Ballarat Wildlife Park newest animals – twin ‘baby’ koalas
The award-winning Ballarat Wildlife Park, a 1.5-hour drive from Melbourne in Victoria’s goldfields region, has a brand new attraction this month, in the form of Australia’s only set of twin koala joeys!
The joeys – a boy and a girl - are believed to be the first koala twins born in captivity anywhere in Australia in almost 50 years.
Staff at the Ballarat Wildlife Park discovered the extremely rare set of twins during a routine check inside the mother koala’s pouch several weeks after the birth.
Park owner Greg Parker says the cuddly duo – born to six-year-old mum Anastasia and six-year-old dad Colossus - are the first twins he has seen in 28 years of working with wildlife. The only other surviving set of koala twins anywhere in the world are at a zoo in China.
The Ballarat Wildlife Park was the first in Australia to be granted permission to keep koalas outside a major zoo. It houses a rich collection of Australian wildlife in 16 hectares of natural bushland, which includes Australia’s only breeding pair of saltwater crocodiles and a Tasmanian Devil.
Guided tours run every day at 11am and weekend keeper shows from 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Services include Aussie bush barbecues, coffee shop and quality souvenir shop. It is open seven days a week from 9am to 5.30pm.
An adult ticket is $20, concession - $18, child (5 - 15) - $12.50 and a family (two adults and up to four children) - $60.
For further information contact: Shelley Hammond at Greta Donaldson Publicity on (03) 9696 3234, 0427 547 898 or email shelley@gdpublicity.com.au