Where can you Pat Kangaroos and other Native Wildlife?
The ability get up close and personal to a native Australian animal can be a wonderful experience for a child (and just as good for Mum, Dad and international visitors)
We put on our collective thinking caps on in order to come up with a list of places where you can pat or feed a kangaroo or other native wildlife.
One of our favourites is Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park in Pearcedale. Tours (at night or during the day) start with the opportunity to wrap Monty the python around your neck (think of it as a slithering kangaroo) and then you get an informative, laid-back guided tour through a range of enclosures where the animals will come to you and can be fed and touched (except for the animals which could bite or inflict other forms of pain). The animals include bettongs (they come and feed out of your hands), gliders (will also come and feed from your hands and climb on you), and lots of kangaroos and wallabies which also will feed from your hands.
Ballarat Wildlife Park has kangaroos everywhere and you buy a bag of food on the way in and they'll eat right out of your hand! There are also emus wandering around and keeper talks throughout the day which are very interesting and included in the entrance price.
You can feed/pat kangaroos and a range of other animals at Chesterfield Farm in Scoresby.
At Gumbuya World in Tynong there is a walkthrough enclosure where you can get close to the grey kangaroos and feed them.
If you head to Phillip Island, kangaroos and wallabies roam throughout the grounds at Phillip Island Wildlife Park in a free-range environment, where you can hand feed and pat them. You can also feed and pat kangaroos at Maru Koala and Animal Park at Grantville on the way to Phillip Island from Melbourne.
Some places also offer Close up Animal Encounters such as Melbourne Zoo in Parkville and Healesville Sanctuary in Healesville where you can interact with your favourite animals including kangaroos.
It is important to always remain calm and quiet around around the animals so they don't become stressed during the experience.
Experiencing animals in the wild can also be a very rewarding experience although you won't get close enough to pat them. Check out our guides on where to find Wild Kangaroos, Wild Koalas and Wild Penguins
