The Aussie East Coast bushfires of 2019 and 2020 were not only the most devastating and destructive in documented history with over 5,900 buildings destroyed including over 2,800 homes and 33 lives lost...but the estimation of loss of wildlife was in the billions.
The images of blackened singed koalas and wallabies in burnt, scorched, smoking wastelands circled the World in 2019 like the soundwaves from the explosion of the volcano Krakatoa in the 1880s.
Coastal towns and extensive areas of bushland in flames from Queensland to Victoria...even Kangaroo Island in South Australia...images of residents cramped on beaches in orange grey smoke consuming the lungs and skies...desperate for rescue from naval ships and fishing vessels.
And among the stories at the time were the attempts to save the animals at Mogo Zoo in southern New South Wales as the flames consumed the weatherboard heritage village.
Our African safari from Kenya to South Africa about 15 years ago was enough to swear we would never enter a
zoo to see animals in captivity ever again...seeing African animals free hunting and roaming in the Serengeti does that to most of us.
But the stories during the East Coast Australian Bushfires in 2019 and early 2020 of the burning of the quaint south coast village of Mogo and the bravery in saving the animals at the Mogo Zoo was the stuff of legends.
So a few days by the sea at Vincentia with our daughter, and seven month old grandson was incentive for us to see what is left of Mogo...and smoozle with our grandson to introduce him to some exotic animals.
Mogo Wildlife Park is a privately owned zoo dedicated to the conservation of endangered species located at 222 Tomakin Rd, Mogo NSW 2536, about 10 kilometres south of Batemans Bay.
Opened in 1989 it has earned the reputation as having one of the largest collections of exotic animals in Australia.
Meercats, otters, myriads of species of exotic monkeys, lemurs, lions, tigers, rhinoceros, zebra. giraffes, ostriches, wallabies, antelope, guinea fowl, hyenas, cheetahs, servals, snow leopards...44 rare and exotic species...with tours
A drive of a bit less than two hours from where we were staying...but its Oz...used to driving long distances...taking care due to potholes in forest roads due to recent flooding...not knowing how much of Mogo would have survived the fires...how much would have been rebuilt.
We used to visit Mogo on our way back from the Great Southern Blues Festival in Narooma after every October long weekend for 16 years until the Festival closed a few years back...then a bustling little village on the south coast tourist track.
To our surprise the tourist village of handcrafts, paintings, fudges, pies, coffees and had made after the devastating fires...road lined with vehicles of dedicated patrons supporting local industry...yep we are also back.
And as we pulled into the carpark at the Mogo Wildlife Park...pram out...sun out...skies and blue...smiles of our seven month old grandson.
You are in for a surprise Felix...camera out...lets hope the animals are content in their lot...lets hope I can get some decent portraits...hopefully the animals will also be smiling.
