The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has been recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) with Top Honors in AZA’s Exhibit Award for 2020, for the Walkabout Australia experience. The award was announced Sept. 16 at the 2020 Virtual AZA Annual Conference, in a presentation recognizing the achievements of more than 20 AZA member facilities in conservation, education, research, habitat design, marketing, diversity, research and volunteer engagement.

“San Diego Zoo Global is extremely proud of receiving this top design honor from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, for Walkabout Australia,” stated Paul A. Baribault, president/CEO, San Diego Zoo Global. “The experience at the Safari Park does more than connect people with unique wildlife it also represents an ongoing connection between the San Diego community and dedicated conservationists in Australia.”

San Diego Zoo Global has a long history of working with Australian wildlife. The 3.6-acre Walkabout Australia experience opened at the Safari Park in May 2018. Walkabout Australia takes guests on a backcountry road through four types of Australian habitats: grassland, rain forest, wetlands and desert. Key features include a walk-through habitat where guests can see western gray kangaroos, red-necked wallabies, radjah shelducks, freckled ducks and magpie geese. Other featured wildlife include southern cassowaries and Matschie’s tree kangaroos.  In November 2019, in a ceremony that included representatives of the Yugambeh (pronounced you-gum-bear) Language Peoples of the Gold Coast of Australia and the consul general of the Australian Consulate in Los Angeles, the Nelson M. Millsberg Platypus Habitat was added to Walkabout Australia. This habitat features the only two platypuses currently living outside of Australia. Animal ambassadors such as a kookaburra, an echidna, a blue-tongued skink, a rose-breasted cockatoo (also known as a galah) or a sugar glider may also be present for encounters with guests on any given day.