Reptile Encounters invites families to learn about the wonderful variety of Australian wildlife in an informative and up-close-and-personal way, with a host of unforgettable wildlife experiences.
The majority of wildlife species that we have here in Australia are found nowhere else on Earth. Reptile Encounters, known as “Melbourne’s mobile zoo”, is home to more than 500 native Australian animals and has an expert team who are passionate about education. They do so through various means, including kids’ birthday parties, wildlife presentations, tours, zookeeper for a day experiences and the Pathways NDIS Program.
Conservationist Josh Cox founded Reptile Encounters 19 years ago. “I started Reptile Encounters because I want to give students the chance to connect with nature,” says Josh. “I believe that people need to have that ‘inspire’ moment to be able to make the connection for themselves. By meeting animals in the flesh we engender a respect for our environment and equip students to make a difference.”
As parents, when children’s birthdays roll around each year, it’s often tricky to think of something new and different, that your child and their friends haven’t done before. Party at the park? Party at the movies? Laser tag? Go karts? Activity centres? All done before. And after a few years, most parents shudder at the thought of hosting a party at home without some form of entertainment to keep the kids busy and engaged. Reptile Encounters makes birthday parties a very different experience — and then some, with four great animal birthday parties to choose from.
Animal birthday party: Give the birthday boy or girl an unforgettable day with an Animal Birthday Party. Educational, totally safe for all ages and incredibly fun, these parties are perfect for children with a passion for slithering, crawling and sliding reptiles. Reptile Encounters will bring a Fresh-water Turtle, a Saltwater Crocodile, a Green Tree Frog and plenty more Australian wildlife along to the party.
Snake party: Snake parties give party guests and the birthday girl or boy a unique chance to meet and get to know a slithery friend. Reptile Encounters’ Snake Party upgrade will ensure this is a party to remember.
Wildlife party: Jasmine the Sugar Glider, Sammy the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and Sabrina the Woylie join the rest of the Reptiles Encounters’ crew as part of the Wildlife Party Upgrade.
Headquarters party: For the parents who can’t bear the idea of party chaos at home, head to Reptile Encounters Headquarters in Burwood to experience the one-of-a-kind party room.
On Reptile Encounters’ HQ tour, peek behind the scenes and discover the quirks that make our truly unique Australian wildlife so special. This immersive tour offers a unique opportunity to witness the incredible biodiversity of Reptile Encounters and learn firsthand about the fascinating world of reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Step into the Reptile Encounters’ showroom, known as the “Croc Hotel” where you’ll come face to face with Port Jackson sharks, Penny the Mary River turtle, and a variety of other fascinating creatures.
Your reptile adventure starts with the private tour of the back of house, to encounter some truly remarkable species such as the highly venomous inland taipan, and Brock the male freshwater crocodile.
Then it’s outdoors to meet a diverse collection of birds and mammals such as Roman the Red-tailed black cockatoo, Patrick and Brendan the Long-nosed potoroos, Dexter and Ruby the Eclectus parrots and owls in their impressive Owl mansion.
In the back-of-house area, a spectacular wall of lizards and snakes awaits, home to Tiny and Olivia, four-metre-long olive pythons, among a diverse array of other scaly inhabitants.
Running since 2019, the Pathways program was formed to give kids and young adults with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) an opportunity to learn the skills to become zookeepers. Participants are able to get hands-on and learn how to feed, clean, handle, enrich, and care for native animals. The program also teaches valuable skills such as public speaking, presenting, effective communication and teamwork. Pathways is suitable for people over the age of 14 who receive NDIS assistance for ASD.
REPTILE ENCOUNTERS: reptileencounters.com.au