Nocturnal house
Many native animals are nocturnal (active at night) so are rarely seen, even when you visit a national park.
Platypus. Photo DERMAt David Fleay Wildlife Park, a nocturnal house displays some of our more unusual and interesting native animals, giving you a chance to see them during daytime.
Seeing a platypus in the wild is a special thrill that few experience. Here you can see a platypus up close in the Nocturnal House. It is easy to spend an hour watching the playful antics of the platypuses as they forage and feed, occasionally demonstrating their wet and wild ability to turn a waterfall into a water slide!
Watching the yellow-bellied gliders will keep you engrossed for ages. Nearby, you can see the largest gliding possum, the greater glider.
Bilby. Photo DERMThe Australian alternative to the Easter bunny, the greater bilby, is truly a delightful creature. Because the bilby is endangered and lives in the desert, this is probably the best chance you will ever have to see this fascinating creature.
The 'back from the dead' mahogany glider is also on display in the nocturnal house. This beautiful glider was presumed extinct, but was rediscovered in 1989. Since then an extensive breeding program has produced a strong colony being readied one day for reintroduction to the wild.
The latest addition to the Nocturnal House is the endangered Julia Creek dunnart. David Fleay Wildlife Park is now the only facility in the world to house, display and breed these carnivorous marsupials.
The Nocturnal House is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 11am until 5pm.
Last updated: 05 October 2006