Adelaide Zoo
Aldabra Tortoise at Adelaide Zoo

Meet giant Aldabra Tortoise, Aonika!

Step back in time and meet the prehistoric resident today.

Aonika enjoys interacting with visitors and seeing keepers arrive with the red food bucket, moving towards it as fast as she can for a tasty treat.

Please note this experience operates October – April

Highlights of this experience

  • Get up close to the gorgeous giant tortoise, Aonika!
  • Go behind the scenes in our Aldabra Tortoise habitat

Aldabra Tortoises can grow up to a metre long and have hard, protective shells that are made of 59 to 61 bones covered by plates (scutes).

How your ticket helps our conservation efforts

The Aldabra Tortoise is the last of 18 species of tortoise that once flourished on islands of the Indian Ocean. The others became extinct because of hunting by sailors and predation of eggs and hatchlings by introduced species such as rats, cats and pigs.

They are currently protected but suffer from poaching and loss of traditional habitat.

By purchasing a ticket to Tortoise Encounter at Adelaide Zoo, you are not only supporting the incredible species in our care, you’re also helping us raise awareness and valuable funds to safeguard their wild cousins. Part of the income generated from our Animal Experiences contributes to the work Zoos SA does in support of a wide number of conservation programs both within and beyond our gates.

Want to get involved? You can help!

Adopt or donate