Australia Zoo, NZA Group B

Yesterday was one of the best days of the trip so far. Beforehand, I had no idea what to expect. Everyone else was excited and mentioned how Steve Irwin was very influential to them during their childhood. They explained to me how Steve Irwin would wrestle with crocodiles and live life on the edge. I was definitely intrigued, but I still thought that the Australia Zoo would be the same as any other zoo in the world. And I’m glad to say that I was wrong. 

Upon entering the zoo, we were greeted by a life size bronze statue of the Irwin family (including their dog, Sui) holding a crocodile. Instantly, the zoo felt very welcoming and close knit. Shortly after, we were met with kind zookeepers handling a few lizards (the shingleback being my personal favorite), snakes, a hawk, and even a koala! Off the bat, I was impressed, yet it only got better from there! 

After getting up close to a few animals, we continued making our way through the park. As I glanced around at the signs directing us around the park, I was surprised to see that I didn’t recognize any of the animals. There were cassowaries, binturongs, dingoes, and tasmanian devils (another one of my personal favorites)! The zoo was also filled with many other exotic and many people’s favorites such as giraffes, lemurs, rhinos, and tigers. It was great to see such a diverse and unique array of animals! Everyone’s favorite animals by far, however, were definitely the kangaroos. In the kangaroo exhibit (commonly known as Kangaroo Heaven), we were all in a field full of kangaroos and were able to feed and pet them freely. This idea felt very foreign to me at first. I’ve never been to a zoo that is so open with their animals. However, before I knew it, we were all taking selfies with the kangaroos and had no problem approaching them. Myself and many others in the group are now convinced that we want a pet kangaroo (you’re welcome parents, take notes!)! 

Once we had met with all the cuddly (and yet sometimes dangerous) animals, we went to the Croccoseum to meet our new scaly friend, Graham. Graham is a huge saltwater crocodile and the star of the show. It was both fascinating and terrifying to watch the two crocodile trainers flaunt Graham’s stealth and strength. Graham would effortlessly glide his way through the water and then jump up to catch his food, snapping his powerful jaw together with one loud clap. As ferocious as Graham seems, he’s just like any other animal. He does what he can to get by. Unfortunately, people (including myself) have misunderstood these creatures and in response have hurt them and their ecosystem. Steve Irwin’s dream is to show people these magnificent animals up close in order to create a connection between people and animals. This doesn’t only go for crocodiles as well, as shown by Steve Irwin’s greatest legacy, the Animal Hospital. 

Directly connected to the zoo, the animal hospital is a treatment and rehabilitation center for both the animals in the zoo and animals from the surrounding area. The hospital was very eye opening to me. We got to see first hand how the staff dedicated all they had to helping the injured animals that come their way. With the recent fires, many volunteers have come in to help where they can. At the moment, everyone is working hard to rehabilitate the koalas affected by the fires. After touring the animal hospital, it occurred to me just how important Steve Irwin’s message is. 

Steve Irwin devoted his life to protecting animals and acted as a spokesperson for them. He saw that there was injustice and didn’t wait to do what was right. He and his family created the Australian Zoo to show the world that there has been a big misunderstanding between us and these animals. These animals are beautiful creatures that enrich our planet. Without them, the earth as we know it today would disperse and lose its beauty and life. That is why it is so important that we heed Steve Irwin’s advice and learn to come to an understanding before we jump to conclusions and pick up our pitchforks. I believe that if we apply this belief to- not only the wellbeing of animals- but of every one and thing, the world is guaranteed to have a better future. 

P.S. Animals are cool. Also we are all still alive.