Oakvale Wildlife Park is used to hosting birthday parties but Salt Ash attraction celebrated its own special event on the weekend.
November 1 marked 45 years of Oakvale, and the park held birthday celebrations on November 2 and 3.
The event featured live entertainment, a visit from Ruby the Clown, cake cutting, pony rides, giant bubbles and half-price entrance for children. About 700 people attended the park on Saturday to enjoy the festivities.
The park has been in the same family for the entire 45 years.
Jeff and Elaine Sansom founded the park as Oakvale Farm and Fauna World in 1979. It originally began as a dairy farm, where local schools visited to learn about farm life.
The idea for Oakvale was sparked during a family holiday to Queensland, where a visit to The Big Cow inspired the Sansoms to transform their farm into a wildlife park.
Jeff and Elaine's son Kent took over the park in 1995 and in 2017 the site was rebranded to Oakvale Wildlife Park.
Kent's own children are also now involved in the business.
Kent said the business would continue to grow, with new animals being planned for the park.
"These animals will not only enhance visitor experiences but also provide valuable educational opportunities," he said.
"Everything we do at Oakvale aligns with our 'see, touch, feel' approach, promoting conservation and sustainability in a fun, hands-on way, including our collaboration with TAFE to offer training for students in wildlife management and conservation."
