Adelaide Zoo is home to over 1,800 animals and almost 300 species of exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. We have a focus on endangered and rare animals from continents which made up the super continent Gondwana - South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

The zoo is also a botanic garden with many significant exotic and Australian trees in the gardens, including a superb Moreton Bay Fig near Minchin House, planted in 1877 before the establishment of the zoo.

The second oldest zoo in Australia, Adelaide Zoo represents a significant and important part of South Australia’s heritage and social history.

Adelaide Zoo is owned and operated by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. We are the only major metropolitan zoo in Australia to be owned and operated by a not for profit organisation. We are governed by a volunteer board on behalf of its members.

History of the Zoo

In 1878 the Acclimatisation Society of SA was formed.

In 1881 it became the SA Acclimatisation and Zoological Society and the government granted land for a Zoological Gardens on six hectares of land obtained from the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide.

In 1882 the name changed to SA Zoological and Acclimatisation Society and Adelaide Zoo opened to the public on 23rd May 1883. Like all Australian zoos, it was established at a time of great resurgence and interest in natural history and modelled on the major European zoos of that time.

In 1937, King George VI granted the Society a Royal Charter to celebrate the Society’s Diamond Jubilee. With it came the right to use the prefix ‘Royal’ and the opportunity was taken to remove ‘Acclimatisation’ from the title.

Role of the Zoo

Zoos play an important part in making the public aware of the beauty, diversity and value of the animal kingdom. Zoos are also vitally involved in education, conservation of species and research.

Zoos throughout the world now play a major part in the conservation and preservation of species that are in danger of extinction in the wild.

Important points to remember about animals in the modern zoo:

• very few are taken from the wild
• nearly all are captive-bred
• carefully managed and genetically controlled breeding programmes try to ensure that the most suitable individuals are bred
• appropriate progeny are distributed to other zoos to give the maximum advantage to the species
• new stock is obtained from the wild only when necessary

Exhibit Design

Adelaide Zoo is one of the leaders in Australia in enclosure design, with our new developments providing a vision for the future.

Better designed enclosures mean more relaxed animals, which impacts on important breeding programs. Many different landscaping features are also included in new exhibits to create a comfortable and interesting environment for the animals to live in and for visitors to view.

Once animals were kept in pairs, species by species, with cages grouped by zoological classification. Today, exhibits in Adelaide Zoo are designed so that different animal species live together, just as they do in the wild. Exhibits are grouped geographically and planted with trees and shrubs from the same region as the animals.

However, while Adelaide Zoo is a leader in exhibit design, some of our original animal enclosures have been retained to reflect past eras. The two most prominent examples are the Elephant House and the Nile Hippopotamus House.

Five structures are also listed on the Register of State Heritage Items and the City of Adelaide’s Register of Heritage Items.

• The Elephant House: Built in 1900, it reflects a uniquely ‘Victorian’ approach to housing zoo animals, namely in a building style symbolic of their place of origin. The ‘Indian-style’ temple is architecturally unique in South Australia.

• Head Keeper’s Cottage: Built in 1883, this was the original keeper’s residence and one of the earliest structures at the Zoo.

• The Main Gates and Entrance Walls: Built in 1883, this was the principal public entrance of the Zoo. They reflect a distinctive decorative masonry pattern typical of Victorian architecture.

• The Rotunda: Built in 1884, it was presented as a gift by Sir Thomas Elder as a venue for public entertainment. It is believed to be the largest of its kind in South Australia.

• The Directors Dwelling (now Minchin House): Built in 1887 Minchin House was formerly the residence of the Directors of Adelaide Zoo until the 1970s. In 2004 the house was renamed Minchin House to recognise the long association between the Minchin Family and Adelaide Zoo.