As a conservation charity, our number one priority is the welfare of our animals.
As a leader in animal welfare, we are continually striving to improve our animals’ habitats and we have been very open about the fact Seal Bay at Adelaide Zoo needs improvement.
Ady and Tasko are much-loved members of our zoo family, but the reality is as much as we would love to, we don’t have the physical space required to build them a new facility here at Adelaide Zoo.
That’s why we announced as part of our 20-year Master Plan we would move away from housing large marine mammals at Adelaide Zoo and would seek to relocate Ady and Tasko to a suitable new home.
This search has been underway for a number of years, but to date a reputable new home has not been found. This is expected to take some time because at this stage no other Australian facility has confirmed they have room for our beautiful duo. Born in captivity, Ady and Tasko are not able to be released to the wild.
While we are still actively searching for a new home for Ady and Tasko, they both receive lots of extra love and care from their keepers to ensure they have a regular schedule of stimulating enrichment that helps maintain their physical and mental wellbeing.
From engaging training sessions with their keepers to seafood hidden in ice blocks, our Australian Sea Lions are given a variety of toys and props to engage with. Our keepers also feed Ady and Tasko a variety of fresh seafood to encourage natural feeding behaviours.
Our keeping team and the whole Adelaide Zoo family absolutely adore Ady and Tasko and will continue to provide them mental and physical stimulation that encourages species appropriate behaviour until a new home is found.
Adelaide Zoo has a proven track record of providing excellent husbandry and veterinary care, and houses many species that have well outlived their normal life expectancy due to the stellar care that is provided by our dedicated and skilled team.
Both Adelaide and Monarto Zoo have experienced significant development over the last 10 years and with our 20-year Master Plan in place, we will continue to grow and develop both sites, with modern animal welfare at the forefront of everything we do.
As part of our Master Plan, a new proposed Tropical North precinct will be built which will include an underwater viewing area for crocodiles and fish, an amphitheatre for interactive animal presentations and a tree kangaroo and cassowary habitat.
This is all part of our commitment to housing that promotes good welfare to all animals in our care, and is consistent with our track record of providing excellent husbandry and veterinary management.
