Royal couple open Taronga Zoo Bilby exhibit

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were introduced to some of Australia’s unique and endangered wildlife at Taronga Zoo today (20th April), officially opening the Zoo’s new Bilby exhibit named in honour of their son, Prince George.

During their visit, the Royal couple, accompanied by young Prince George, unveiled a plaque commemorating the dedication of the Prince George Bilby Exhibit.

Commenting on the visit, Taronga Zoo Director Cameron Kerr stated “we were honoured to be visited by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to acknowledge the official gift of the Australian Government celebrating the birth of their son, Prince George.”

“This gift has enabled Taronga Zoo to expand its role in the regional breeding and recovery program for Bilbies, which are a vulnerable species, with the intention to breed and release these beautiful animals back into the wild in the future.”

The Duke and Duchess met Taronga’s male Bilby, also named George, before embarking on a tour of the Zoo, stopping to feed the Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroos and giraffes on the way.

Bilby Keeper Paul Davies added “Prince George was absolutely fantastic. I’ve never seen a little boy quite so excited about meeting a Bilby. He had his hands up on the glass of the exhibit and he was patting the glass. A big part of wildlife conservation is about raising awareness and today we’ve an opportunity to showcase the bilby not only to Australia, but to the world.”

The tour culminated in a special Australian wildlife presentation at Taronga Zoo’s Bird Show arena overlooking the Sydney Harbour and skyline. The Royal couple smiled broadly throughout the presentation, which included iconic Australian birds and mammals such as koalas, echidnas and quokkas, before joining the Zoo’s keepers on stage at the conclusion of the show.

Afterwards some members of the public were allowed into the zoo to see a native bird show attended by the Royals.

Visiting the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Friday the Royal couple unveiled a plaque at the Southee and Badgery Pavilion at Sydney Showground.

The Duke and Duchess will resume their 10-day tour on Tuesday with a trip to Alice Springs and Uluru.

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