Australia Zoo! What a wierd place. It started out as just a small reptile park in 1970 run by Bob and Lyn Irwin, Steve Irwins parents. By the time Steve was 9 years old he had wrestled his first crocodile, and he now owns the Australia Zoo with his wife, Terri, who he met at the zoo while doing a crocodile show. They have a little girl, Bindi Sue, who is named after a crocodile (Bindi) and Steve's dog (Suey). The reptile park became a full blown "zoo" after Steve became famous as the "Crocodile Hunter" on Animal Planet. The zoo definately uses his popularity to attract zoo-goers. All the employees dress like Steve, and there are billboards of him all over the zoo and even little dolls of him and his wife for sale in the gift shops! I went mainly because I wanted to learn more about the poisonous snakes in Australia, and how to identify them, after my run in with the pythons in Noosa National Park.

The snake exhibit had ten of the most venomous snakes in Australia (and in the world) and five of the non venemous ones. I walked through the exhibit taking pictures of all of them and making notes on their characteristics and where in Australia they are found. The top three most venomous snakes in the world are:

1. Fierce Snake aka Eastern Taipan - one bite has enough venom to kill 250,000 mice or 100 men. Is a shy snake and not commonly encountered because is lives only in the unpopulated desert in southwestern Queensland. In fact, there are no recorded deaths from this snake.
2. Eastern Brown Snake - Found all over Australia, and is the 2nd most venomous snake in the world. Most commonly encountered venomous snake in Australia, and responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths. I studied this one for a while. I'm considering having it tattooed on my hand. :) (just kidding mom.)
3. Eastern Taipan - Found along the north east cost of Australia between Brisbane and Cairns, has the longest fangs (13 mm) of any snake in the world, and has been known to strike repeatedly if provoked.

In addition to the my research project on snakes, I watched a few of the shows put on by the staff on the crocodiles and Sumatran tiger clubs.

I also decided to pay a visit the Koala Hospital, adjacent to the zoo and also owned by Steve and Terri Irwin. It was set up to care for sick and injured animals in Australia. It started out helping mainly koalas, but now it is open to animals of all sorts. I walked into the operating room where there was a pelican under anesthesia
being examined and x-rayed. The doctor suspected it had internal injuries from swallowing a fish hook, but was still evaluating it. There were also sugar gliders in incubators, kangaroos in pouches hanging from chairs and lots of koalas. Most of the koalas were injured from either being hit by cars or being attacked by dogs. I got to feed one with a little syrange.