An iconic animal, a rare sight in zoos, a great conservation partnership—you may be imagining a giant panda, but these characteristics also describe the platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus. From the inception of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Walkabout Australia, the platypus was included as a major and important part to transport guests to the waterways and landscape of Australia, but also to tell the story of water conservation and threatened wildlife that parallels our own native conservation work.

Platypus Populations

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is committed to saving platypuses. Listed by the IUCN as near threatened when last evaluated in 2014, the platypus is endangered in South Australia but not listed in New South Wales (NSW), other states, or nationally. Widespread population surveys are challenging due to the species’ secretive nature, but estimates of populations and the geographic range of platypus are concerning. In NSW, their range has declined over 21% with an additional 40% decline projected over the next half decade; and local extinctions are reported. Platypuses face threats of habitat loss, degradation, and poor water quality related to disturbances in waterways, land and river management, natural disasters such as drought and fires, and environmental instability. Although significant advances in uncovering the perils and plight of platypus have been made, an urgent need remains to ensure their sustainability and resilience in the native range. 

Nearly seven years ago, members of the Wildlife Care and Veterinary teams visited Australian institutions, including Taronga Conservation Society Australia, to learn all they could about this species. The Alliance’s visit was highlighted in each organization’s elevision programs, likely due to the exciting collaboration between two well-known conservation entities. Taronga Zoo is our antipodal partner, with a beautiful urban zoo and more rural, safari-type park of their own—just located some 7,400 miles away.

Working Together

In 2023, we partnered with Taronga to undertake a multi-year collaborative research program with the University of New South Wales in consultation with First Nations communities. The objectives of this program were to build capacity in response to natural disasters, enhance our understanding of platypus reproduction, and develop strategies to improve resilience in platypus populations in their native range. The multidisciplinary and multifaceted program involves ex situ work at the state-of-the-art Taronga Zoo Platypus Rescue HQ facility, as well as in situ work to monitor wild platypus throughout NSW. 

As partners and veterinarians responsible for caring for the only two platypuses outside Australia, we are fortunate to assist with in situ field work in Australia, learn from our Taronga  partners, and help build capacity to support platypus rescue and translocations when needed. In May 2025, we sent one of our Safari Park veterinarians to travel to Australia on one of these trips. 

A nocturnal and elusive semi-aquatic species found in waterways, surveying platypus in the wild meant setting up camp at field sites in the afternoons and working late into the early hours of the morning. Our field team, led by platypus experts from Taronga Zoo, spent a week at multiple carefully identified catchment river sites throughout NSW. We set two types of nets just before dusk: mesh nets, which run parallel to the shore in relatively deeper rivers; and fyke nets, which are a series of connected cone-shaped nets placed in stream beds. Camped out next to the stream or river, we would listen carefully for the subtle splashing of a platypus swimming through a net at the surface or serendipitously see one when taking turns shining the flashlight over the river. When a platypus was present, a quick signal to the team meant running down to the rowboat to retrieve the platypus, carefully transporting it back to shore.  

Platypuses received health assessments at the field sites. A portable gas anesthesia machine equipped with isoflurane was used to anesthetize each platypus in the field; the same process we follow with the two platypuses in San Diego. We drew blood from the bill sinus, examined for signs of disease or underlying health conditions, and obtained morphological metrics including venomous spur length in males. Additionally, we evaluated their body condition score by taking tail volume index measurements, which are a specific measurement to assess fat stores in platypuses.

During these exams, we obtained samples and data to contribute to research studies in monotreme reproduction, epigenetics, and health. While the specifics of veterinary care felt all too familiar, the stark differences in setting—next to a river in Australia in the native range of platypuses, occasionally visited by a native wombat, brush-tailed possum, or wallaby passing by, and surrounded by the diverse Australian landscape—were all reminders of the incredible opportunity to be part of this collaborative conservation program.  

While in Australia, the opportunity to visit Taronga Zoo Sydney and Western Plains in Dubbo meant spending time with the facilities’ incredible veterinary and wildlife care teams responsible for caring for their unique wildlife. In Dubbo, visiting the Platypus Rescue HQ was a highlight and showcased the commitment that the Taronga Zoo and its partner organizations, including the Alliance, have made to saving the platypus. The facility, which debuted in 2024, has the capacity to house 65 platypuses, designed specifically for their unique care and social needs. Platypus Rescue HQ is the only large-scale emergency refuge site in Australia for platypuses in the event of natural disasters that have imperiled the species and ecosystem in their natural range, such as floods, droughts, and bushfires. The state-of-the-art research facility allows conservation scientists to learn about platypus reproduction and improve breeding success for a future assurance population, and the public-facing exhibit and its ambassador, “Mackenzie,” allow guests to learn about Platypus Rescue HQ and inspire them to take action toward conservation. 

As veterinarians with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, we felt a sense of pride seeing our logo nearly 8,000 miles away and what it represents: our commitment to saving species worldwide, our expertise in wildlife care and conservation science, and our dedication to inspiring passion for nature. 

On the Horizon

Looking ahead, we continue to value our partnership with Taronga Zoo and explore ways to collaborate to achieve our shared goal of saving the platypus. In June 2026, we will partner in hosting Targona Zoo’s 2026 Platypus Conference: Collaborative Approaches to Platypus Conservation and Biology. We look forward to learning from and uniting with subject matter experts in the field, partner organizations, local and international stakeholders, and First Nations communities. In addition to sharing the innovation and expertise at the Alliance, the conference offers opportunities to enhance our role and commitment as leaders in platypus conservation. Representatives from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Veterinary and Wildlife Care teams will travel to Sydney to continue to strengthen alliances, support long-lasting transglobal initiatives, and contribute to the conservation of this iconic species.

Remembering Eve

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is sad to share the passing of Eve, the 21-year-old female platypus we had the honor of caring for at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Eve had been receiving ongoing medical care for pneumonia. She and a male platypus, Birrarung (Birra), were welcomed to the Safari Park in October 2019. Their arrival marked the first time in 50 years platypuses were cared for outside of Australia. Eve will be fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.