Ian, Neroli, Becky and Tabatha Heffer at the 2008 Pirate Festival

The park had its humble beginnings as a modest hand-made ceramics shop and as it gradually acquired animals begun attracting tourists on their way to Phillip Island. The park has continued to grow steadily since, acquiring new animals and exhibits over the years. In 2001 a mini-golf course was added which was in 2008 re-developed to become Pirate Pete’s Mini-Golf Adventure.

At Maru we focus on ensuring guests are able to not only learn about the animals at regular Keeper talks, but also to see and interact closely with the animals. We are passionate about educating our guests about our native animals and their natural habitat and seek to ensure that our talks are both entertaining and informative. There is ample information about the animals available around the park and keepers are always on hand to answer any questions. A great way to truly appreciate our native animals and develop a respect for them in the wild is to be able to see them up close and interact with them.

Maru is a member of the Australian Society of Zookeepers and we actively attend conferences and seminars to keep up to date with the latest information and animal –keeping practices. We are also actively involved with relevant committees concerned with ensuring best practice for commercial wildlife park license holders and the promotion of local and regional tourism.

At Maru we are mindful of preserving the environment around us and are always working to minimize the footprint we leave behind. This includes focusing on waste minimization by recycling, and minimizing water usage by the efficient use of bore water. For example, the fresh gum leaves that are fed to our koalas every day are never entirely consumed. The old leaves are subsequently removed and used as browse and environment enrichment in other animal enclosures. The ample supply of fecal matter from the around the property is stored and allowed to reduce, and subsequently recycled as mulch and fertilizer. We are involved with eco programs such as ‘Grow Your Money’.

Our award winning and Tourism Accredited business provides our guests with confidence that our practices and standards are of a high quality throughout the property.