5 days in Adelaide, Australia- 5/17- 5/21/2024

Day 4-Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park-5/20/2024

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park is one of the island’s most popular wildlife sanctuaries, located in Parndana, right in the heart of Kangaroo Island. It was originally opened in 1992 as Parndana Wildlife Park and later renamed to its current name when it came under new ownership. The park is privately run and family-operated, with a strong focus on rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation of native Australian animals.

After the devastating 2019–2020 bushfires, which burned nearly half of Kangaroo Island, the Wildlife Park became a critical refuge. It provided emergency care to hundreds of injured koalas, kangaroos, and other native species, becoming a central part of the island’s wildlife recovery efforts.

Today, the park is home to over 600 animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, echidnas, dingoes, and reptiles. Visitors can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies, meet koalas up close, and learn about the island’s unique ecosystem. The park’s staff continue to work with wildlife rescue groups and veterinarians to care for orphaned or injured animals.

We arrived at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, a peaceful haven tucked among low hills and open fields.

The park is filled with native animals, and kangaroos roaming freely.  It’s hard to imagine that this place once cared for hundreds of injured animals after the island’s bushfires. Walking through the park now, it feels like a story of healing,  both for the land and the creatures that call it home.

We were led to a fenced area, and as soon as we stepped inside, I saw kangaroos everywhere. Some were gathered in a small group, almost like a mop of soft brown fur huddled together,  while others hopped lazily on their own across the open space.

A bunch of kangaroos gathered around a square feeding bin, their heads bent low as they ate together. They were quite big up close,  their strong tails stretched behind them for balance, and their fur looked thick and soft. A few chickens wandered nearby, pecking at the ground as if they belonged right there among the kangaroos. The mix of animals, all so calm and comfortable with each other, gave the place a peaceful, almost homely feeling.

Some smaller kangaroos started to hop toward us as the guide handed out small handfuls of food. They moved carefully, their noses twitching as they came closer.

 I knelt down and held out my hand, and a few of them gently nibbled the pellets, its soft mouth brushing against my palm. Up close, I could see the fine details of its fur and the brightness in its dark eyes. A few others lingered nearby, waiting patiently for their turn. It felt so special, quiet and gentle, to be able to feed them and feel that small connection with these beautiful animals.

Lisa's turn to feed the kangaroos.

There were quite a few people around, but the kangaroos didn’t seem to mind at all. They looked completely at ease, as if they were used to being surrounded by visitors. Some hopped right up to people without hesitation, gently nudging for food or standing patiently nearby. Their friendliness made the whole experience feel warm and welcoming, a rare chance to be so close to animals that seemed to trust and enjoy our presence.

As we moved further into the park, I noticed a group of Australian pelicans gathered near a pond, their large white bodies and long pink bills standing out against the green water. Some were resting quietly amd they did not mind people walking among them.

The Australian pelican at the park likely live there for feeding and protection; many have been rescued or raised in care, and the park provides a safe home for them.

These pelicans are known for their massive bills, the largest of any bird in the world, which they use to scoop up fish. Watching them up close, it’s easy to appreciate how graceful they are,  even with such an enormous beak.

 Further along, I saw two quokkas nibbling together at a small food bin, their tiny paws holding the edge as they ate. They looked so gentle and calm, their noses twitching as they chewed.

Every so often, one would glance up with that little “smile” quokkas are known for  so full of curiosity and innocence. They were incredibly cute, and it was hard not to just stand there and watch them for a while.

We passed by the Dingos' habitat.

Behind the fenced enclosure there a few dingoes that were roaming around. One of them was standing on the ground, while the another had climbed up onto the top of an old jeep parked inside the enclosure. It stood there proudly, surveying the area like a watchful guardian. The one on the jeep caught my eye,  calm but alert, its sharp eyes following every movement around. Even from behind the fence, there was something powerful and wild about them, a quiet reminder that these are Australia’s native wolves.

The dingoes Australia’s only native wild dog and has a long, complex history. They are believed to have arrived in Australia around 3,000–4,000 years ago, likely brought by seafaring people from Southeast Asia. Over time, they became fully adapted to the Australian landscape, from deserts to forests, and became top predators in the ecosystem.

Dingoes are highly intelligent and social animals, often living in small family groups. They hunt skillfully, feeding on kangaroos, rabbits, and small mammals, which helps keep natural populations in balance.

Though they play an important ecological role, dingoes have had a complicated relationship with humans,  sometimes viewed as pests by farmers because they occasionally prey on livestock. As a result, they are protected in some parts of Australia but controlled in others. Many wildlife parks, like Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, care for dingoes that were rescued or bred in captivity. This helps educate visitors about their importance and dispel myths about them being dangerous, most are shy, cautious, and remarkably intelligent creatures.

I am now at the Koalas enclosure.  Kangaroo Island Koalas are particularly special because they have historically remained free of Chlamydia, a disease that affects many mainland koala populations. This isolation has made them incredibly important to the genetic diversity and long-term survival of the species. The primary role of the Wildlife Park is to provide a safe haven, particularly for koalas rescued due to injury, illness, or most notably, the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires, which heavily impacted the island. The sanctuary offers veterinary care and a secure environment for rehabilitation before release, if possible.

They spend almost all of their time sleeping (up to 20 hours a day!) or feeding in the eucalyptus trees. Historically, koalas were introduced to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s to prevent extinction after mainland populations declined due to hunting. Because this founder population was disease-free and isolated, the current Kangaroo Island koala population serves as a crucial genetic reservoir free of many mainland diseases

The park allows visitors to see koalas up close, fostering appreciation and support for conservation efforts.  This Koala is looking straight at me.

This is such a cute Koala.

Chlamydia is a major threat to koalas across mainland Australia, primarily caused by the Chlamydia pecorum bacteria. Koalas are vulnerable because of their low genetic diversity and stress. Stressors like habitat loss, drought, and high population density suppress their immune systems, allowing the Chlamydia bacteria (which is present in many native animals) to thrive and cause severe disease. The key reason Kangaroo Island koalas are protected from this disease is simple: geographic isolation and the careful selection of a disease-free founder population a century ago.

Map of all the places we visited on Kangaroo Island.  We took a ferry from Cape jervis and arrived in Penneshaw station on Kangaroo island. From there a bus drove us around Kangaroo island.  Our First stop is Seal Bay, next is the Remarkable Rocks, then the Admiral's Arch, and we ended our tour after visiting the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.

Our tour is now over and we took the Ferry from Penneshaw back to Cape Jervis, and then we hopped on the bus back to Adelaine.

 The full-day tour of the western end of Kangaroo Island which required a ferry crossing provided a dramatic look at the raw power of nature and the resilience of its unique wildlife. The journey began at Seal Bay, where we encountered the endangered Australian Sea Lions on their beautiful, protected beach habitat. Moving to the cliffs of Flinders Chase National Park, we observed the monumental Remarkable Rocks, giant granite formations carved over millions of years by wind and sea. Continuing down the coast, we descended to Admiral's Arch, a magnificent limestone grotto actively used as a haul-out and nursery by the New Zealand Fur Seals. The day concluded with a stop at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, where we learned about the island's crucial role in conserving the chlamydia-free koala population, a vital genetic reservoir for the species. We fed friendly kangaroos, watched pelicans resting, smiled at the cute quokkas nibbling on food, and saw dingoes moving in their habitat.

NEXT... Adelaide Botanic garden