(November 19, 2020) Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara Zoo has begun construction on its newest exhibit, the Australian Walkabout, a 15,000 square-foot habitat designed to transport guests “Down Under,” where they can walk among the wallabies, kangaroos, emus, and native birds. The Australian Walkabout exhibit is anticipated to open to the public in the summer of 2021.
Australia is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and biodiverse countries on the planet, and home to nearly 150,000 species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, due to climate change, drought, fires, habitat loss, and non-native predators, the continent currently has one of the most rapid rates of mammal extinctions worldwide.
“The recent megafires in Australia devastated enormous swaths of unique habitat and displaced or cost the lives of an estimated almost 3 billion animals which include native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs,” explains Dr. Julie Barnes, native Australian and Vice President of Animal Care & Health of the Santa Barbara Zoo. “While the full extent of the long-term impact on the country’s biodiversity as a result of these devastating bushfires is unknown, there is no doubt that many native species are at increased risk of extinction or becoming threatened due to habitat loss. This new exhibit will do more than connect people with unique wildlife, it also represents an ongoing connection between our community and dedicated conservation efforts in Australia.”“Part of the Zoo’s mission is to call attention to the wonders of wildlife and the importance of its conservation,” shared Rich Block, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo. “The new Australian Walkabout is an adventure aimed to serve as a reminder to us all to take care of the planet’s living treasures…across the world and in our own backyards.”