National Zoo & Aquarium

Set beside the Scrivener Dam on the western edge of Lake Burley Griffin, this privately run zoo and aquarium is Canberra's only combined wildlife park. It houses big cats, bears, primates and native Australian animals alongside marine tanks displaying sharks and reef fish. Behind-the-scenes encounters let visitors get close to lions, cheetahs and other species, and the park runs a jungle-themed accommodation lodge overlooking the enclosures. Conservation and breeding programs support several threatened species.