One of the Ekka’s enduring favourites, The University of Queensland’s Animal Nursery, holds a special place in the hearts of many Queenslanders.
“It has been such a popular attraction over the years,” said Dr Mark Hohenhaus, Nursery coordinator and senior lecturer at UQ’s School of Animal Studies.
“Not many people get to see these farm animals close up anymore.
“So this is an opportunity for kids to view animals they would not usually encounter.”
And Dr Hohenhaus considers it his duty to make the experience as rewarding as possible, bringing the usual crowd favourites plus a couple of special animals each year.
“The kids love the lambs, kids, foals, ducklings, piglets and chickens with their mothers,” he said.
“But we also have the more unusual animals such as alpacas, donkeys, emus and turkeys.
“And this year we also have a special treat with a new breed of miniature cattle on show called Nadudana.
“The breed comes from India originally, but we have got ours from a breeder from Proserpine.
“They should be a big hit as they only are about 1 metre high when fully grown.”
Apart from giving city kids a taste of baby animals and their mums, the Animal Nursery also plays an important role for UQ Gatton students studying for their Certificate in Agriculture.
“This is one component of their studies and we have 16 students in all, dealing with animal welfare and husbandry,” he said.
The Nursery is an institution at the Ekka, which runs from August 11 to 20, and has been staffed by Gatton students for 42 years.
UQ's Gatton campus will throw open its doors to the public on August 28 for its annual Open Day, which is the perfect opportunity to inspect first hand the Campus' unique facilities.
Visitors can attend seminar sessions or speak one on one with academic staff about the campus's programs in the areas of agribusiness, agriculture and horticulture, animal studies and environmental management.
Media inquiries: Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (3365 2802).
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