Easter has snuck up quickly and kids are bursting to get out of the classroom and into the fresh autumn air.
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What better way to spend it than with the family on bikes in the wild place that is Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
An animal that will have a hop in its step this school holidays is Greater one-horned rhino calf Hari, who loves keeping mum Amala on her toes. The Easter holidays are an 'egg-cellent' time to see Hari bouncing in the grass, sparring with mum.
"Hari is an active and confident rhino calf and is hitting all his milestones at pace. Once his energy is switched on, he's unstoppable and gets up to all sorts. Best to spot him between 9.30am-2pm, before he usually needs a rest with mum close by," keeper supervisor Jen Conaghan said.
Although guests can't see the greater bilby on display at the zoo, the nocturnal mammals live wildly behind the scenes in the zoo's 110ha sanctuary, and Easter is a great time to talk about this iconic Aussie species.
Greater bilbies are an environmentally important species that Taronga Western Plains zoo is trying to save from extinction through a breed-for-release program.
Feral rabbits cause much strife for the survival of the bilby, creating competition for food resources and burrows for shelter.
The Bilby may not actually produce eggs, but the zoo's recent successful release of 10 Plains-wanderer birds into the Hay Plains of NSW will hopefully do that - just not the chocolate kind. Plains-wanderers are critically endangered and estimated to have a population of less than 1000.
Taronga is heavily involved in the plains-wanderer recovery program and has a breeding facility within the zoo's sanctuary.
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The zoo is very proud of the conservation programs carried out in Dubbo and is immensely thankful to all the guests whose purchases help fund the critical work that occurs behind the scenes for species such as the greater bilby.
So help out the Easter bilby these school holidays and hop along to the zoo.
During the whole month of April, a new Red Energy Creature Features that Flex trail is ready for the kids to explore, with lots of fun facts to learn and great prizes and giveaways up for grabs.
Plus there are free goodies for the kids including a giraffe hat, kids map, pencil and tattoo.
If you're a local, don't forget discounted annual passes and one day tickets are available for residents in Dubbo, Wellington, Narromine, Gilgandra and in between.
For more info visit taronga.org.au/dubbolocals.
We hope to see you at the zoo this Easter holidays.