Perth Zoo attracts record number of visitors

Thursday, 22 September 2016

• ​More West Australians seeking wildlife encounters

Perth Zoo has welcomed a record number of visitors through its gates with West Australians flocking to this top attraction.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the zoo had recorded its highest annual attendance on record, welcoming 695,091 people in 2015-16, an 8.2 per cent increase over the previous year.

West Australians make up most of the zoo's attendance with 76 per cent of visitors from metropolitan Perth and another 10 per cent from regional areas.

Mr Jacob said he was pleased with the growth in numbers because there was huge competition for the family dollar and the attention of children.

"Perth Zoo has always had a special place in the hearts of the Western Australian community, but this year thanks to new events and behind the scenes opportunities to get up close and learn more about wildlife, we've seen a surge in visitors," he said.

"The Zoorassic Park dinosaur exhibition, which recently wound up, was also a popular experience.  It met the goal to educate people about the threat of species extinction while delivering a great day at the zoo.  It contributed to visitation numbers increasing by 25 per cent over the same period last year.

"This is consistent with tourism research which shows more West Australians are taking domestic holidays and making more visits to local attractions.  Perth Zoo shows it is still a great destination for a family day out."

The zoo is preparing for the school holidays with spring planting activities, the emergence of wallaby joeys, the birth of critically endangered ring-tailed lemurs and opportunities to get up close to rhinos, giraffes, elephants and native Western Australian species during daily encounters.

During the school holidays from September 24, 2016 to October 9, 2016, visitors can use a free park and ride service from 10am to 5pm.  Free parking is available on Lamb Street, South Perth, with a shuttle bus running every 15 minutes between Lamb Street and Perth Zoo.

Fact File

• Market research has ranked the zoo as the number one paid attraction for people considering a day out in Perth
• Feedback has shown that 97% of Western Australian visitors were extremely satisfied with their visit to the zoo
• For more information, visit http://perthzoo.wa.gov.au