Denver families have a charming new way to connect with the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s newest habitat. The zoo has opened symbolic adoptions for Down Under, its immersive Australian and New Zealand habitat that opened in May 2024 — and an adoption makes a thoughtful gift for any young animal lover.
Down Under recreates the landscapes of Australia and New Zealand across winding, red-dirt-style pathways. Families can watch red kangaroos and Bennett’s wallabies hop and graze in a walk-through habitat where wallabies roam freely alongside guests, look up for a kea — the world’s only alpine parrot — in an aviary, and spot Huon tree kangaroos, cassowaries, a New Zealand fur seal and even a rescued eastern grey kangaroo joey named Carter. The habitat uses recycled materials, rainwater collection and natural airflow, and was built into the hillside of the former Feline Building.
Symbolic adoption packages start at $60 and help fund the care, enrichment and conservation work behind habitats like this one. It is a feel-good way for Denver kids to feel personally connected to the animals they visit — and to learn that loving wildlife can mean helping protect it, from the Mile High City to the other side of the world.
Happy City News tip: pair an adoption with a family visit, so kids can meet ‘their’ wallabies and kangaroos in person along Down Under’s paths.
Photo: Donlammers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
