The whole habitat is designed for their needs.”Created in 1981 and overseen by the association, the plan is a cooperative conservation program created to ensure genetic sustainability and diversity among animal populations, with more than 500 programs underway.Netting around and over the exhibit allows for free-flight Australian birds to be part of the exhibit, as well. Open-air areas will continue to be accessible to guests.Standing on a deck just outside the Kookaburra Café that overlooks the Australian Adventures exhibit, Monroe pointed out the unobstructed view of the valley.“We’re going to ask the public to stay on the sidewalk,” Monroe said, “but the wallabies don’t have any barriers.
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It is the first new habitat since 2011, when the jaguars exhibit opened.“We already tell the stories of Southwest deserts and we tell the stories of the African deserts, so this was a chance to add the Australian desert story to our collection,” said Allen Monroe, president and CEO of The Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Gardens as he offered a behind-the-scenes look at the new exhibit before it opens to the public on March 21.A double-door entrance prevents the animals from escaping as guests come and go. “In fact, Australia had to permit and approve the transfer of animals between U.S. zoos. The wallabies don’t yet have names, and Monroe said there will be an opportunity for the public to help with at least some of them.“Australian Adventures,” a $3 million exhibit featuring birds, reptiles and marsupials as well as 50 different species of plants native to Australia, has been about two years in the making.
It was the first of a three-phase, $30 million “Crossroads of Conservation” park expansion and improvements that are planned to also include the addition of a lion habitat and aquarium.As one of over 230 accredited zoos, aquariums, nature and science centers in the United States and eight other countries that are members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, The Living Desert also participates in the Species Survival Plan.The new “Australian Adventures” exhibit opens on March 21, coinciding with The Living Desert's 50th anniversary. Learn more about the origin and climate of deserts in this article. President and CEO of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Allen Monroe allowed KESQ’s camera inside to film the making of the exhibit. Discover our Animals and gardens Start Exploring. There is also seating in a cool, shaded area between the two glass doors that allows for people to sit and relax while watching all the wildlife.As fears about the rapid spread of the coronavirus worldwide forces the closure and cancellation of many programs and events in the Coachella Valley, The Living Desert remains open and next week will unveil an exhibit that puts visitors up-close with wallabies.“We’re really proud to be able to offer that new space,” she said.At the center of the new exhibit is the Wallaby Walkabout where guests will get as close as if they were in Australia, with no fences or walls between them and the animals.Here is what you will encounter at Australian Adventures:Construction is scheduled to start this summer on a new habitat for rhinos, which is set to open in 2021.“Australia has very similar environmental changes that are happening because of climate change, the same way we are here in Southern California,” Monroe said. Show your Support There are lots of way to help The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.