 Pilton, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.darlingdownszoo.com.au/

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• Arts and entertainment
• Wildlife sanctuary

25.01.2022 Our VERY exciting new arrival- Iris! We are delighted to introduce you all to the newest member of our Giraffe herd. First time parents Tulip and Amahle are doing a fantastic job with little Iris, although she is already taller than her keepers!... Iris is the first Giraffe calf to be born at DDZ and we couldn't be more proud. Today was her first adventure out into our Giraffe paddock- making the journey up the hill to see them even more rewarding! Well done to everyone who guessed correctly over the last couple of days.

23.01.2022 Baby News! Welcome to the family Sapphire! Look who has arrived just in time for the school holidays! Those of you who are regular visitors will know that we have been waiting a looooong time for Zavannah to have her baby! This little filly foal was born on Friday night and is already alert, confident and inquisitive. She is on view every day with the rest of the herd. ... Zavannah came to us from a private collection in the State of Georgia and has proved to be a marvellous mum. She is one of the ten Zebras that we imported into Australia from Texas in 2014 and this little one is her third baby. The zoo is open every day from 9am til 4pm, with last entries at 3pm. Under our Covid SAFE Plan there is no need to book your entry in advance. You can buy tickets on arrival at the zoo.

23.01.2022 The zoo has received some much needed rain over the last couple of days. Unfortunately this means the giraffe paddock is very muddy and not safe for the Giraffe to walk on. They will be off display for a short time until their paddock dries out. You can still see them at a distance, it's hard to hide when you're tall!

20.01.2022 We have some VERY exciting news! Can you guess our latest arrival at the zoo A beautiful redhead, I weigh in at about 60kg.... By this time next year I'll have doubled my size!

18.01.2022 The Darling Downs Zoo has welcomed a new baby zebra named 'Zapphire'. The strong and spritely four-day-old is already a crowd pleaser with school holiday crowds.... "Baby is so robust, up and running almost immediately" - Owner, Steph Robinson Report on 7NEWS Toowoomba at 6pm. www.7NEWS.com.au #7NEWS

16.01.2022 Our final clue before the big reveal tomorrow! Any more guesses who I am?! The zookeepers have been waiting 15months for me, so one more day won't hurt!

14.01.2022 This weekend we had a very special meerkat encounter. Congratulations Alan and Belinda on your engagement! From all of us here at the zoo, we wish you all the best for your future together

10.01.2022 School holidays have arrived! Here at the Darling Downs Zoo we are open and GOOD TO GO! Groundskeeper Kaity has the zoo looking in tip top shape, the weather is perfect and we have been busy making improvements for your comfort.... Here is one of our new shade shelters in our African section We have some more improvements to unveil very shortly to make the zoo even more visitor friendly so what are you waiting for?! We are open daily 9am til 4pm (last admissions 3pm) no need to book in advance, we are GOOD TO GO!

