Australia's first specialist wildlife veterinary teaching hospital.

Did you know Taronga is the largest contributor to veterinary services in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in NSW and a major national training ground for veterinary staff specialising in native wildlife treatment? 

The new wildlife hospital will replace the existing veterinary, quarantine and animal nutrition facilities. The relocated and expanded hospital will not only provide modern facilities for wildlife care, nutrition and research but also significantly increase capacity for the treatment of resident animals in addition to expanding and improving capacity for the treatment and rehabilitation of wildlife species.

A central part of the design and purpose of the new hospital is the critical role it will play in education. The proposed new facilities will double the current teaching space and upskill future conservationists, students, veterinary practitioners, scientists and wildlife carers.

This new specialist hospital will also play a vital role in engaging the public in wildlife conservation by deeply engaging Taronga Zoo's visitors in previously ‘back of house’ activities including opportunities to view animal treatment, surgeries, and breeding centres.

The new Hospital will:

• Increase capacity for wildlife treatment, rehabilitation and improved wildlife first response times
• Increase space for training and educating thousands of veterinary professionals, volunteer wildlife carers and students
• Increase space for quarantine and care of confiscated wildlife
• Expand capacity for breeding endangered birds and mammals for release to the wild

Timeline 

• October 2024 – Construction commences 
• Late 2026 – Estimated Project Completion
• For more information on the development, please click here.
• Reach out to us via our Contact Us page for any feedback or to request a copy of our Taronga Wildlife Hospital Project complaints register.

Bolstering reptile and amphibian species from the brink of extinction. 

Taronga is a leader in reptile and amphibian conservation in Australia. We have brought back seven reptile and amphibian species from the brink of extinction.

The development of the new centre is allowing Taronga to continue to lead the recovery of species that would otherwise be lost to future generations. It is providing critical breeding space to support zoo-based conservation programs to ensure important species, such as Corroboree Frogs, are protected for decades to come.

The new centre is providing a new modern experience for guests to engage with reptiles and amphibians which has been designed with the latest best-practice standards for animal care and welfare. The new centre is an educational and multi-layered experience for guests that showcases the beauty and diversity of some of the most misunderstood and most imperiled creatures on the planet under threat from climate change, disease and habitat modification.

ARC (Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Centre) has been open since June 2024

Timeline

• Late 2021 - Early site preparation works completed
• February 2022 - State significant development application was approved by The NSW Department of Planning and Environment
• September 2022 - Construction commenced
• Mid 2024 - Construction completion 

One of Taronga Zoo’s most popular native animal exhibits received a $16 million revamp as part of NSW government funding, featuring an up-close Australian animal habitat experience. The exhibit houses an especially designed koala encounter area with canopy walk, significant extensions to the kangaroo and wallaby walkthrough experience, refurbishment of Taronga's much-loved nocturnal exhibition and incorporation of underwater viewing of platypus. The revamp also includes a new western pavilion, tree top walkways and back-of-house and infrastructure upgrades.

The revitalised precinct allows for greater focus on giving visitors the opportunity to interact with animals that are unique to Australia and are vital improvements that will continue to give people a special connection to our wildlife and environment.

Nura Diya Australia has been open since April 2023. 

Taronga Zoo’s famous Sky Safari is set to be transformed into an unforgettable and accessible family experience, thanks to an investment from the NSW Government announced in April 2022.

The Sky Safari has been a much-loved fixture of the Taronga Zoo experience since it first opened in 1987 but it now needs an upgrade so that it can meet accessibility needs and increased demand.  

The revitalised Sky Safari will revolutionise the guest experience. It will feature:

• Additional larger and accessible gondolas
• The Sky Safari’s original route which will take visitors from the newly upgraded Taronga Zoo ferry wharf to Taronga’s main entrance in both directions

At the heart of the project is a commitment to a more accessible zoo for everyone.

Taronga Zoo is spread across 28 hectares. The distance from the Taronga Zoo Wharf to the main entrance spans 67m or 22 storeys. That’s equivalent to the height of the Sydney Opera House. The location of the Zoo is breathtaking and iconic. But the site does present some challenges for accessibility. 

Did you know the original Sky Safari was unable to accommodate guests in larger wheelchairs due to its gondola design?

The revitalised Sky Safari will: 

• Feature more and larger 6-10 people gondolas that are more accessible, dramatically improving the guest experience journey for all visitors
• Provide greater access to the Zoo for guests of all ages and abilities – particularly elderly visitors, guests with larger prams, in both power and manual wheelchairs and those requiring mobility support 
• Complement recent upgrades to the Taronga Zoo Wharf under the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program
• Increase the Sky Safari’s current daily capacity, allowing for a more seamless guest experience around Taronga, while also providing new ways for guests to see and connect with an array of wildlife, many of which are critically endangered
• Encourage public transport use as guests explore Sydney Harbour on route to Taronga 

Education is fundamental to Taronga’s vision to secure a shared future for wildlife and people. 

Each year, Taronga welcomes more than 120,000 students through a range of programs to learn about wildlife and conservation. The upgraded Sky Safari will ensure the Zoo is accessible for all students while providing additional engagement opportunities.

Timeline 

Following the announcement in April 2022, the Taronga team consulted with the local community and stakeholders to develop a design for the Sky Safari upgrade. Taronga has lodged the State Significant Development application and it is now on public exhibition. The proposed design for the revitalised Sky Safari can be viewed here.  

Pending planning approval, construction of the new Sky Safari will begin in late 2025 ahead of a planned opening in 2027-2028.
If you have comments, questions or feedback, please contact tz@zoo.nsw.gov.au
 

This project will deliver a brand-new state-of-the-art Wildlife Hospital and Wildlife Clinic that will enable Taronga to expand its service offerings as well as continue to deliver excellence in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation, as well as ensure its at the forefront of delivering excellence in animal care and welfare. This project will increase the size of Taronga’s rehabilitation facilities and recovery capabilities, which were in high demand through the last drought and bushfire season.

Construction of the Taronga Wildlife Hospital Dubbo is nearing completion and will open this summer. 

The new Taronga Western Plains Zoo facility expands the Sydney operation to regional areas throughout NSW, QLD, Victoria and Tasmania.

As part of an NSW government commitment to secure platypus populations, Taronga Conservation Society Australia (TCSA) will deliver a new multi-purpose Platypus Conservation Centre at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW. 

The facility will deliver:

• The capacity to support a catchment-scale insurance population of up to 65 platypi
• A research centre to observe and understand platypus breeding behaviour
• A visitor centre to engage communities and inspire students
• A naturalistic pre-release creek to observe platypus in a wild setting and build condition before releasing animals into the wild.

Construction of the Taronga Platypus Conservation Centre commenced in May 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in mid-2023.