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Say hello to the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park

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Staff unveiling the new Hunter Valley Wildlife Park sign. Photo: Elizabeth Symington

Interacting with animals has the power to change someone’s life.

That’s according to Chad Staples, Managing Director of Australian Wildlife Parks, who recently visited the Hunter to relaunch an exciting location near Cessnock.

From this weekend, the Hunter Valley Zoo will be known as Hunter Valley Wildlife Park. 

With the original staff and over 400 animals, the zoo is still the same place residents have come to know and love.

“It’s really exciting, Jason Pearson (the former owner) built an incredible facility that’s been here in its current form for almost 15 years,” Chad said.

 “It is a beautiful place with amazing energy and what is most important for any of the parks that come under Australian Wildlife Parks is that it’s a beautiful spot that we can look at enhancing. 

“There is nothing that we desperately have to change, the animals are thriving here so we can just continue to make it better.”

The team has certainly stayed true to those words by creating three new animal encounters on top of the six already available. 

Anyone who dreams of getting up close and personal with a lion, maned wolf or capybara will welcome the new opportunities. 

“What we have always tried to do is provide positive spaces for animals and people to interact,” Chad said.

“If there is the ability to have that one on one with an animal we believe it can change somebody’s life.”

Chad adds that sharing the same space with animals can be very moving. 

“A capybara is a giant rodent which makes them sound almost like a rat but they’re a giant guinea pig and people just adore them,” he said.

“To be able to sit there and have them eat from your hands is pretty special if you have never seen them before. 

“Maned wolves are very similar, again most people have never heard of them, they almost look like a fox on stilts but they are very elusive and very quiet and to sit there with them and to share the same space can really change somebody. 

“Another really exciting one is obviously a lion feed, lions are an animal that if you live in Cessnock or the Hunter you may never get to Africa to see one.

“To be able to see the king of the jungle up close like that is pretty amazing and Kovu is a spectacular boy so you know it takes your breath away. 

“No matter how many times I do it, I am still astounded at how beautiful they are.”

The new encounters are available to book from this weekend.

For Chad, it’s an honour to work with and educate people about wild animals. 

“It’s just always been my passion and I was very fortunate that I was able to turn it into a career,” he said.

“I am challenged every day to make sure that we are doing everything that we can for them, it is very fulfilling.”

His favourite animal is a lion cub named Maji.

While she isn’t located at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park anyone who purchases an annual pass to the zoo will be able to see her for free if they visit the Mogo Wildlife Park near Batemans Bay. 

The pass will also give them access to Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park.

The zookeeper of almost 25 years encourages everyone to stop by for a visit. 

“Every wildlife park is different, there are species here that you’ll never see anywhere else and there’s experiences you can have here that you won’t have anywhere else,” he said.

“If you’re an animal lover and enjoy being in their space it is an amazing place.”  

Go to the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park website for more information. 

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