Denver Zoo transports people Down Under in new habitat
DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Zoo will soon transport people Down Under with a new habitat featuring several animals native to Australia.
The new habitat opens on Friday, May 24 and will feature red kangaroos, red-necked wallabies, endangered Huon tree kangaroos and Southern cassowaries, a species of flightless bird.
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The two Huon tree kangaroos, Pearl and Tristan arrived at the Denver Zoo in 2023. The species is not native to Australia but is instead a type of tree-kangaroo native to Papua New Guinea. The species is rare and had never appeared at the zoo before Pearl and Tristan arrived.
Marshmallow, an albino red-necked wallaby at the Denver Zoo (Credit: Denver Zoo) A Huon tree kangaroo at the Denver Zoo (Credit: Denver Zoo A red kangaroo at the Denver Zoo (Credit: Denver Zoo) A Southern Cassowary at the Denver Zoo (Credit: Denver Zoo)
The zoo said one of the things that will be in the new habitat will be a first-of-its-kind immersive pathway experience where guests will come nose-to-nose with wallabies and red kangaroos.
The zoo said it worked closely with Australia’s First Nations peoples to highlight what the animals mean to them.
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According to the zoo, the habitat was crafted with sustainability in mind through the use of rock materials used in previous projects that were used to create a recycled water irrigation system.
Many of the plants in the habitat are not native to Australia. However, horticulturists at the zoo selected native plants from Colorado that would survive in the climate while still having the “look and feel” of Australia.
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