MEDIA RELEASE - Septembr 2011   

 

DREAMWORLD JOINS FORCES WITH NATIONAL ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS TO SAVE THREATENED SPECIES

Dreamworld, home to the nations biggest, fastest and tallest thrill rides, is also home to some of the most threatened species in the world including Australia’s iconic, koala.

 The GoldCoast theme park will be doing their part to build awareness for National Threatened Species Day with other Queensland zoos and aquariums on Wednesday 7 September by displaying all things cute, cuddly and crawly in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall. 

This National Threatened Species Day, Dreamworld Life Sciences Manager, Al Mucci is sending out the message to the public to Save Our Species.

“This year is even more critical than ever because in Australia there are now only an estimated 600 bilbies remaining in the wild. As well as these marsupials being on the verge of extinction, koala numbers are also continuing to rapidly decrease,” said Mr Mucci.

“More than 80 percent of original koala habitat in Australia has been cleared, and the remaining koala habitat is under threat from urban development, agriculture and forestry, making habitat loss a major contributor to decreasing koala numbers,” he said.

Dreamworld has three wildlife attractions, The Australian Wildlife Experience, Tiger Island and The Lair all of which give guests the unique opportunity get up close to some of the world’s most threatened species including the Tasmania Devil and Sumatran tigers.

The date for National Threatened Species Day, September 7 commemorates the death of the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in 1936. Now, 75 years later, Australian animals are still faced with extinction.

National Threatened Species Day first occurred in 2007 after Al Mucci and Frank Manthey the Co-Founder of Save the Bilby Fund embarked on a vision to collectively harness the zoo and aquariums industry to draw attention to the plight of national threatened species and to encourage community participation in conservation activities.

Dreamworld has proudly supported National Threatened Species Day since it was launched and is actively involved throughout the year in raising funds to save threatened species in the wild. 

Dreamworld makes contributions from its Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation to support organisations, such as the Save the Bilby Fund and the Australian Koala Foundation. Dreamworld’s Tiger Island also plays a leading role in tiger conservation world-wide and has made significant donations to fund anti-poaching patrols and conservation initiatives in Russia and Indonesia to help save the tigers in the wild.

For more information about Dreamworld and the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation visit www.dreamworld.com.au or phone (07) 5588 1111.     

ENDS

Media Enquiries: Dreamworld & WhiteWater World Public Relations
Phone +61 7 5588 1111, Fax +61 7 5588 1108
Email: pr@dreamworld.com.au.