Dundee's Wildlife Park - Murray Bridge - SA

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I was trying to find something like that (the address) but all I could find was the people who do the licenses but I couldn't find anything on the standards on keeping crocs or anything, just general information. So I sent the letter to the RSPCA. But as someone else on here said, they generally ignore reptile complaints. ****ers. All things great and small huh. Psssh.
 
Dundees worker

I work at Dundee's not in that section but maybe i can help?:eek:
 
Guys just calm down for a bit. Dundees is struggling for money because most of the money goes towards the hotel, not the park. The owners and keepers are well aware of everything you have mentioned. We are going to be building new tank for the crocs this summer, you have to understand that the keepers have to use there own money to get upgrades. The park would love to do it but they are short on cash. Instead of complaining, why not give us a donation to help get new stuff? Or even volunteer your time? A mate from interstate will be coming down to help with the upgrades this summer.

Trying to shut down dundees is not a good idea, we are trying to fix things up. The water buffalo is old but is in no pain, all animals are healthy. Dont start throwing threats around about shutting them down, the park may not be the best in the country but we do try. Have you ever worked or owned a wildlife park? A lot of money and time is needed and thats why most wildlife parks shut down.
 
The crocodile pens are regually drained so It must of been time for a new change. Turtles with algae on their backs are normal. Its better for them and is dangerous getting it off. It just means they are getting plenty of UV.

You think you can grow grass in a buffaloos enclosure? Its not easy.
 
Imalizard. I agree with everything you say but one thing.

If you say the keepers have to use their own money for upgrades. How is it any different to us small time keepers using our money for upgrades for our own animals.

There are people with massive personal collections that dont rely on donations or other peoples money to keep their animals in sufficient habitats.

If the money is not around to maintain so many animals. Give away some of the animals that are more expensive to keep, and focus on the ones you can look after.
 
First off alot of what is in this thread is not accurate and people are giving great misrepresentation to some issues, if you don't know the correct details don't include them, by all means share your opinion and suggestions on improvements, but alot of details shared here are completely baseless.

The keepers do not have to use their own money this is abit out of context, there are some instances where equipment or supplies are donated by keepers as well as the public but they are by no means contributing to 'funding' upgrades what so ever, both the park and the hotel contribute to funding the park and while running a wildlife park is not easy, I understand it is financially steady with money continually being put into improvements and new additions (such as echidna, koala, 6ft fish tank).

Like all private zooligical institutions there are many improvements which can be made. To talk specifically about the juvenile crocs their role as educational tools is the major factor restricting their housing, they need to be quickly and easily restrained for holding tours which is a key attraction for the park and as a result increases the income for the park and improvements. due to this they are kept in fish tanks which are "adequate" you will find almost all of the keepers wish the crocs to have nice ponds but that is apart of a wildlife park management that is over looked by the public. I personally have protested their housing for years so I share your desires to improve their enclosures but there are many factors that restrict such action.

as far as Dundee's being a poor wildlife park goes it is not true and I have further insight into zoological facilities and there is alot of information regarding other institutions and I guarantee Dundee's is better managed than alot of others.
 
when i first went there i was a kid it was so nice and clean all animals were in great health. the degrade of i now will be due to poor education about animals and inclosure as i have found out up here at the pet shops.
 
I have to apologise as my post regarding dundees wildlife park was exaggerated. I was not at all meaning dundees were poor. I was just frustrated today and when I saw this thread it ticked me off that so many people bad mouth so many places without actually knowing whats going on. I apologise to any one that took offence or got the wrong idea.
 
Imalizard. I agree with everything you say but one thing.

If you say the keepers have to use their own money for upgrades. How is it any different to us small time keepers using our money for upgrades for our own animals.

There are people with massive personal collections that dont rely on donations or other peoples money to keep their animals in sufficient habitats.

If the money is not around to maintain so many animals. Give away some of the animals that are more expensive to keep, and focus on the ones you can look after.

This is exactly what I would say.
Just because it is a wildlife park does not give it rights to treat animals in a sub standard way. Just like everyone else, if they fall on hard times they need to move animals on and focus on what they can do.

