giraffes in New Zealand
- Thread starter nicola08
- Start date
I'm not sure sorry. They were only there for three months so I'd imagine it was reused rather quickly for some other hoofstock.
Aside from the lions, which lived where the wallabies are now, Hamilton Zoo would have been rather boring prior to the late 90s. I can't imagine the place without white rhino, giraffes, Sumatran tiger, cheetah, African wild dogs, Chimpanzee, red panda etc. Others would have been impressive by their extensive hoofstock collection however.
zooboy28
Well-Known Member
Yeah, a house would have been needed however, so that would probably have been specifically constructed, and I'm not suite sure where that would have been. Perhaps near the lions (there were exhibits for gemsbok and ostrich over that side too). When Ndoki arrived, he was kept partially on the site of the tiger exhibits, and what is now planted hillside between tigers/alpacas and Waikato wetlands, so perhaps that was where the original two lived as well.
Zom B. Adams
New Member
There is a lot of interesting information here but there is also quite a bit of misinformation concerning the giraffes at Orana Park. Some dates and names used are certainly incorrect, although some of the responses have addressed or at least partially addressed it. Will have a more thorough read later and make some comparisons to our family photo albums (that contain dates.)
Sorry if I have responded to a dead thread!
*source* my father is Ian Adams, former head keeper then animal collection manager of O.P. (or Banana Park as we affectionately called it) and we lived there for nearly 10 years between the mid 80's to mid 90's.
Sorry if I have responded to a dead thread!
*source* my father is Ian Adams, former head keeper then animal collection manager of O.P. (or Banana Park as we affectionately called it) and we lived there for nearly 10 years between the mid 80's to mid 90's.
Information on Willoughby, Inbreeding and Hybridisation:
Willoughby
When researching the Auckland Zoo giraffe last year, I included a brief mention of Willoughby, a female imported from Taronga Park Zoo in 1973. Willoughby was significant to Auckland Zoo’s giraffe history as she was the first female to produce a calf that survived to adulthood. This calf was Kahiroa (born 1975) and his calves, Kiri (born 1984) and Kay (born 1986), would continue this family line at Auckland Zoo until the export of Kay’s last calf, Ntombi (born 2007), in 2008.
Here is some info on Willoughby’s history at Taronga (her Auckland history is documented on Page 5 of this thread):
Willoughby (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 19/09/1960
Sent to Auckland Zoo 19/11/1973
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/05/1980
Prior to arriving at Auckland Zoo, Willougby gave birth to six calves:
Female born 1964 (died at 7 days old)
Female born 1966 (exported 1967)
Male born 1969 (died at 5 days old)
Male born 1970 (died at 18 days old)
Male born 1971 (died at 1 day old)
Female born 1973 (died at 1 day old)
Willoughby’s mother was born at Taronga Zoo:
Hazel (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 27/04/1953
Died at Taronga Zoo 20/06/1981
Willoughby’s grandmother was also born at Taronga Zoo:
Betty (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 01/08/1948
Died at Taronga Zoo 10/02/1960
Willoughby’s great grandmother was a wild born founder:
Mighty (F)
Born in Tanzania approx. 1933
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 30/11/1935
Died at Taronga Zoo 11/08/1950
Willoughby’s great grandfather was a captive born founder:
Jan Smuts (M)
Born at Johannesburg Zoo 07/09/1943
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 21/03/1947
Died at Taronga Zoo 30/04/1968
Inbreeding:
Jan Smuts and Mighty bred to produce a female named Betty.
Jan Smuts then bred with his daughter Betty to produce Hazel.
Jan Smuts then bred with his granddaughter Hazel to produce Willoughby.
Jan Smuts then bred with his great granddaughter Willoughby to produce two calves.
