General News
2 September, 2023
All not lost for city zoo
ONE of the top tourist attractions in Cairns that has been forced to close for maintenance reasons may return.
Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome will close at the Reef Hotel Casino next month but the operators – the CaPTA Group – are open to coming back if possible.
CaPTA sales and marketing director Ben Woodward said it was with a heavy heart the family firm was closing the venture because it was almost impossible to run the operations with animals, staff and visitors while major maintenance work was undertaken.
He said the attraction had been a success with record numbers from the domestic market, local families and the return of international market in recent months.
“We have had a long relationship with the casino and we will maintain that relationship in the future. There may be a possibility after the work is done we are able to return to the facility,” Mr Woodward said. Casino executive marketing manager Carol McFarlane said “at this stage any future plans are still under consideration”.
“The dome has bird netting, gardens and structures that impedes access to much of the premises,” she said.
“Any maintenance requires free access for tradespeople which simply wasn’t possible while it was occupied.
“Until we get access to inspect and start works, it’s unclear how long it will take to complete.”
Mr Woodward said the priorities were the staff as well as the animals.
“We are talking to them (the staff) all individually and hope to keep as many as possible and offer them work throughout the group,” he said.
But, Mr Woodward said, it might not be viable for some staff to drive to their other major tourist attractions at Kuranda and Port Douglas.
“It’s very sad, very devastating for the family as well as our staff,” he said.
Mr Woodward said the star of the dome – Goliath the crocodile – would probably be lifted by crane and taken to the Wildlife Habitat at Port Douglas to share the “swim with the salties’ experience with Tom and Big Al.
He said as many of the other animals and birds would be transferred to Rainforestation at Kuranda and to Port Douglas as well as other zoos and wildlife parks throughout Australia.
The wildlife dome opened about 20 years ago followed by the zoom in 2012.
