Platypus are notoriously hard to spot in the wild, but they can be seen in a variety of zoos in Australia. It is, however, a costly operation to provide a suitable artificial habitat and one which can fool the largely nocturnal platypus into being active while visitors in a darkened room behind the glass tank walls can goggle and ooh and aah at this cute and strange creature.
The latest wildlife park to provide this facility is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, which according to the Courier Mail (March 31, 2010) has just spent a million dollars to house Barak , one of the few platypuses to be bred in captivity.
Barak the Platypus at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Barak was not named for the current US president – his name does not include the letter C. Barak the platypus is now twelve years old, having been bred at the Healseville Sanctuary in Victoria back in 1998, one of twins. Barak has also been used in a breeding program with the female Binarri and is the father of two babies born in 2008 (Brisbane Times Mar 3, 2008).
At the time, this was a great groundbreaking event, as it was the first occasion that platypuses had been bred from other platypuses born in captivity. As so few of these creatures are to be seen in captivity in Australia – only 28 in 2009 (Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader 13 May 2009) – the ability to breed them and offer them to zoos around the country has been much-heralded.
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in an outer suburb of Brisbane has long been a must-see tourist spot for its 130 koalas and the opportunity for visitors to hold and be photographed with this cuddly creature (for a fee). Lone Pine has a wide range of other Australian native animals on display, as well, and the new platypusary is certain to bring the crowds.
Where to See Platypus
In Queensland, Lone Pine is one of two zoos or wildlife parks to feature the platypus and will no doubt become of of the top fun places in Brisbane. The extremely popular (Steve Irwin) Australia Zoo an hour from Brisbane does not. A small zoo on the Gold Coast, Fleay’s Wildlife Park at West Burleigh, is the other Queensland home of the duck billed platypus. Indeed, its founder, the late David Fleay (1907-93) was the first man to breed platypus in captivity.
Zoos and parks which have a platypus house or platypussary are scarce. One of the most famous is the Glen Eadie Healesville Sanctuary near Melbourne. Melbourne Zoo also features the platypus as one of its zoo animals. Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo has a platypus house, but Perth and Darwin zoos do not. In Adelaide, platypus can be viewed at the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary about 25 kilometres from the city. In Tasmania, Platypus House at Beauty Point, 40 minutes from Launceston, is the place to go.
As the Australian platypus is one of the most sought after sights for overseas visitors toBrisbane and other Australian cities, readers are requested to please enter a comment if they can add to the list of Australian zoos where this unique threatened but not endangered Australian creature can be seen.
