Sunrise 2 - DUBBO
It’s still raining. But nothing torrential, so we adjusted our ISO and f-stop and got the hell off AUTO. The day was slated for Dubbo Zoo, and as a special treat, an overnight stay at the Zoofari Lodges.
Arriving at the Zoo bright and early, we wondered why we’d bothered as the obviously smarter animals remained under cover sleeping. However the adorable Meerkats - who love an audience more than the rain - allowed our photographic juices to slowly stir as the rest of the zoo came to life. The day remained overcast but the light wasn’t as harsh as anticipated, so with some well balanced settings we actually grabbed some really great shots.
1,000 plus photos later, we checked into the Zoofari Lodge for some behind the scenes animal experiences and to pamper our own creature comforts. Nestled beyond the fence line of our safari-like lodgings was the amazingly inspired Dubbo Zoo savanna, where Giraffe, Zebra, Eland and Ostrich graze freely before the setting sun. Two rousing young Rhinos on the cusp of adulthood – Winston and Humphrey – took particular exception to Fat Pap stalking them from behind the long grasses with a 600mm lens. An African stand off between the hapless Waterbuffalo and fearless Rhinos quickly ensued.
The endangered Bongo Antelope
Thankfully the Zoo guides arrived in the nick of time and ushered us a little further up the savanna for some hand feeding of Giraffes. Here the Tower of young males provided the highlight of the afternoon….that is of course until cocktail hour at the lodge finally began.
Dinner was an amazing array of African inspired dishes including crocodile, buffalo and monkey gland chicken, washed down with a locally sourced Mudgee Pinot Gris. With small time to digest this feast, our Zoo guide Richard Attenborough – who claims that’s his real name – herded us back into the Jurassic Park Wilderbus for a night tour of the zoo culminating in the hand feeding of an endangered black Rhino.
We ended the tour with a sobering education on the rare, but beautiful Bongo antelope who we had fortunately spend some time with earlier in the day. With only 80 beasts left in the wild, and another 120 found within the global zoo conservation network, this animal is on the verge of extinction and is hopefully being restocked to levels similar to that of the Przewalski Horse – a program Dubbo Zoo co-instigated to successfully release back into the wild.
The night ended pleasantly with our introduction to the aptly named White Rhino cocktail – an equal blend of Amarula Crème Liquer and Irish Whiskey. No roaring lions would keep us awake tonight.
Not sure who’s happier ?
Zoofari Wilderbus