The Ekka’s RACQ Animal Nursery

The RACQ Animal Nursery is arguably one of the most popular displays at the Royal Queensland Show! After all, who doesn’t love cute, baby animals?

For over 20 years, James Kemp has organised this adorable display, which features a variety of animals.

The nursery gives children–and adults–the opportunity to interact with animals they wouldn’t normally see on a daily basis.

Preparations for Ekka’s Animal Nursery begin months in advance and as you can imagine, there’s a ton of work involved when it comes to raising hundreds of baby animals. On top of the hours of bottle feeding required, a big part of the preparations involves spending time with the animals so they’re used to humans.

“You wouldn’t be able to go into a normal farm, necessarily, and give an animal a pat,” explained James. “That’s not what they’re for; they’re not used to that. Where these guys are obviously very much prepared for the show, so they’re so quiet.”

At its core, the Royal Queensland Show is an agricultural show that aims to connect the country with city. It also highlights the importance of our farmers.

“People are losing their connection with the bush a little bit and I think that’s a big part of what we do and a big part of what the EKKA does. It’s literally bringing the bush to the city,” said James. “Making sure that people can again re-affiliate with what’s going on and learn about what primary industry is and just how important it is to our economy and to our way of life.”