This week we had the opportunity to head down to the San Diego Zoo, and preview their newest exhibit, The Australian Outback. This fantastic new exhibit features a koala colony, that is the largest outside of Australia, wombats, wallabies, kookaburras, and cockatoos. The exhibit also features an Aussie outback classroom, that is a big hit with the kiddos! The kids had so much fun in the classroom, learning all about the outback, and having fun at the same time!
The Queenslander House has very wide decks that open to the koala colony. The decks make you eye level with the koalas, and I kid you not when I say, that I could have spent hours watching the koalas sleep. They are one of my favorite animals on the planet. One thing we learned from Zookeeper Rick, the ambassador of the San Diego Zoo, is that although koalas look mighty cute and cuddly, the males don’t always see “eye to eye”. The male koalas have their own tree and are separated from each other, while the girls, are harmonious!
We had a blast watching the koalas sunbathe and nap. My kids absolutely went nuts in the Australian Classroom. They had the opportunity to play games, draw, learn all about the outback, and we even had the opportunity to listen to a kookaburra serenade us. We also learned from one of the zookeepers that koalas are the size of a jellybean when they are newborns, and instinctively find their way to their mother’s pouch.
The Australian Outback exhibit opened today, and you all have to check it out. We also spent a few hours walking through the zoo and probably only were able to catch 1/6th of the zoo. The San Diego Zoo is an amazing place and we can’t wait to go back a few more times this summer and wish our Aussie friends a G’Day!
To learn more about the exhibit head here.
Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. We were invited to preview the exhibit.