Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park offers fun for everyone. It’s small enough to wander around and not get exhausted but packs quite a punch with so many animals to see, feed and hold. Yes, I did say hold, so read on!
While there are dedicated Private Tours and Sunset Tours, the Wildlife Park is ideal for the whole family to spend a few relaxed hours just wandering around. There are free BBQ facilities or take your own picnic. The reception area also has a small café so you can grab a snack, coffee, cold drinks and ice creams.
Read this post for more Kangaroo Island attractions and other things to do in South Australia.
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
The animals at KI Wildlife Park
The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park features many Australian animals which are especially great for international visitors.
With an old-fashioned design to the park, the enclosures are often smaller and more intimate, bringing the animals that much closer to you.
There are howling dingoes, huge cassowaries, emus, rare quolls, wombats, and very entertaining co-existing echidnas and goannas, as well as Cape barren geese to mention a few.
A free-roaming pair of geese is hilarious to watch as they meander around the park following you.
There is even a small aquarium near the reptile area, great to get out of the sun and cool off in.
If you prefer the feathery kind, check out the many bird enclosures.
Another place to go on Kangaroo Island for close encounters with the feathery kind is Raptor Domain.
There are owls, handsome macaws, chatty cockatoos and a very friendly inquisitive bowerbird in the aviary that appears to love having his photo taken.
Animals you will see at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park include:
- Dingos
- Marmoset
- Koalas
- Wombats
- Penguins
- Pelicans
- Wallabies
- Pademelons
- Kangaroos (Red, Western Grey and Albino)
- Snakes
- Echidnas
- Eagles
- Quokkas
- Birds such as rainbow lorikeets
When visiting South Australia, you’re likely to spending time in Adelaide so check out our top Adelaide attractions.
KI Wildlife Park Animal Feeding
There is a daily public feeding schedule of some animals in the park.
What you shouldn’t miss are the 11.30 am feeding of the Little Penguins, which is repeated at 3 pm.
Don’t miss it because they are cute to watch as they love their food and eat very quickly. Get there early as feeding time is all over within five minutes.
After the afternoon penguin session, head straight over to the pelican area to watch the three young pelicans eat their fish head.
The boisterous juveniles are about to become famous, featuring in the upcoming 2019 remake of the classic 1970’s movie Stormboy.
You can also buy specially prepared marsupial food from reception and head over to the wallaby and kangaroo enclosures.
Both have rare albino varieties, which are especially fascinating to see.
They love food and they seem happy to graze all day.
The little joeys will take food from your hand.
Now that’s priceless!
KI Wildlife Park Educational Sessions
There are educational sessions with keepers during the day, including dingoes at 10 am and koalas at 10.30 am, 1.30 pm and 4 pm.
But if you want to get up close and personal, for a very reasonable fee, there are individual holding sessions too.
You can cuddle a koala at 11 am, 2 pm, and 4.30 pm for your Instagram of Facebook selfies.
If you prefer furless reptilians be wrapped by a snake or meet an alligator at 11 am or 2 pm.
Better still (I think), go for the wombat session if you’re strong enough to manage 20kg on your lap.
For more Kangaroo Island activities, how about walking the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail and visiting Kelly Hill Caves?
Kangaroo Island Koala and Wildlife Rescue Centre
The Kangaroo Island Koala and Wildlife Rescue Centre was established in January 2020 to care for injured wildlife burnt by the bushfires.
More than 600 native animals, including possums, kangaroos, koalas and birds were burnt by the fires or found wandering around the island dehydrated and starving.
The rescue centre treats the wildlife to release them back into the wilderness.
Many were successfully returned to their natural habitats, except for orphaned joeys that had to remain at the park.
The centre and volunteers work 24 hours a day and are committed to conserving the island’s native species.
If you’d keen to help, donate here.
How to get to KI Wildlife Park
KI Wildlife Park is 3km from Parndana at 4063 Playford Highway. This wildlife park is run by Sam and Dana Mitchell and is open daily from 9 to 5 pm.
Check out a range of Kangaroo Island tours here.
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