Canberra Reptile Zoo

08/06/2026

To the literally hundreds of people who came along today to support our event, thank you!

From myself, our staff, and our amazing volunteers who gave up their free time to help make the day engaging, educational and fun, we sincerely appreciate your support.

Your enthusiasm, participation and willingness to get involved made the whole experience an absolute pleasure. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did.

We can’t wait to see all the photos and memories you and our photographers captured along the way!

Keep watching this space as our brand-new website begins to take shape over the coming weeks. Many of you helped make that possible today, and we’re excited to share the journey with you.

Thank you again for being part of such a fantastic day.

Peter, the Canberra Reptile Zoo team, and our volunteers.

ConservationThroughEducation ReptilePete CanberraFamilies ACTWild NewWebsiteComingSoon

01/06/2026

*UPDATE* we have all the VIP guests we can handle for the day. Thank you for the overwhelming response.
If you have pm’d us We are still trying to get through them all and we promise to respond to everyone.

If you missed out, you are still able to come as we will be open on the public holiday Monday to the public. You will still get to watch the shows and see things getting fed.

We hope all of you come along on Monday and enjoy the day to us everyone is a VIP😊

01/06/2026

Public holiday in canberra but we’re still open as usual 😁

24/05/2026

Meet one of our wonderful creatures, the Barking Owl (Ninox connivens).

We have a boy and girl here at the zoo who prove that not all owls are night owls. Ready to go day or night, these talkative birds are always full of personality and, unlike many of our reptiles, they need to be fed every single day.

Come and say hi 👋

22/05/2026

All the boss is away the team must still work hard. ARB Fishwick tomorrow from 10 AM until 2 PM. Come say hi.

21/05/2026

This Saturday 23rd of May, from 10 till 2. Our mobile reptile crew will be helping ARB 4x4 accessories Fyshwick celebrate their open day! Come down and see our mobile reptile crew and join in on the days festivities. We can’t wait to see you there.

Across participating ARB stores and stockists nationwide, enjoy exclusive offers, live in-store demos, new vehicle displays, plus food, coffee, and more.

19/05/2026

PLEASE DON’T PANIC.

We’ve had a lot of people contacting us worried they are going to lose their pets due to the recent ACT reptile licensing changes.

You have NOTHING to worry about.

These changes are simply about helping protect Australian wildlife into the future and bringing the ACT into line with other states around reptile traceability and responsible ownership.

If you currently own one of the newly listed species, all you need to do is apply for a licence through the ACT Government during the transition period before 14 August 2026.

During this transition period:• Licence fees are waived• You do NOT need proof of origin for animals you already own• Existing keepers are being supported through the process

To apply or learn more, visit:https://www.act.gov.au/environment/plants-and-animals/licensing-of-plants-and-animals

Please remember:This is not about taking animals away from responsible owners. It is about protecting wildlife and ensuring animals can be traced to legal sources in the future.

As always, if you are unsure, feel free to contact the team at Canberra Reptile Zoo and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

18/05/2026

🚨 ACT REPTILE LAW CHANGES 🚨

IT IS NOW ILLEGAL TO OWN ONE OF THESE FIVE REPTILE SPECIES IN THE ACT………. Without a license ! ( had you going there) .

The ACT Government has officially removed a number of previously exempt reptile species from the exempt animal list — including the five species featured here.

That means these animals are now:
✅ LICENSE REQUIRED
❌ NO LONGER EXEMPT FROM LICENSING

This is a move we wholeheartedly support as ethical animal welfare advocates.

Keeping wildlife responsibly matters. These are long-lived, highly specialised animals that deserve accountable ownership, proper education and appropriate standards of care. Changes like this help reduce irresponsible trade, improve traceability and encourage better outcomes for both animals and keepers.

If you already own one of these species — please do not panic.

A grace period is being provided, and existing keepers simply need to contact the relevant ACT Government department to have their animal added to a permit. We encourage everyone to read the official letter and follow the process outlined.

Please do the right thing by our animals.
Education, accountability and ethical keeping are essential for the future of wildlife ownership in Australia.

17/05/2026

Today was a very special and emotional day for all of us at the Canberra Reptile Zoo.

Thank you to everyone who came along and indulged us in sharing the many anecdotal stories of Chopper’s history, his trials and tribulations, and the plans for the next chapter of his journey. It was incredible to see so much support and to make his final public appearance such an engaging, positive and meaningful occasion, even on what is ultimately a very sad day for our team.

Chopper has helped educate and inspire people here in Canberra for many years, and seeing the community come together for him today meant more than we can put into words.

There is still more to come on Chopper’s journey as I travel with him this week… follow along for updates from the road and behind the scenes of where life is taking him next.

https.www.youtube.com/

15/05/2026

Happy World Endangered Species Day.

It may not seem like a day to celebrate when we think about the fact that so many animals are endangered, but the important thing is that they are still here , and not yet extinct. Days like today help shine a light on the small things we can all do in our everyday lives to help protect wildlife and ensure threatened species never disappear forever.

At the Canberra Reptile Zoo, we are always proud to share the stories of local threatened species, as well as incredible conservation success stories of animals being brought back from the brink of extinction.

The best outcome we can hope for is for people to talk, learn, and care, because education truly is the key to saving our wildlife.