Hunter Valley Wildlife Park

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park
	32°47′47″S 151°21′49″E / 32.79627830106065°S 151.3634848362662°E
Date opened	2007
Location	Nulkaba, New South Wales, Australia
Land area	18 acres
No. of species	110+
Memberships	Zoo and Aquarium Association
Owner	Australian Wildlife Parks
Website	www.huntervalleyzoo.com.au

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, formerly Hunter Valley Zoo, is a zoo in Nulkaba, New South Wales, Australia.^[1] It features a wide variety of Australian and exotic mammals, birds and reptiles.^[2]

Founded in 2007 as the Hunter Valley Zoo, it went through ownership change in 2021 and in was rebranded as Hunter Valley Wildlife Park in November of that year.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Ownership change

In July 2021, the park underwent a significant transition when Elanor Investors Group acquired it. This acquisition was driven by the increase in domestic tourism due to travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purchase aimed to capitalise on the heightened interest in local travel and the resulting increase in visitor numbers to regional attractions.

Following the acquisition by Elanor Investors Group, Australian Wildlife Parks purchased Hunter Valley Zoo in mid-July 2021. The new ownership brought changes to the park, including a rebranding effort to align it with its sister parks, Mogo Wildlife Park and Featherdale Wildlife Park. This rebranding resulted in the renaming of the zoo to Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, which was officially relaunched under this new name on November 19, 2021.

The relaunch as Hunter Valley Wildlife Park included enhancements and expansions aimed at improving the visitor experience, increasing the park's role in conservation education and better living conditions for the animals.

The park facilitates various interactive up-close animal encounter experiences for visitors who pay the additional 'VIP' fees, that allow those visitors to feed and interact with certain animals under supervision. The park states these encounters are to educate the public about the animals and their natural habitats, in the hopes of fostering a greater appreciation for wildlife conservation.

The park's facilities include picnic areas, playgrounds, and other amenities. Educational programs and presentations are regularly held, focusing on different species and conservation efforts.

As a ZAA-accredited institution, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park participates in breeding programs for endangered species and collaborates with other zoos and conservation organizations to support wildlife conservation initiatives. The park's involvement in these programs underscores its commitment to preserving biodiversity and protecting threatened species.^[6]^[7]^[8]