There's always something happening at Featherdale:
  DAWN FRASER JOINS AUSTRALIAN ZOOS TO HELP WILDLIFE
0830 am Tuesday, 07 September 2010
Join Featherdale Wildlife Park and other zoos throughout NSW at First Fleet Park when Australian Living Treasure, Dawn Fraser, will officially launch National Threatened Species Day for Australia’s Zoos and Aquariums to help save our treasured wildlife, surrounded by some of Australia’s most iconic threatened species.
Dawn is helping to raise national awareness of the plight of extinction facing many of Australia’s most iconic endangered animals from Tasmanian Devils and Bilbies to Corroboree Frogs and Cassowaries through a day of public wildlife presentations.
Zoo and Aquarium Association will launch first-ever National Threatened Species Day on the anniversary of the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger in 1936. Nearly 75 years later, our nation is facing an extinction crisis on a far greater scale and only community awareness and support can help prevent it.
DETAILS
Tuesday 7th September, 8:50am
First Fleet Park, Circular Quay, overlooking the harbour next to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Fathers Day at Featherdale
Treat your Dad to the ultimate WILD experience and give him the gift of a Featherdale Gift Pack this Father's Day. Every Gift Pack includes a sumptious BBQ pack* for two adults and two children + entry to Featherdale - Sydney's ultimate interactive wildlife experience. You could also add a WILD private animal encounter with a furry or scaly critter or even a private 45 minute guided tour for your whole family.
Gift Packs are valid to 31st March 2011 and pre-bookings are required 72 hours prior to your visit.
To order your Fathers Day gift pack, please call Kellie Ames-McDermid on 02 9622 1644 or email: info@featherdale.com.au for your order form.
Click here to download the gift pack order form
* Each Featherdale BBQ pack includes: 4 x fresh bush salads, 4 x bread rolls/butter, 2 x minute steaks or 2 x chicken breast, 4 x rissoles, 4 x beef sausages, cutlery & plates, serviettes, oil, tongs, sauce. BBQs are electric and take 20cent coins. BBQs are located throughout the Park and are provided on a first come first served basis.
FEATHERDALE WINS GOLD AT
GREATER SYDNEY TOURISM AWARDS
Featherdale took home the Gold Award in the ‘Tourist Attractions’ category at the 2010 Greater Sydney Tourism Awards held on Wednesday night at the Castle Hill RSL. Held for the first time, the Greater Sydney Tourism Awards showcases the region’s top Tourist Operators. 34 finalists were featured on the night with 15 businesses taking home the coveted Gold Award.
As a result of winning Gold, Featherdale has automatically achieved finalist status at the NSW Tourism Awards to be held in November. In 2009, Featherdale won Gold for ‘Major Tourist Attraction’ at the State Awards.
In accepting the Award for Featherdale, Park Manager, Rick Webb acknowledged the hard work of all the staff at Featherdale, ‘The passion and dedication of our staff is the driving force behind Featherdale and, to be the recipient of this prestigious award is a testament to their continuing hard work’.
Featherdale Wildlife Park is home to the World’s most comprehensive variety of Australian native animals and features NSW’s only FREE all day encounter with a Koala. The Park welcomes over 300,000 international and domestic visitors through its gates each year and has a strong commitment to education and conservation. Featherdale has recently opened an interactive Farmyard, featuring a wide variety of Farmyard favourites. The new exhibit has already proved a popular attraction amongst young and old alike. The upcoming Spring season will again be a busy time for the Park as it welcomes a variety of Spring babies including Quolls, reptiles, joeys and a wide array of bird species.
Wildlife Keeper presentation/feeding times
All Day: Cuddle up to our koalas in the koala sanctuary for some great photos.
9.00am to 10.00am Rapt in Reptiles. Great photo opportunities
10.00am & 2.30pm A prickly echidna experience
10.30am & 3.45pm Penguins at play
11.00am Pelican Feed
2.45pm See life from a different perspective as our flying foxes eat their lunch upside down!
4.00pm A devilish duel over dinner between our cheeky Tasmanian devils
4.15pm See Featherdale's friendly swaggie swing the billy and enjoy some complimentary billy tea.
Measuring over 4.5 metres, Ngukurr, the Saltwater Crocodile is often mistaken by Featherdale’s visitors for a statue as he suns himself in his enclosure. But don’t be fooled, this giant Croc is 500 kgs of lethal quicksilver - as many unsuspecting birds have discovered.
Captured in 1987, after terrorising the local farm-dog population in the Northern Territory, Ngukurr was taken to Janamba Croc Farm to become part of a breeding programme. The troublesome teenager didn’t take too kindly to this and attacked every female crocodile that he was placed with. He was finally sent to Featherdale in 1992 where he now lives a happy and carefree life in a purpose-built enclosure, fully equipped with a heated pool to help brave the Sydney weather.
Often mistaken as cold-blooded, Crocodiles are in fact Ectothermic, which means that they warm up their body using a heat source like the sun. Because they don’t expend energy warming up their own body, Crocodiles need about 85% less food for their size than a warm-blooded animal and subsequently don’t require frequent meals. In order to feed Ngukurr his daily meal during the Summer months, Featherdale’s keepers provide small rations such as a quarter of a chicken. During the cold Winter months, Ngukurr does not require feedings as his metabolism is not active enough to digest the food.
Saltwater Crocodiles like Ngukurr can be very lazy when it comes to dinner. In the wild he’d be hiding in the water with just his nostrils exposed waiting patiently for potential prey such as small mammals to come past. Then he’d attack them with surprising speed using his incredibly powerful jaws. He can close them with up to 3000 pounds per square inch of pressure. That’s enough to crush a car.
Saltwater or Estuarine Crocodiles are one of two crocodile species that are currently found in Australia and have been living here in various forms for almost 200 million years. Saltwater Crocodiles are the largest of any living crocodilian, sometimes reaching lengths of almost 7 metres and weighing well over a tonne. They often live in water that is brackish and are sometimes found up to 15 kilometres out to sea.
The other Australian species found in Australia is the Freshwater or Johnson’s Crocodile. This species only occurs in freshwater rivers, creeks, ponds and streams and doesn’t grow as large as the Saltwater Crocodile. Freshwater Crocodiles occasionally reach 3 metres in length but are not a threat to people or stock. This species only hunts fish in the wild, they use their long slender snout to glide through the water then spear the fish on their teeth.
You can visit Ngukurr at Featherdale Wildlife Park 9am to 5pm daily. Featherdale is located at 217 Kildare Road, Doonside. Phone 02 9622 1644 or visit featherdale.com.au for more information.
From April 1st 2010 to March 31st 2011, a visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park costs just $23.00 per adult, $12.50 per child (3-15years) and $15.00 for Seniors. A Family Pass is just $68.00 and includes admission for two adults and up to four children. Featherdale is located just minutes from Sydney's M7 & M4 junction. www.featherdale.com.au. Telephone: 02 9622 1644
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