Adelaide Zoo Transformation

The South Australia Government is contributing a one-off capital grant of nearly $19 million to help the Adelaide Zoo undergo a generational transformation of animal and visitor facilities.

According to Premier Mike Rann, "this will be the single biggest grant the Zoo has ever received in its 125 year history - and will help the Zoo to grow, modernise and generate extra income to care for the animals."

The funding will be used for a new entrance precinct facility with retail shops, cafe, offices and interpretation area along with a new fairy penguin pool that will have a glass wall built into the new perimeter fence, so the penguins can be viewed swimming and diving into the water from outside the zoo walls.

As Premier Rann added, "the Adelaide Zoo has nearly 400,000 visitors every year and one of our best-known cultural and tourist attractions but it needs a fresh new look - and it needs better facilities to generate more income so that money can be reinvested in upgrading animal enclosures and delivering better conservation services for wildlife."

The Royal Zoological Society of SA, which runs the Adelaide and Monarto Zoos, was established in 1878 and is a non-profit membership-based Society with more than 20,000 members.