06.01.2022 DG Q 3 David Orton interviews Darling Downs Zoo co owner Stephanie Robinson, during a shooting break for our Q 3 Convention adverts Some background information ...- The Darling Downs Zoo is situated midway between Toowoomba and Warwick. Its home to the largest and most varied collection of animals in regional Queensland. Our zoo opened to the public in 2005 and is privately owned by the Robinson family. When we first opened we started with about 100 animals of less than 50 species. Now our Zoo is home to over 500 animals with over 150 different species. When we opened we had to do everything with the help of just one employee, now we have 17 staff and still never enough hours in the day! Our original plan was to create complete environments, plants and animals, based on the Country of Origins of the animals Australia, South-East Asia, Africa and South America. We learnt early on that we were going to have to adapt when it comes to plants. From the freezing cold winters to the extreme heat in summer along with the black-soil, we discovered that many plants just cannot survive this environment. We also had to change our plans when it came to certain species of animals. For example, it is far too hot for some Asian species such as Red Panda and to cold for others such as Crocodiles. At least when it came to crocodiles we were able to get Alligators instead as they can handle the cold, without requiring heating through winter. But heating is much easier to supply, as opposed to cooling. Many species need heating through winter such as our small monkeys, Marmosets and Tamarins, our Brazilian Tapirs and Pygmy Hippopotamus, along with our Tortoises and Snakes. Our power bill in winter is very scary! We still work toward our original plans of having visitors walk through different country zones starting with Australia where you see animals such as Koalas, Wombats, Wallabies, Cockatoos of all colours, many unusual waterbirds, such as Spoonbills and much, much more! Then our visitors move into our South-East Asian area housing Apes and Monkeys, Tiger, pheasants & other birds, Antelope and Deer the children can feed plus giant Snakes and a young Komodo Dragon. Walking up the hill further takes visitors to Africa with majestic Lions (including White Lions), beautiful spotted Cheetah & Serval wild cats, huge Giraffe, Pygmy Hippo, Ostrich, stripy Zebras, white Antelope, crazy Baboons & Meerkats. Saving the best for last, South America monkeys galore Capuchins, Squirrel Monkeys, Marmosets & Endangered Tamarins (tiny monkeys), Maned Wolves, Llamas, unusual Tapir, Agouti & Mara (giant rodents!), brilliant endangered Macaws & Amazon Parrots, and many Reptiles like Boa Constrictors, giant Iguanas, American Alligators and young Giant Tortoises. Darling Downs zoo participates in global conservation programs for many of these species and has an enviable breeding record. We are open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. While the Coronavirus means we can’t educate the visitors with our usual demonstrations we hope everyone continues to visit and read our signs or ask questions to learn about the animals in our care. We have always prided ourselves on the personal touch we give our visitors and we can still do that with our Close Encounters. A limited number of visitors each day can pay extra to meet some of our animals such as the Meerkats, Big Cats, Giraffe, Zebra or Marmosets. An experience to remember! As a TV presenter once said to us, You’ve got to see it, to believe it! We hope we see you all one day soon Steve & Stephanie Robinson. Darling Downs Zoo PO Box 10 CLIFTON QLD 4361 Ph: 07 4696 4107 0427 632 976 [email protected] [email protected] www.darlingdownszoo.com.au Lions please consider coming for a bbq lunch and guided tour. Or perhaps assisting in a fund raising event for our LCI global theme environment (contact Q3 environment chair- Debbie Williams). Stepehanie and her team would be happy to discuss meeting your requirements.

06.01.2022 We visited the Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton on the weekend!! AWESOME!! This animal welfare accredited zoo supports captive husbandry & breeding of many Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable species from around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5bS60iD91g&t=4s

06.01.2022 Our newest arrivals aren't always easy to spot! Our Bush Stone-curlew chicks are amazingly well camouflaged, as are their eggs. They are laid in a shallow scrape nest on the ground and rely on this colouration for safety. The adult birds are known for their eerie wailing calls weeeer-loooo!

04.01.2022 Staff at Darling Downs Zoo are celebrating an adorable new addition, with the birth of their first giraffe calf. Just under a week old, the not-so-little girl ...stands tall enough to eyeball her keepers. www.7NEWS.com.au #7NEWS

03.01.2022 A baby boom at the Darling Downs Zoo is producing another bundle of joy for keepers as they celebrate the birth of their first giraffe calf. ‘Iris’ isn’t even ...a week old yet and already towers over her keepers. Her grandfather ‘Forest’ currently holds the Guinness World Records for the world’s tallest giraffe, standing at 5.7 metres high. "It's very important for the breeding program and this little girl’s lineage is quite important - Darling Downs Zoo, Stephanie Robinson. Report on 7NEWS Toowoomba at 6pm. www.7NEWS.com.au #7NEWS

01.01.2022 Have you met Rex? Rex is our male Australian Bustard (also known as Wild Turkey). These impressive birds can stand at over a metre tall, and as you can see they have mad jumping skills! During breeding season he will inflate his throat sac to produce a deep roaring call and put on a display for his lady.