By Stephen Linnell
WERRIBEE Zoo is aiming to almost triple its number of animals as part of an ambitious plan to entice more visitors and stamp the facility as the leading attraction of its kind in Australia.
Under the plan, animal numbers would grow from 350 to 1000 and include the introduction of new species such as African wild dogs, baboons and mongooses.
The zoo’s new chief executive, Jenny Gray, has begun the process of reviewing the long-term plan for the iconic western suburbs tourist facility.
Ms Gray revealed her three-point plan in an exclusive interview with Star. Under the plan, the zoo aims to:
• Substantially increase visitations;
• Strengthen and grow the animal population; and
• Become a significant player in education and conservation issues.
To achieve these goals, Ms Gray has indicated the need for Werribee Zoo to build on the strong foundations already in place. “I think it’s still in its developmental stage,” she said.
“We need to strengthen the (animal) population. The biggest advantage of Werribee is that we don’t have to build small enclosures – we can build very large ones.
“The concept of big enclosures, mixed exhibits, seeing animals in as natural a setting as you’d find them anywhere, is exciting.”
Ms Gray took up her new position in January, having been chief executive of Johannesburg Zoo since 2004. The 43-year-old oversaw rapid major development of the South African inner-city zoo, which had more than 2000 animals on 54 hectares.
Before discovering the animal kingdom, Ms Gray completed a civil engineering degree and a masters in transportation engineering. “Once you run zoos you can’t do anything else,” she said. “It’s very addictive.”
Ms Gray’s engineering background will hold her in good stead at Werribee, which will require the construction of additional enclosures and facilities in order to fulfil her lofty development goals.
“A decent-sized zoo shouldn’t be sitting on 350 animals. I’d like to see us near 1000 animals because then you don’t see everything and you need to come back again,” she said.
“Those extra 600 animals are going to be smaller animals and we’ll need the facilities to look after them.”
She highlighted the need for increased veterinary services and plans for a new collaborative approach with the University of Melbourne’s veterinary science clinic at Werribee.
High on the agenda is construction of winter housing for the open range zoo’s giraffes. “The cold winters down here are pretty brutal on giraffe. As we grow our herd we’ll need to fix that,” she said.
Ms Gray has not set a timeline for the development of the zoo, however she expects to achieve a great deal during the course of her initial three-year contract.
“If the plan is so solid and so well bought into by everyone, it carries on long after individuals have passed on. I would like to get that process going here,” she said.
Part of that process will be to significantly increase patronage. Only three per cent of international tourists visit Werribee’s Zoo, compared with 15 per cent who travel to the Healesville wildlife sanctuary.
“It’s got to become the kind of zoo that people will travel to see. That’s the vision we have,” Ms Gray said.
Visitations at Johannesburg Zoo increased from 267,000 to 440,000 a year during Ms Gray’s tenure. Werribee has about 260,000 vistors a year.
In order to increase those numbers Ms Gray has highlighted the need to continually open new exhibits and substantially add to the animal population.
She has also indicated the need for the zoo to build on strengths such as its special interest tours.
