Lizards lounge in new digs at Rockhampton Zoo
Posted on February 9th, 2021
Visitors to the popular Rockhampton Zoo will now see the resident perenties, the largest of Australia’s monitor lizards, in a new enclosure, thanks to the Queensland’s Government’s signature $600 million Works for Queensland program.
Acting Premier and Minister for Local Government Steven Miles officially opened the new home for the perenties, made possible with a $320,000 allocation.
The perentie is Australia’s biggest lizard and one of the largest on the planet, so the ones living here at Rockhampton Zoo are certainly worth seeing. Works for Queensland funding has enabled these incredible reptiles to be comfortably displayed for locals and visitors to Rockhampton.
Across the three rounds of the program, Rockhampton Regional Council has received more than $27.2 million to help deliver 38 projects which have created or supported over 800 jobs.
The zoo is one of the most loved attractions in Rockhampton and the building of this new enclosure is great for the animals but also great for tourism. The new perentie enclosure includes ponds, plants, rock piles and log piles for the lizards to climb on, and heated rocks to keep them warm in winter.
The Zoo receives 150,000 visitors each year. More than 77,000 of these are from outside the city and most stay overnight, bringing $27.8 million dollars into the local economy.
New pathways are also being constructed at the adjacent Botanic Gardens, made possible with $450,000 from the Works for Queensland program.
For more information: www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/works-for-queensland
View the opening on Rockhampton Zoo’s Facebook page – https://fb.watch/3xEOL4QUM-/
