ABQ BioPark Zoo opens new Australia exhibit featuring ‘Little Penguins’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A new exhibit showcasing the “down under” is now open at the ABQ Biopark Zoo. The Australia Exhibit made its debut on Tuesday.

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The exhibit features two new habitats for “lorikeets” and the smallest species of penguins known as “Little Penguins”. The BioPark Zoo says this habitat is the largest in the world for this species containing approximately 300,000 gallons of water.

The Australia Exhibit is part of the BioPark’s 15-year transformation plan and is funded through a gross receipts tax approved by voters in 2016. The zoo said the exhibit was expected to open sooner but faced delays due to the pandemic.

“Seeing it all come to life is really really very exciting, a lot of work went into it with a lot of very hard-working people. So it’s really great to see it all here now,” said Tori Fox, Science Education Coordinator, ABQ BioPark Zoo.

Tuesday’s opening is part of phase one for the project, with a second phase expected to start construction at the end of this year. That phase would include a new home for Tasmanian Devils, Wombats, emus, and a unique interactive experience where guests can enter the kangaroo habitat.

“We’re going to continue with the theme of the lorikeet experience with another walkthrough, so being able to have the Outback walkthrough where you get to see Kangaroos at an eye-to-eye level is going to be really amazing,” said Brandon Gibson, Director for the ABQ BioPark.

Guests KRQE News 13 spoke to on Tuesday said the new exhibit is a great addition.

“It was fun. They really like to be underwater they were zooming around and every once in a while, they were popping their heads up you can see it from both angles, you could see it from down below and up above,” said Becky Luper, zoo attendee.

“There was a lot of them and they were really cute,” said Emma Luper, zoo attendee.

Construction for the Australia Exhibit first began in 2022. This new exhibit came with an $18-million price tag. The zoo is expecting big crowds who want to check out the new area. The BioPark recommends you order tickets online .

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