Eastern Shore Sun

ZOODOO Wildlife Park in Richmond has had some exciting new arrivals over the summer, including four white lion cubs and a four and a half-metre long python.

Park owner Trevor Cuttriss said that ZooDoo was the first establishment in Tasmania to import white lion cubs, and only one of three places in Australia where they could be seen.

“The cubs are five and six months old and were captive born and hand reared in South Africa,” Mr Cuttriss said.

“The exhibit was specifically designed and built to house the lions and is more than twice the size of the national standards, It really is a first-class facility in terms of animal comfort and security.

“The cubs, two boys and two girls, enjoy interacting with the keepers and are very friendly and adventurous in exploring their new home. They’re a real delight to watch.”

The other recent arrival at the wildlife park was Samson the reticulated python.

“These pythons are the longest snakes in the world and grow up to six metres in length, thought he largest recorded was more than ten metres long and weighed over 138 kilograms,” Mr Cuttriss said.

“Reticulated pythons are non-venomous and catch their prey with their backward-curving teeth. They coil their powerful body around the victim, squeezing until it dies and then swallow it whole.

“Samson is featured in our newly-opened reptile room along with lace monitors and perentie, Australia’s largest lizard species which can grow to be 2.5m in length.”

Open seven-days-a-week, ZooDoo Wildlife Park is located just six kilometres from Richmond on 90 acres of farmland. Since it began in 1999, ZooDoo has become one of the largest wildlife parks in Tasmania offering a range of native, agricultural and exotic animals in a setting that is both comfortable for the animal and pleasurable for visitors.

White lion cubs enjoy their new home at ZooDoo Wildlife Park in Richmond.