Zoos SA
Zoos SA is a non-government conservation charity, every visit, adoption, donation and ticket helps to save species from extinction.

Zoos SA is a conservation charity with more than 45,000 members.

We are a long established and treasured part of the South Australian community, having shared the wonder of our zoos since 1883.

Our Purpose

is to connect people with nature and save species from extinction.

Adelaide Zoo

Where in Australia can you step off a busy CBD street and in just a few minutes experience the thrill of hand-feeding Australasia’s only Giant Pandas, rubbing shoulders with our native koalas and wallabies, hear the guttural roar of an African lion or feel a flutter of wind on your face as a Blue-and-gold Macaw swoops just centimetres above your head? The answer? Adelaide Zoo.

An award-winning, not-for-profit, conservation charity with ZAA accreditation, Adelaide Zoo’s mission is to connect people with nature and save animals from extinction.

With over 2,500 animals calling Adelaide Zoo home, visitors turn adventurers as they explore their way through our jungle-like botanic gardens, finding themselves within a whisker of our native and exotic animals in natural, unique and stimulating environments. And when it’s time to leave? Their minds are filled with new memories and an interest in wildlife conservation firmly planted.

A lush and green oasis in the heart of Adelaide, no trip to South Australia is complete without a visit to the award-winning Adelaide Zoo.

Monarto Safari Park

Where else in Australia can you hand-feed endangered species like rhinos, get knee-high to a giraffe, within clawing distance of the most fearsome cats of all, or experience the ultimate heart-racing luxury of arriving at the park via helicopter before enjoying a three course lunch? Answer? Nowhere!

Monarto’s vast expanse of South Australian outback is transformed into African wild plains where giraffe, lion, hyena and even rhinos roam alongside native and endangered animals.

With more than 70% of the species at Monarto Safari Park threatened with extinction in the wild, a visit to Monarto delights, inspires and educates and brings the fight to save animals from extinction to life through innovative experiences, encounters and tours.

Just one hour from the city, Monarto Safari Park transports visitors from the hustle of the city to wild and open plains.

Animal welfare

Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park are accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and dedicated to the continuous support of positive animal welfare through a science-based approach.

We care deeply for all our furry, feathered and scaled friends so when we’re talking about welfare, we refer to the different feelings and sensations each animal under our care experiences, ranging from positive to negative, given the conditions in which it lives in.

Providing tip-top care for our animals is one of our highest priorities at Zoos SA. We do so using a science-based approach to animal welfare that focuses on the Five Domains: Environment, behaviour, nutrition, health and positive mental state.

Find out more

Shield outline encompassing silhouettes of Tasmanian Devil, shark and Kiwi with black text that says 'Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia'

Beyond our sites

Our core business continues to focus on zoo visits and educational services which have transformed to become more adaptive, diverse and interactive. However, Zoos SA’s broader commitment to protecting wildlife has significantly grown as we demonstrate world class zoo standards and contribute to local and global efforts to save species.

Both Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park have celebrated outstanding breeding success and our captivating, quirky and unique animals have captured the hearts of our visitors.

Our Approach

At the heart of our purpose are a set of principles that guide how we operate:

The ethical care and welfare of animals is our priority, as directed by our Animal Welfare Charter.

We apply a science-based approach to our conservation work and adopt the highest standards for wildlife health, management and husbandry.

We are uniquely placed to reach and engage with communities and to grow support for conservation locally, nationally and globally.

We believe that everyone has a role to play in conservation. Our sites, experiences and the way we engage with our many audiences are opportunities to share knowledge, influence behaviour and inspire action to save and protect species and their habitats.

Through our Reconciliation Action Plan, we are committed to working collaboratively with Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri peoples as the traditional custodians of the Country our sites are located on. We will also connect and engage with the traditional custodians of the lands across Australia on which we learn, care for animals and conduct conservation work.

To achieve universal accessibility, we endeavour to engage with all communities and to be diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive.

Our aim is to provide visitors with an experience that is enjoyable, safe, accessible and inclusive and inspires positive action for conservation.

We will apply and showcase sustainable practices in the planning, daily operations and management of our sites.

Each of us is responsible for providing a safe, positive and enjoyable working environment.

Our success is influenced by creativity, innovation and the use of technology to adapt and continuously improve.

Building relationships with like-minded partners, sponsors and donors is vital to our capacity to deliver on our purpose within and beyond our gates.

We are independent and non-party political.

Zoos SA Strategic Plan and Business Plan

Zoos SA’s has five Strategic Directions that sets the agenda for what we want aim to deliver.

These are:

  • Achieving positive and impactful outcomes for conservation
  • Delivering expertise and excellence in wildlife care and animal welfare
  • Connecting with and influencing our audience
  • Demonstrating and championing environmental sustainability
  • Innovating and growing our organisation.

 

Zoos SA’s Strategic Directions are supported by detailed planning initiatives including our Master Plan and Conservation Directions.

Our Business Plan determines how Zoos SA will work toward these directions each year, allowing us to take into account the ever changing business climate, emerging conservation imperatives, opportunities and risks.

About Zoos SA

Zoos SA is a not-for-profit conservation charity that exists to connect people with nature and save species from extinction. Zoos SA acknowledges the Country on which we stand always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land and we pay our deepest respect and gratitude to Kaurna (Adelaide Zoo) and Ngarrindjeri (Monarto Safari Park) Elders, past, present and emerging. We undertake critical conservation work throughout Australia and acknowledge the traditional custodians of these lands.

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