Therefore Jan Smuts is Willoughby’s father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Further Inbreeding:
Wellington Zoo’s breeding pair, Ricky (1987-2007) and Tisa (1990-2017) were also descended from Jan Smuts:
Ricky:
Jan Smuts (M43) x Betty (F48) > Hazel (F53) > Faye (F75) > Ricky (M87)
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Ricky (M87)
Tisa:
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Anna (F63) > Tisa (F90)
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Tisa (F90)
Therefore Ricky and Tisa were closely related. They were half siblings (their father was Finnie), as well as both being descended from the founder, Jan Smuts.
Sub Species/Hybridisation:
For those interested in sub species...
Male Jan Smuts (born 1943 at Johannesburg Zoo) was a purebred South African (Giraffe G. c. giraffe).
Female Clara (born 1950 at the Smithsonian National Zoo) was a purebred Nubian Giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis).
Female Mighty (born 1933 in Tanzania) was a purebred Masai Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi).
Jan Smuts and these two females subsequently produced many hybrid offspring and therefore all descendants of these offspring are also hybrids.
Willoughby
When researching the Auckland Zoo giraffe last year, I included a brief mention of Willoughby, a female imported from Taronga Park Zoo in 1973. Willoughby was significant to Auckland Zoo’s giraffe history as she was the first female to produce a calf that survived to adulthood. This calf was Kahiroa (born 1975) and his calves, Kiri (born 1984) and Kay (born 1986), would continue this family line at Auckland Zoo until the export of Kay’s last calf, Ntombi (born 2007), in 2008.
Here is some info on Willoughby’s history at Taronga (her Auckland history is documented on Page 5 of this thread):
Willoughby (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 19/09/1960
Sent to Auckland Zoo 19/11/1973
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/05/1980
Prior to arriving at Auckland Zoo, Willougby gave birth to six calves:
Female born 1964 (died at 7 days old)
Female born 1966 (exported 1967)
Male born 1969 (died at 5 days old)
Male born 1970 (died at 18 days old)
Male born 1971 (died at 1 day old)
Female born 1973 (died at 1 day old)
Willoughby’s mother was born at Taronga Zoo:
Hazel (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 27/04/1953
Died at Taronga Zoo 20/06/1981
Willoughby’s grandmother was also born at Taronga Zoo:
Betty (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 01/08/1948
Died at Taronga Zoo 10/02/1960
Willoughby’s great grandmother was a wild born founder:
Mighty (F)
Born in Tanzania approx. 1933
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 30/11/1935
Died at Taronga Zoo 11/08/1950
Willoughby’s great grandfather was a captive born founder:
Jan Smuts (M)
Born at Johannesburg Zoo 07/09/1943
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 21/03/1947
Died at Taronga Zoo 30/04/1968
Inbreeding:
Jan Smuts and Mighty bred to produce a female named Betty.
Jan Smuts then bred with his daughter Betty to produce Hazel.
Jan Smuts then bred with his granddaughter Hazel to produce Willoughby.
Jan Smuts then bred with his great granddaughter Willoughby to produce two calves.
Therefore Jan Smuts is Willoughby’s father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Further Inbreeding:
Wellington Zoo’s breeding pair, Ricky (1987-2007) and Tisa (1990-2017) were also descended from Jan Smuts:
Ricky:
Jan Smuts (M43) x Betty (F48) > Hazel (F53) > Faye (F75) > Ricky (M87)
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Ricky (M87)
Tisa:
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Anna (F63) > Tisa (F90)
Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Tisa (F90)
Therefore Ricky and Tisa were closely related. They were half siblings (their father was Finnie), as well as both being descended from the founder, Jan Smuts.
Sub Species/Hybridisation:
For those interested in sub species...
Male Jan Smuts (born 1943 at Johannesburg Zoo) was a purebred South African (Giraffe G. c. giraffe).
Female Clara (born 1950 at the Smithsonian National Zoo) was a purebred Nubian Giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis).
Female Mighty (born 1933 in Tanzania) was a purebred Masai Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi).
Jan Smuts and these two females subsequently produced many hybrid offspring and therefore all descendants of these offspring are also hybrids.
