Adelaide Zoo’s Elaine Bensted wants to take you on an SA safari

THE queen of the state’s animal kingdom has overseen some big changes in her jungle domain and is now looking forward to wild times for visitors on safari, writes Belinda Willis

THE queen of the state’s animal kingdom has overseen some big changes in her jungle domain and is now looking forward to wild times for visitors on safari, writes Belinda Willis.

THE BEST THING ABOUT RUNNING ZOOS SA In what other job can you be knee-high to a giraffe one minute, hand-feeding a giant panda the next and negotiating a plan to save rhinos from extinction after lunch? Knowing we are making a difference every day – as extinction accelerates, the world needs good zoos like Adelaide and Monarto if we are to save species before it is too late.

TAKING ON THE JOB I have always loved animals. When I grew up I wanted to be a veterinarian, but my aversion to blood made that a bit challenging. When I saw the job of chief executive advertised, I thought it would be an incredibly rewarding role.

ADELAIDE ZOO IS BEST AT Leading the way for unique encounters – from handfeeding giant pandas to brushing our Nile hippo’s teeth or going behind the scenes to become a keeper for a day.

FAVOURITE SECTION AND ANIMALS I love the peacefulness of the South East Asia Aviary, the excitement of our new Lions 360 experience at Monarto Zoo, the cuteness of meerkats, the energy of Monarto’s chimps and Adelaide Zoo’s white cheeked gibbons.

I CHOOSE SA ambassador Elaine Bensted, chief executive of Zoos SA

WHY LIVE AND WORK IN SAMy husband and I love great food and wine and enjoy the many amazing restaurants Adelaide has to offer. It’s easy to get around and I love the proximity to the beach and the Hills. Adelaide is small enough to network and build meaningful connections, yet large enough to make a difference.

MOST-ASKED QUESTIONS The question on everyone’s lips at the moment seems to be whether our panda Fu Ni is pregnant. We are treating her as though she is pregnant, although we’ll not be able to confirm until about two weeks before she would potentially give birth.

PLACE TO BE A record-breaking 585,872 people visited Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Zoo last year, the largest turnout in our 134-year history.

TOP ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS Our most adopted animals last year were our Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers and meerkats. Our giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni have enjoyed somewhat of a celebrity status. Monarto Zoo’s African lions, rhinos, giraffe, chimpanzees and cheetah.

FUTURE FOCUS From a conservation perspective, it’s important all (animals) receive attention. We are breeding the orange-bellied parrot, thought to be one of the rarest birds in the world. In a world-first for conservation, we are breeding pygmy blue-tongue lizards.

BEST BUSINESS DECISIONS Developing Zoos SA’s 20-year Master Plan to transform Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Zoo over the next two decades. Driving growth in memberships to secure a reliable funding and support base. When I started with Zoos SA, we had 26,000 members and we are now have more than 46,000 members.

PLANS FOR 2018 The exciting one is the safari experience called Wild Africa at Monarto Zoo. We’ll be creating the largest drive-through safari experience outside of Africa. You’ll be able to go on a sunset safari drive then stay in cabins or a safari resort and “glamping” in tents.