There is something deeply surreal about spotting a tower of giraffes grazing with the You Yangs looming in the background. It’s a juxtaposition that shouldn’t work—the dry, flat plains of Victorian basalt country meeting the charismatic megafauna of the African savannah—but at the Werribee Open Range Zoo, it feels perfectly natural.
We are incredibly lucky to have this facility on our doorstep in the west. But while the Safari Bus is a great day out for the kids, from a zoological perspective, the collection of animals here offers a fascinating look at evolutionary adaptation and complex social structures.
Let’s talk about the heavy hitters: the Southern White Rhinos.
You’ll see them out on the savannah, looking like prehistoric tanks. Despite the name, they aren’t actually “white.” The name is likely a mistranslation of the Dutch word wijd (wide), referring to their square, wide mouths—a perfect evolutionary design for grazing on grass. Their cousins, the Black Rhinos, have pointed lips for browsing bushes. These guys are social, often found in a “crash” (the collective noun), and despite weighing upwards of 2,000kg, they can hit speeds of 40km/h. They are basically a fleshy, armour-plated Ferrari.
Then there are the Giraffes. Everyone knows they are tall, but did you know they have the same number of vertebrae in their neck as we do? Just seven. They are just massive bones. When you see them at Werribee, look closely at their tongues. They are dark purple or black. Why? Because they spend all day with their tongues sticking out grabbing leaves, and the dark melanin acts as a natural sunscreen. Evolution thought of everything.
Moving away from the herbivores, let’s look at the African Wild Dogs, often called Painted Wolves.
These are my personal favourites. They are critically endangered and often misunderstood as just “wild dogs,” but they are one of Africa’s most successful hunters—far more efficient than lions. They have a hunting success rate of around 80%, compared to a lion’s 30%. What’s fascinating is their democracy. Researchers have found that pack movements are determined by a “sneeze.” If enough dogs in the pack sneeze, the group moves out to hunt. It’s a voting system based on nasal clearing.
Of course, you can’t visit Werribee without walking the trail to see the Western Lowland Gorillas.
Werribee specialises in a bachelor group. In the wild, silverbacks (dominant males) lead a troop of females. This leaves the younger males to form “bachelor pads” until they are strong enough to challenge for a troop of their own. Watching the dynamic between the boys—the play fighting, the grooming, and the occasional chest-beating tantrums—is like watching a group of teenagers at a skate park. It’s undeniably human.
The zoo also plays a critical role in conservation, particularly for the Plains Zebra and the Scimitar-horned Oryx (which was actually extinct in the wild for a time).
For opening hours and bookings, visit Werribee Open Range Zoo at https://www.zoo.org.au/werribee
Image by Charles Davis from Pixabay
