Community & Business
29 June, 2023
For Sale: One Zoo
One of the most popular attractions on the Eastern Downs - the Darling Downs Zoo at Pilton is for sale.
Owners Steve and Stephanie Robinson have rather reluctantly placed the Zoo on the market due to Steve’s health.
“We’re not getting any younger,” Steve said and after a health scare while they were visiting Canada last year the couple decided it was probably time to wind back.
“Because I can’t do as much Stephanie and the staff have been doubling up,” Steve said.
The Robinsons opened the Darling Downs Zoo in 2005 after many years of working with authorities to enable the project to go ahead.
Since then they have grown the attraction to accommodate 150 species with some 500 animals in total.
“The animals are like our kids,” Steve said.
“We have a real bond with them.”
The Robinsons have no intention of leaving the area and will live on their 50 acre property beside the Zoo.
“If and when we sell, we’ll be just across the fence,” Steve said.
“While we won’t interfere, they (the new owners) can pick our brains any time they like.”
However, the couple wants to ensure that there’s a clause in the contract of sale that gives them visiting rights.
Steve Robinson said there have been many highlights but one that really stands out is the support received during the Covid pandemic.
It’s on reason they would never leave the area.
As well the physical support from across the Darling Downs, there was plenty of emotional support.
“There’s no way in the world we would have survived without it,” Steve said.
Steve and Stephanie have introduced many species to Queensland.
Among the most notable has been a pygmy hippopotamus, of which there are only five in Australia.
The Robinsons are working with the Australian Government to import a male.
The Zoo also features two Komodo Dragons, which Steve describes as “charismatic”.
He said these originate in Indonesia and are an endangered species.
The Robinsons hope to be able to import more to establish a breeding group.
Darling Downs Zoo is the biggest regional zoo in Queensland.
It sits on 122 acres of land off the Gatton-Clifton Road west of Pilton.
Most of the land has been developed but there is still an area of around 40 acres to enable further development to take place.
And what sort of price would one place on a working zoo?
“We have no idea,” Steve said.
That’s the reason the attraction has been opened to tender through local agent Properties Ruhle.
Steve said they have already had to fend off suggestions that the Zoo is closing down.
“It’s very much a regional Zoo - there’s no hint of it closing down,” he said.
If the Zoo does not sell the Robinsons would work on some method of change to ensure that it continues to operate.
