Australian zoos target roaring trade through luxury lodges and glamping

CANBERRA -- In Australia, the dream of observing animals up close from the comfort and safety of a hotel room has become reality. Across the country, zoos are allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of creatures big and small long after the gates close for the day.

One offering such an experience is the Crocodile Hunter Lodge on the Sunshine Coast, next to Queensland's Australia Zoo, with visitors being able to stay within a multispecies habitat where wild red kangaroos, southern koalas and emus freely rove.