Marapana Wildlife Park

Marapana Wildlife Park, originally known as Marapana Deer Park, was established by the Mullany family in May 1981 and operated for 30 years before officially closing on Friday 8 May 2011. Located 35 km south of Perth, the 15-acre park was developed after a neighbouring property was subdivided and sold to the Mullanys.

 

Marapana was best known as a family-friendly petting zoo, welcoming both locals and tourists, as well as school excursions and birthday parties. Open daily from 10am to 5pm (except Christmas Day), it offered hands-on animal experiences including the chance to cuddle a koala or celebrate with a Totally Wild birthday party.

 

Animals that once called Marapana home included:

• Alpacas

• Camels

• Deer

• Emus

• Kangaroos

• Koalas

• Ostriches

• Wombats

• A range of farm animals.

 

Management Changes and Closure

In early 2006, the park came under co-management with Wild New Management, working alongside owner Tim Mullany. Upon closing in 2011, Marapana’s website announced plans to reopen at a new location under the names West Coast Wildlife Park and West Coast Wildlife Rescue but no further public updates were made.

 

Many of the park’s animals, particularly reptiles, were believed to have been rehomed at Red’s Zoo & Conservation Park (formerly Peel Zoo).

 

The Site After Closure

Photos taken in 2021 sparked speculation that the site had been abandoned. However nine months later, the property owner clarified that Marapana was not abandoned but had suffered repeated theft and vandalism. Bore pumps, electrical wiring and parts of the house had been damaged or stolen. As a result, the area only accessible via private land is now monitored by CCTV.

 

Freeway Incident: Wild Deer Connection

In October 2016, a motorcyclist collided with a deer on the Kwinana Freeway near Baldivis at around 1am. The rider was seriously injured and the deer died on impact. Nearby Cohuna Koala Park, located roughly 30 km from the crash site, confirmed it had no missing animals, leading some to suspect the deer may have originally come from the former Marapana Wildlife Park.

 

Property Sales & Future of the Site

There were widespread rumours of a $9 million sale to a sand mining company but it appears it was the larger 42.6-hectare area surrounding Marapana that was sold to Rocla Quarry Products Ltd (which became Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd and then Heidelberg Materials Australia).

 

As of November 2023, the neighbouring land comes under the City of Rockingham’s Urban Expansion zoning as part of the Karnup District Structure Plan.

 

The Marapana site itself (23.67 hectares) was officially sold on 23 February 2023 for $1.35 million.