What Caversham Wildlife Park does

Caversham Wildlife Park is a family-owned, single-site wildlife attraction located inside Whiteman Park in Whiteman, Western Australia. Founded and operated by David and Pat Thorne since 1988, it is Western Australia's largest privately owned collection of native wildlife, housing over 2,000 individual animals representing more than 200 species across birds, mammals, marsupials, and reptiles. The park offers general admission access bundled with scheduled interactive experiences (koala meet-and-greets, wombat encounters, penguin feeding, kangaroo walk-through, farm shows, reptile house presentations), serves kindergarten through Year 12 school excursion groups and vacation care centres with structured curriculum-aligned programming at $14-$16 per student, sells digital gift cards with a 3-year validity window, and operates a symbolic animal adoption program. Ticketing, gift cards, and ecommerce transactions are processed through Roller, eWAY, and PayPal integrations. Operational technology is limited to standard point-of-sale and website CMS tooling, with the principal data asset being a decade-long contribution record to the global Species360 ZIMS zoological database (1,096 animals across 190 species since 2014). The business carries no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue figures.

The go-to-market is community- and direct-to-consumer-led: walk-in visitors plus online ticket and gift card sales through owned e-commerce channels, augmented by the owner's active participation in Australian and international tourism trade events and affiliations with Tourism Western Australia, Tourism Australia, ATEC, Tourism Council WA, Destination Perth, Swan Valley Tourism, and the Perth Convention Bureau. Institutional revenue comes from school and vacation care group bookings, with invoicing available on net-30 terms. The park is a Full Member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia (ZAA) since 2013, accredited under the ZAA Accreditation Program, and participates in ZAA Species Management Programs alongside partnerships with Perth Zoo and the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife on species conservation initiatives including the Bush Stone Curlew and Little Penguin insurance population programs.

Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time admissions (adult $37, child $17), structured per-student excursion fees, recurring/animal adoption subscriptions, on-site souvenir and kiosk sales, and conservation-linked fundraising distributed across 16+ wildlife organisations. Marketing relies on the company's own website and news blog, Trip Advisor reputation (Certificate of Excellence 2012-2019, Travellers' Choice 2024), tourism association placements, and a Containers for Change recycling partnership with AbilityWA. Recognition includes the 2023 ATEC Captain Trevor Haworth Outstanding Contribution to the Tourism Export Industry Award to owner David Thorne, confirming the park's positioning as the premier private wildlife attraction in Western Australia.

Name

Caversham Wildlife Park

Legal name

Caversham Wildlife Park

Website

https://cavershamwildlife.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caversham Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife attraction in Whiteman, Western Australia, housing over 2,000 animals across 200+ species, offering interactive Australian wildlife experiences to general visitors, tourists, and K-12 school and vacation care groups through admissions, excursions, adoptions, and gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase day entry tickets to the park. The park sells adult and child tickets directly via its website and at the gate. Gift cards for admission are also sold online.
2. Animal Adoptions: Visitors can adopt an animal, either for themselves or as a gift, with various package options available, providing a recurring and one-time revenue stream supporting animal care.
3. School Excursion Fees: Organised school groups (Kindergarten to Year 12) and vacation care centres pay per-student fees for structured educational excursions, invoiced post-visit or collected on the day.
4. Souvenir Shop & Kiosk: On-site retail sales of souvenirs, gifts, and light refreshments generate additional revenue from park visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caversham Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife park located in Whiteman Park, Western Australia, operating since 1988. The park offers daily interactive animal experiences with koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and penguins, alongside school excursion programs, vacation care programs, an animal adoption program, gift cards, and an on-site souvenir shop. It houses Western Australia's largest privately owned wildlife collection, with over 200 species and approximately 2,000 animals.

