Photo: thefifthestate.com.au

Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio was at the Zoo today to release designs for the $9 million Leopard Ridge facility, which will offer visitors a rare insight into the lives of the stunning predators and give the animals the safe and comfortable home they deserve.

Leopard Ridge will also become home for Tasmanian Devils and Coatis, and will highlight the national effort to protect Tasmanian Devils from a deadly contagious cancer.

The project is the final instalment of the Melbourne Zoo’s popular new Predators Precinct, beginning with Lion Gorge in 2014.

Lion Gorge already displays African Lions and Hunting Dogs, Philippines Crocodiles and Chameleons. Soon there will be an even greater array of the world’s most extraordinary predators.

Melbourne Zoo is one of Victoria’s great tourist icons and offers something for the whole family. The Labor Government is helping the much-loved institution grow, so it attracts more visitors than ever before.

It’s not just a great day out, it’s a vital educational resources for schools and universities, and a great place to learn about how to protect our natural world.

Leopard Ridge will be completed by the end of 2017.