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Meet emus, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies in the Australian Walkabout section. The Nocturnal House is home to bilbies, wombats, quolls, platypus and feathertail gliders. Don’t miss Ken and his harem in the Koala Walkabout exhibit.

Walk slowly and quietly through this artificial gorge containing more than 40 species of bird, reptile and mammals from the World-Heritage Blue Mountains, many of which are shy and hard to spot. The birdcalls are truly exquisite.

This innovative exhibit melds the suburban home and the natural environ- ment. Children can engage with farmyard animals at a small farm, and a wombat burrow enables a glimpse into the domestic life of these little mammals.

If you love cute animals, don’t miss the meerkats. Other African species include giraffes, zebras, Kenyan bongos, North African scimitar oryx and West African pygmy hippos.

Take a stroll through this new precinct, a recreated Asian tropical rainforest that is home to over 27,000 plants and 200 animals including otters, binturongs, the fishing cat, Malayan tapirs, chital deer and scores of exotic birds.

The zoo’s feline stars include a Sumatran tiger a show leopard and a small pride of African lions that can often be heard from the ferry wharf. A pair of snow leopards are part of a breeding programme.

You don’t need the map to find the gorilla forest, the orangutan rainforest, or the chimpanzee park: just follow the delighted screams of the young-sters. The cotton-top tamarin easily takes “Best in Show” for its outlandish hairstyle, while the Mueller gibbon wins hands down in the gymnastics stakes.

Some of the exhibits here are stunning: the Komodo dragon, the red-eyed tree frog and the Fijian banded iguana for starters. If you enjoy a shiver running down your spine, don’t miss Australia’s deadly taipan or the South American boa constrictor.

It’s hard to ignore the world’s largest bird of prey, the Andean condor, the flamboyant Chilean flamingo, or the antics of the Central American squirrel monkey. The flamingos here are the world’s longest living group in captivity.

This show features a variety of free flighted birds including pigeons, parrots, hawks and a brolga. The birds demonstrate unusual natural behaviours and their physical features in a hugely entertaining way.