Aussie Ark and Australian Reptile Park open new endangered wildlife conservation facility

A new endangered wildlife conservation facility - Conservation Ark – has officially been opened by conservation organisation Aussie Ark, in conjunction with the Australian Reptile Park and the Australian Government.

The brand-new facility located at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby was officially opened by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley who noted “it is incredibly significant to have this project here at Aussie Ark. We love the partnership that we have with Aussie Ark because we know that as a conservation organisation they understand what to do and how to do it best practice, with the best science to give the animals the best chance at recovery."

Conservation Ark has been jointly developed by conservation organisation Aussie Ark and eco-education and tourism organisation Australian Reptile Park as an extension of the Central Coast’s premier tourism attraction to help bring wildlife conservation to the local community. The facility is supported by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Program – an Australian Government initiative. Through this program Aussie Ark was awarded $850,000 towards protecting endangered species including the Manning River Turtle, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Giant Barred Frog and Stuttering Barred Frog.

Aussie Ark President, Tim Faulkner advised “the support from the Government’s Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Program has been game changing. These new facilities are state-of-the-art and better yet, they will allow Aussie Ark to achieve enormous things for wildlife,”

Faulkner added “we hope that in the coming years we will be reporting to our community about incredible breeding seasons, births and of course the return of these animals to the wild!”

Conservation Ark is a collection of endangered or threatened wildlife breeding programs that are helping to produce real world outcomes. Currently the programs include Australian freshwater turtles, endangered amphibians and koalas. However, the organisation, best known for its work with the Tasmanian devil have huge plans to expand to other endangered species including the Broad-toothed Rat and Squirrel Gliders.

The newly opened facilities are accessible by visitors to the Australian Reptile Park, with the new space included in the ticketed price. Both organisations are passionate about educating visitors on the plight of Aussie wildlife and what can be done to change their trajectory

Aussie Ark Partners include the Australian Reptile Park, Re:Wild, WildArk, WIRES, Glencore, Australian Geographic, Symbio WildlifePark, Sydney Helicopters and FAME. With the continued support of partnering organisations, Aussie Ark is able to continually provide the best care and conservation activities to native wildlife.

To purchase tickets to the Australian Reptile Park, please visit www.reptilepark.com.au 

For more information on Aussie Ark go to www.aussieark.org.au 

Images: Conservation Ark was offivially opened by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley; Aussie Ark President, Tim Faulkner with Minister Ley. Images courtesy Aussie Ark