Main Trail

Budding animal enthusiasts can be a zookeeper, vet, horticulturalist or researcher for a day at our Keeper Kids indoor playspace and outdoor Research Garden. With dress-ups and toys for role-play, and programs run by early childhood qualified staff, kids will hear stories and enjoy craft, music and movement activities as well as animal encounters. It's hours of educational entertainment!

The Red Panda lives in dense forests in the mountains of Asia. Its reddish fur camouflages this beautiful little animal against the red tree lichen. It has a thick under layer that insulates its body against the cold and its feet are furred for walking on snow.

Siamangs are the largest of the gibbon species. They are native to Southeast Asia, living in evergreen tropical rainforests. Siamang pairs form lasting bonds. They get around using an arm-swinging technique called brachiation. They're amazing singers—each pair has a unique song that they use for marking territory. You can see our Siamang family in the Japanese Garden.

Tropical birds soar, roost and squawk in the branches. These spectacular birds include Green-winged Macaws, Blue-and-gold Macaws, Red-fronted Macaws, and Buffon’s Macaws.

In the dry Serengeti of Tanzania, families of Plains Zebras gather to form large herds. This species of zebra has broad stripes, especially towards its rump, that range from black to dark brown. Zebras are very sociable. You can enjoy their playfulness at our zoo!

When fully grown, a giraffe can be taller than five metres. They have excellent eyesight and can see a human standing 2km away! Giraffes communicate through snorts, grunts and grumbling. Found in the wild across Africa, they are considered vulnerable. This is mainly because of poaching and people encroaching on their habitat.

Hamadryas Baboons have brought pleasure to our visitors since 1948. In the wild, across the north-east African savannah, baboons come together in troops of up to 400 animals. Each baboon's role within the extended family is reinforced through constant interactions. Other social cues include their pink posteriors, with an enlarged, bright rear signalling the dominant male.

The Tapir is found in Central and South America and Asia. Experts believe they belong to an ancient animal family, from before the continents drifted apart. Despite their elephant-like trunk, their relatives are horses and rhinos. They use their little trunks to pick vegetation, pulling leaves and shoots within reach of their mouths.

The Collared Peccary is found in North, Central, and South America. They’re omnivorous, and eat roots, seeds, fruits and insects. Collared Peccaries are vocal animals. They use sounds to express fear and anger, or to call a group together. In the wild, peccaries mark their territories with scented secretions.  

The Reptile House is home to reptiles and amphibians from Australia and around the world. The exhibits were created to represent the natural habitats of venomous snakes, endangered crocodiles, giant geckos and many other animals that scurry and slither.

The World of Frogs is where the Zoo's amazing frog conservation work happens every day. Many of the frogs in the exhibit are endangered in the wild. This is the only zoo in the world where you can see the rare and elusive Baw Baw Frog.

The Wiggles Frog Disco is a fun and interactive disco where kids can dance to The Corroboree Frog Song by The Wiggles. Enter the unmissable shipping container, with an inflatable bopping frog on top, and let the kids loose on the dance floor. Hop, jump, wiggle and learn all about frogs!

The Aldabra Giant Tortoises are the oldest residents at Melbourne Zoo. They eat grass, herbs, leaves, and woody stems, and can weigh up to 250kgs! Classed as vulnerable, these slow movers are from the Seychelles, a group of islands off East Africa, but have been introduced elsewhere too.

This is one of Australia’s shyest native animals. An egg laying mammal, the platypus is one of only two surviving monotremes in the world. The platypus can stay under water for several minutes, storing their food in their cheeks before coming back to the surface.

Water continues to be a scarce resource. Zoos Victoria is committed to reducing water consumption, while maintaining diverse environments for the animals. Melbourne Zoo collects 90% of water from the Zoo grounds through an onsite Water Treatment Plant. This has considerably decreased the Zoo's use of drinkable water when it's not needed.