New arrivals are making a splash at Taronga Western Plains Zoo – NSW's Best Major Tourist Attraction – this summer. The Dubbo Zoo, which claimed the gong at the recent NSW Tourism Awards, has welcomed four Black-handed Spider Monkey babies, three African Lion cubs, two Quokka joeys and a critically endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx calf this year.

“Lion cubs Kaari, Mzuri and Nguvu have turned into quite the handful for parents Marion and Lwazi as well as their four big sisters,” said Director Steve Hinks. “They love playing with and pouncing on their siblings, as well as anything they find in their exhibit from balls to sticks and even tree roots!” The best time to see the cubs is between 10am and 10:30am when they venture onto exhibit for their daily enrichment scatter feed, or on board the Pride Lands Patrol Tour which enters the lions’ den. The Pride Lands Patrol Tour departs from the Savannah Plaza at 10:30am Monday-Saturday. Booking is essential.

The Black-handed Spider Monkey troop has welcomed four new arrivals to the Primate Islands on Svannah Lake, and the awesome foursome can be spotted from Cafe Wild. “Spider Monkey babies cling to their mums for the first few months of life before they start to get more adventurous, curious and playful,” Mr Hinks said. “It makes summer the perfect time to see them running and swinging around their island home.”

The best time to see the troop is at the Spider Monkey feed between 12:30pm and 1pm daily, or from a Pedal Boat on the Savannah Lake. Pedal Boat hire is available between 9am to 12pm on Saturday and Sunday outside NSW school holidays, and 9am-12pm on Thursday to Sunday during NSW school holidays.

The final new arrival is a Scimitar-horned Oryx calf who has joined the herd near The Waterhole. “This calf is a fantastic little ambassador for his species, which is a true conservation success story,” Mr Hinks said. Once extinct in the wild, Scimitar-horned Oryx were reintroduced to their native Chad by a coalition of zoos from the USA and Europe in recent years and have since been reclassified as critically endangered. “Our breeding herd is a crucial part of the global genetic bank for this species,” Mr Hinks said.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is open every day of the year including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

All tickets are valid for two days and include access to more than 10 free keeper activities, as well as The Waterhole waterplay area, Waterhole Cafe and Frozen Coke Kiosk between 10am and 3pm.

Taronga is not for profit. Every dollar you spend has the Power to Protect. Whether you visit, stay overnight, donate, become a Zoo Friend or Zoo Parent, book an unforgettable behind-the-scenes experience, or buy a gift for a loved one; every dollar helps save wildlife.