The Aussie Big Five

Australia is home to some of the biggest and best, cutest and cuddliest and even the most dangerous and deadly animals in the world. Visitors to Sydney these school holidays don't need to look any further than Darling Harbour for their Australian animal adventure! Meet the Aussie Big Five in the heart of the city at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

Koala

Koalas are arguably Australia's most lovable (and adorable) animal. We've all heard that they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day… That's probably why Jack the koala is so happy all the time! At WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo we also have two new baby koala joeys that are now moving around outside of their mothers' pouch!

Wombat

There's no denying it - Ringo is a star! Ringo was adopted as a 3 month old, 900g baby but is expected to grow to be up to 115cm long, 36cm tall weigh around 39kg! Bare-nosed wombats (like Ringo) are herbivorous, living off grass, snow tussocks and other plant materials.

Saltwater Crocodile

Rex is WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo's resident diva Saltwater Crocodile. Did you know that on hot days crocodiles will lay around with their mouth open to help cool down their brains? We know how they feel, sometimes the weather in Sydney is too hot to handle!

Dugong

Dugongs are amazing animals which, just like our resident dugongs were often mistaken for mermaids. Dugongs feed mainly on sea grass so it may surprise you that they can weigh over 600kg, the longest dugong on record is 3.3 meters long and they have no thick fat or blubber layers! It's no wonder our dugongs Pig and Wuru spend so much time eating!

Dugongs like to live in the coastal waters of 37 countries around the world however the population of this unique species is estimated to have declined by 90% in the last 30 years. SEA LIFE Trust is pleased to be able to support a long term dugong monitoring project to which we have contributed over $35,000.

Platypus

Much like the dugong, platypuses love to eat and can consume their own body weight in food in a 24 hour period! These iconic Australian animals are incredibly unique - male platypuses have a spur on their back feet that can inject venom, making them the most venomous mammal in the world.

Meet The Aussies!