It’s Christmas, friends!

The year is almost over and we’d like to say a huge thank you to our incredible wild family for helping us connect more people than ever before to nature and continue to save amazing species from extinction.

We’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and have written a wild little poem to celebrate Monarto Safari Park’s, and our sister zoo, Adelaide Zoo’s, last year of the decade – 2019:

As the New Year approaches and the one we’re in ends,
We’d like to say thank you, dear supporters and friends.

You cheered us on and donated, as we worked with passion abound,
To save precious species in Australia and our international surrounds.

We welcomed new little ones, gave them much love and much praise,
Giraffes, otters, owls, chimps, and three Warrus – hand-raised.

We won tourism awards, entered the Hall of Fame with delight,
Had some huge announcements for Monarto – the Safari Park’s future is bright!

We secured our Giant Pandas for five more years filled with joy,
Gave homes to special tortoises; trafficking: their lives, it destroyed.

At Adelaide we built a Children’s Zoo, designed for one and for all,
So kids of every ability can learn and have a ball.

65,000 students learnt things within our gates,
Almost 2,000 passionate kids joined up as Zoos SA’s mates.

Over half a million people heard about recycling, habitats and more,
And what they can do to help the animals on their very own shores.

For conservation we aimed higher, restored homes for cockies in the wild,
Met the amazing Jane Goodall, who made us cry, think and smile.

But our dedicated efforts, we’re proud to say don’t stop there,
We’ve bred and released, researched and shared,
Our knowledge with others and funds with vital groups;
Recycled thousands of phones to protect wild Chimpanzee troops.

But fires, loss and extinctions of an ever-increasing scope,
Has had us sometimes feeling there’s no choice but to give up hope.

But then we remember: animals! Both within our gates and outside,
And pull up our boots firmly, grit our teeth and say with pride:

‘We simply won’t stop fighting, to secure a future for all,
‘Every creature deserves a chance: mammals, reptiles, big and small.’

So thank you,
We appreciate it,
And want you to know,
Every time you support us, those seeds of hope? Well, they grow.

You help us turn plans into action, funds into life,
Shine a light on those animals, whose existence balances on a knife.

So from us…
Merry Christmas!
And a happy New Year!
Let’s keeping working together so species don’t disappear.