But if what crocodile_dan says is true and the facility has money... then hell they need to lift their act or end up closed down. If visitors are finding the facilities inappropriate... you have a problem. It needs fixing. People are talking about no improvements over a matter of months. I am unable to see this park myself but if many people are outraged by the conditions enough to complain to the RSPCA who takes your name or ignores your complaint... then there is a problem.

And Im sorry... but housing an animal in a tiny enclosure for profit is in no way ok. Are the young ones rotated regularly and spend the majority of their time in a larger more appropriate housing? Or does one young croc spend the entire day in those tiny aquariums?
 
If labour is a problem, I for one would be willing to donate some time to helping out. I might also be able to drag some other Uni students in to this. For one of our topics we did some work at Monarto just recently and it was mainly grunt work. And if you canvassed some of the South Aussies on the list a few might stick their hand up. If you are willing to give the go ahead I can canvass the Biology dept?
 
The hoove thing with the buffalo is bogus, It does not need any sort of drugs to have it's feet done.
 
The hoove thing with the buffalo is bogus, It does not need any sort of drugs to have it's feet done.

the whole thing is bogus... but maybe the buffalo is unruly and they cant get anyone to do it? Not knowing how buffalo feet grow, would it be possible to cut it back little by little until its suitable? And if they never intend on doing it, that animals feet are just going to get worse and worse... soft ground is probably what caused it in the beginning. :| Nothing to wear the feet down.

And putting animals in unsuitably small enclosures for profit? disgusting.
 
If labour is a problem, I for one would be willing to donate some time to helping out. I might also be able to drag some other Uni students in to this. For one of our topics we did some work at Monarto just recently and it was mainly grunt work. And if you canvassed some of the South Aussies on the list a few might stick their hand up. If you are willing to give the go ahead I can canvass the Biology dept?
i live about 45mins from murray bridge so i could help out with the cleaning and labour. i'm hopefully going down there soon to check it out
 
Hooves could be done in 3 goes at most. 4 people who know what they are doing could do the first treatment in half an hour with very little stress on the animal and the stress it would relieve would help the animal lots.
 
um.. I have never been where your talking about, nor do I know much about any of this stuff but as a bystander reading this...
your not talking about lack of food and water, obscene amounts of poo, sores or sick or dying animals... almost every negative youve seem to have offered an explanation for. 'Theres a drought' but the place is dirt... ? its feet were overgrown but the sign explained...? I recently reported a pet shop to the rspca and was told that in order for them to act there had to be clear cases of neglect where animals lives were in immediate risk. (I was rather upset that animals being kept in uncomfortable conditions didnt seem to count as neglect but I guess even the RSPCA have to prioritise? (in the pet shop case there were starving baby birds, dead fish in green tanks, over crowded bird cages, point of lay chooks in a 2 foot fishtank, and rats and mice with no water or food at all and they did say that they would act on it.... but even then it would still take two days before they could get someone out there.... ) perhaps after seeing that kind of stuff Ive become a little less harsh on people trying to do the right thing when compared to these people who are only in it for the money and really dont seem to care one tiny bit about the animals. Im certainly not trying to offend anyone.. just spouting my opinion really...
the very first post said about how wonderful that your little boy got to hold those very same baby crocs that your complaining about the living conditions of. Theres a bit of a questionable point there for me, firstly I dont agree with excessive handling of the poor things in the first place but if they are being handled everyday then obviously they are in pretty good health to handle that kind of stress and be put in the publics hands on a daily basis?
Dont get me wrong, Im not having a go at anyone, I just think those who are trying to do the right thing should be given a fair go. Educating people about animals is an important thing that costs an awful lot of money and is something that not many of us can undertake on a scale that these parks do. Admittedly there are some people out there that do the wrong thing but the intent of a place like that kind of has to stem from a love and respect of animals doesnt it? I moved my turtle outside recently as the weather has gotten warmer, within two weeks his tank was green and his shell was the same even though I clean him out all the time and added another filter, the sun does its job really quickly lol, I cant imagine how hard it would be to keep massive enclosures crystal clear let alone catching the turtles that live in it!... which by the way would hardly be natural anyway, it might look nice for us but surely its much more like a river environment with a bit of green? *I do not know anything about keeping crocs and am not claiming to... like I say, just my opinion. :)
sorry for the rant lol I think Im still rather affected by the whole pet shop drama recently
 
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