Product overview

Caversham Wildlife Park operates as a single-attraction wildlife park (not a platform architecture) offering general park admission as the core product. The park's portfolio includes daily interactive experiences centered around Australian wildlife: Meet A Koala & Koala Holding, Meet A Wombat & Friends (in the Dome Arena), Wombat Photos, Penguin Feeding, Kangaroo Walk-Through, Molly's Farm interactive farm yard, Reptile House, and the Farm Show. Additional revenue streams include Animal Adoptions (symbolic adoption packages), Gift Cards (digital tickets with 3-year validity), and a Souvenir Shop. Educational programs include Primary & Secondary School Excursions and Vacation Care Excursions with tiered pricing by age group. All experiences are bundled within a single park admission with no modular add-on purchase system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Park Admission General public entry to Caversham Wildlife Park, providing access to the park's wildlife collection of over 200 species and approximately 2,000 animals, and to the daily interactive animal experiences.
• Daily Interactive Animal Experiences Daily scheduled interactive encounters with koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and penguins, available to visiting members of the public as part of the wildlife park visit.
• School Excursion Programs
• Vacation Care Programs
• Animal Adoption Program Paid symbolic sponsorship/adoption of individual animals within the park's collection, providing supporters with an ongoing connection to a specific animal and supporting park operations.
• Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards redeemable against park admissions and experiences, available for purchase as experience-based gifting.
• Souvenir Shop On-site physical retail store selling wildlife-themed souvenirs and merchandise to park visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 animals and 200 species housed at a single private facility in Western Australia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Species360 / ZIMScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Since 2014, Caversham Wildlife Park has contributed animal data to the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), curated by Species360. ZIMS data is used by conservation researchers worldwide (IUCN, CITES, etc.) to assess species survival rates and population viability, with data from Caversham filling critical gaps in demographic knowledge for 190 species.
• Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia (ZAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Since 2013, Caversham Wildlife Park has been a Full Member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), assessed under the rigorous ZAA Accreditation Program for positive animal welfare. The park participates in ZAA's Species Management Programs and contributes to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.
• Department of Parks and Wildlife (WA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Caversham collaborated with the Department of Parks and Wildlife (WA) on the Bush Stone Curlew conservation program, releasing birds into Whiteman Park (2013) and participating in broader WA conservation initiatives.
• Tourism Western AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCaversham Wildlife Park is a committed member of Tourism Western Australia, with owner David Thorne actively participating in industry events to promote WA tourism. The park is a key attraction in the WA tourism ecosystem.
• Tourism AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated with Tourism Australia as part of the national tourism marketing network, helping position the park internationally.
• Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAs an ATEC member, Caversham Wildlife Park participates in export-focused tourism initiatives. Owner David Thorne received ATEC's Captain Trevor Haworth Outstanding Contribution Award in 2023.
• Perth Convention BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated with the Perth Convention Bureau to support business events and conventions in Western Australia.
• Swan Valley TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated with Swan Valley Tourism, positioning the park as part of the Swan Valley regional tourism experience.
• Destination PerthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of Destination Perth, contributing to the regional tourism marketing strategy for the Perth area.
• Tourism Council Western AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProudly accredited with Tourism Council Western Australia and the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program, indicating compliance with industry standards.
• Australian Tourism Accreditation ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe park holds accreditation through the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program, demonstrating compliance with industry quality and safety standards.
• Perth ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerth Zoo collaborated with Caversham Wildlife Park on the Bush Stone Curlew program and Little Penguin insurance population program, transferring penguins to Caversham in 2016 as part of a WA-wide breeding initiative.
• AbilityWAminorOthersAbilityWA Midvale Refund Point provides Containers for Change bins at the park for visitors to deposit eligible containers, with refund proceeds supporting the park's conservation activities. Michael from AbilityWA collects and sorts containers regularly.
• Wombat HiltonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaversham Wildlife Park has purchased wombats from Wombat Hilton (South Australia) since 1989, supporting the organisation's fundraising for orphaned joey supplies. The park has acquired multiple wombats including Fred, Marian, Oodnadatta, Neil, Harry Jr, Chloe, Matilda, Judie, Roger, and Asha from Wombat Hilton.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Perth Zoo: Government-operated zoo in Perth presenting Australian and exotic wildlife to the same Western Australian market. Directly competes for school excursions, family visits, and tourist spend within the metro area, and has a working partnership with Caversham (e.g., Little Penguin insurance population transfer in 2016).
• Australia Zoo: Privately held wildlife park in Beerwah, Queensland, founded and operated by the Irwin family. Most directly comparable Australian private wildlife park operating interactive animal experiences, school programs, and conservation messaging at scale.
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Privately operated Gold Coast wildlife sanctuary offering close-encounter experiences with Australian wildlife (koalas, kangaroos, wombats), school excursion programs, and conservation fundraising. Closely comparable model: private ownership, interactive experiences, school and tourism audience.
• Featherdale Wildlife Park: Sydney-based private wildlife park focused on Australian native animals with hand-feeding and photo experiences. Closely comparable single-site Australian native wildlife operation with similar ticket-driven, education-augmented revenue model.
• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: Privately operated, indoor wildlife attraction in Darling Harbour, Sydney presenting Australian species. Comparable visitor-facing wildlife experience model with paid admission, interactive encounters, and school programming in an urban tourism context.
• Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary: Tasmanian family-owned wildlife sanctuary emphasizing animal care, interactive tours, and Tasmanian species presentation. Closely comparable small privately held sanctuary model with similar ticketing and wildlife encounter structure.
• National Zoo & Aquarium: Privately operated wildlife park in Canberra combining Australian and exotic species with hands-on encounters. Comparable visitor experience model, school programs, and admission-driven revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• Taronga Zoo Sydney: Large conservation-society operated zoo in Sydney presenting Australian and international species with strong education and tourism positioning. Comparable visitation, education excursions, and conservation programming but operates at significantly larger scale with institutional backing.
• Melbourne Zoo: Zoological Parks and Gardens Board (Zoos Victoria) flagship zoo, the largest in the region, presenting Australian and international wildlife with school education programs. Comparable school excursion and visitor experience capabilities but operates as a multi-site zoo institution at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Alice Springs Desert Park: Northern Territory government-operated park presenting native wildlife and habitats with structured educational programming. Comparable in being a managed wildlife-focused park with school excursion capabilities, but positioned in a different geography and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=LgltmQgvjlo
• Facebookfacebook.com/CavershamWildlifePark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caversham-wildlife-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caversham Wildlife Park