South Australia's Monarto Zoo says it will become the world's largest safari experience outside of Africa thanks to an AUS$40m (US$27.1m, €24.66m, £21.8m) investment project recently approved by the regional government.

The project, led by architects Intro, includes the provision of a luxury resort and eco-glamping facilities, a new visitor centre, restaurant, conference facilities, and a range of new wild safari experiences. The new Wild Africa area will be complete with herds of roaming animals and open-sided vehicle tours, and there will be a 35,000sq m (115,000sq ft) walk-through lemur habitat. Once the changes are completed in 2022, the zoo will be rebranded as Monarto Safari Park.

Zoos South Australia, which runs Monarto Zoo, as well as Adelaide Zoo, is going into partnership on the project with Gerry Ryan, owner and founder of Jayco Australia, which makes a range of caravans and motorhomes, and an investor in the Melbourne theme park Gumbaya World. Ryan will build and operate the safari resort at Monarto.

Helping the project come to fruition is also an AUS$15.8m (US$10.7m, €9.7m, £8.6m) contribution from the Federal and South Australian Governments. An estimated AUS$20.4m (US$13.8m, €12.6m, £11.1m) of Gross Regional Product could be produced during the construction period, the zoo claimed, while the new visitor centre and accommodation would create 90 full-time jobs.

Zoos South Australia chief executive Elaine Bensted said: "The addition of accommodation and new experiences will also help us generate more funds to support our critical conservation work and continually improve our facilities at both of our sites."

Gerry Ryan described Monarto Zoo as a "standout tourism offering", and added: "I believe Monarto is a jewel in South Australia's crown and the aim of this development is to create a truly memorable safari experience second only to a safari in Africa."