Werribee Open Range Zoo is an African themed zoo in Werribee, about south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board or Zoos Victoria, which also includes Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. It is situated on approximately and is located on the Werribee River in Werribee Park, adjacent to the Werribee Mansion. It was originally agistment land to the Melbourne Zoo. Werribee Open Range Zoo is home to 360 animals of 40 species as of 2021. Overview Visitors to the zoo can take a bus tour, which normally lasts 35–40 minutes, multiple times a day, and takes up to 140 people per bus. The zoo has a simulated African village, with educational and entertaining features, including a mock scenario of an African ranger and his adventures tracking lions, and an interactive soundscape walk with simulated lion sounds surrounding the walker. There are two independent trails that visitors may follow: the Pula Reserve Walking Trail which focuses on African animals and the Australian Journey Walk, which focuses on Australian animals. There is a Learning Centre, which teaches more about the history and geography of animals in their environments. Visitors can also book various "speciality" tours, including the Off Road Safari, or close encounters with gorillas or giraffe. Werribee Open Range Zoo also has an animal/adoption sponsorship program, which is used for gifts and other altruistic purposes. In April 2008 it was announced that a theme park known as African Safari World was proposed, by Warner Village Theme Parks to be built within the grounds of the zoo. On 1 July 2008 the proposed theme park plans were indefinitely postponed, the Government citing the potential $100 million cost to the taxpayer as the reason they were postponed. Animals and exhibits Safari Tour American bison Blackbuck Common eland Dromedary camel Giraffe Nyala Ostrich Plains zebra Przewalski's horse Scimitar oryx Southern white rhinoceros Waterbuck African River Trail African lion African wild dog Bell's hinge-back tortoise Cheetah Dumeril's boa Hippopotamus Leopard tortoise Meerkat Serval Vervet monkey Western lowland gorilla Australian Trail Eastern blue-tongued lizard Eastern grey kangaroo Emu Koala Orange-bellied parrot Shingleback lizard Tammar wallaby Gorilla exhibit In 2011, Werribee Zoo gained three male western lowland gorillas from Melbourne Zoo. These consist of an adult silverback and his two sons. The new public display gorilla habitat is a sanctuary that features wide-open spaces, climbing structures and indoor facilities. This