Giraffe Dies in Transit to Auckland Zoo (1982):
In 1982, Auckland Zoo were supposed to receive two giraffe from Honolulu Zoo; however the import was cancelled after one died in transit at Honolulu Airport.
The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search
The giraffe that died was:
Masai (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 15/02/1982
Died in transit 14/07/1982
Unknown x Twiga (1952)
No details on the second giraffe were mentioned (including gender); but considering giraffes are usually flown before they are 18 months (for obvious size reasons), the two most likely candidates (i.e. the only calves at Honolulu Zoo) were:
Nakuru (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 19/11/1981
Died in transit 22/09/1988
Kenya (1960) x Sudan (1974)
Rwanda (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 08/12/1981
Died at Honolulu Zoo 07/09/1982
Kenya (1960) x Cairo (1970)
Kenya (the sire of both these calves) also died in transit 12/07/1982, two days prior to Masai's export. Due to his age/size (he was a 22 year old bull), I doubt he was the second giraffe being shipped to Auckland Zoo.
A replacement female was (safely) imported from Honolulu Zoo in 1983:
Manyara (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 19/04/1983
Sent to Auckland Zoo 22/11/1983
Died at Auckland Zoo 04/07/2001
Idi (1974) x Botswana (1966)
I still have no idea what Auckland Zoo would have wanted with another male giraffe. They were keen to establish a breeding herd and had previously imported 2.1 from Honolulu Zoo in 1981 to join their existing herd of 1.0:
Lo Cecil (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 27/05/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/11/1981
Kenya (1960) x Hi Cecelia (1955)
Tsavo (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 13/06/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 30/08/1993
Moku (1965) x Cairo (1970)
Kinshasa (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 24/06/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 07/07/2000
Moku (1965) x Botswana (1966)
The male intended to be imported in 1982 would have replaced one of the males sent in 1981 (who died in an accident the same year); but this still would have left them with a herd of three bulls and two cows. Assuming it was understood that this wasn't an ideal starting ratio for a breeding herd, I'm wondering if the male planned for import in 1982 was destined for another zoo in New Zealand, and would simply be quarantined at Auckland Zoo.
How the Honolulu Zoo giraffes were related:
Twiga (1952) was the mother of Botswana (1966), Cairo (1970), Idi (1974) and Masai (1982).
Hi Cecelia (1955) was the mother of Kenya (1960), Moku (1965), Sudan (1974) and Lo Cecil (1980).
In 1982, Auckland Zoo were supposed to receive two giraffe from Honolulu Zoo; however the import was cancelled after one died in transit at Honolulu Airport.
The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search
The giraffe that died was:
Masai (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 15/02/1982
Died in transit 14/07/1982
Unknown x Twiga (1952)
No details on the second giraffe were mentioned (including gender); but considering giraffes are usually flown before they are 18 months (for obvious size reasons), the two most likely candidates (i.e. the only calves at Honolulu Zoo) were:
Nakuru (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 19/11/1981
Died in transit 22/09/1988
Kenya (1960) x Sudan (1974)
Rwanda (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 08/12/1981
Died at Honolulu Zoo 07/09/1982
Kenya (1960) x Cairo (1970)
Kenya (the sire of both these calves) also died in transit 12/07/1982, two days prior to Masai's export. Due to his age/size (he was a 22 year old bull), I doubt he was the second giraffe being shipped to Auckland Zoo.
A replacement female was (safely) imported from Honolulu Zoo in 1983:
Manyara (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 19/04/1983
Sent to Auckland Zoo 22/11/1983
Died at Auckland Zoo 04/07/2001
Idi (1974) x Botswana (1966)
I still have no idea what Auckland Zoo would have wanted with another male giraffe. They were keen to establish a breeding herd and had previously imported 2.1 from Honolulu Zoo in 1981 to join their existing herd of 1.0:
Lo Cecil (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 27/05/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/11/1981
Kenya (1960) x Hi Cecelia (1955)
Tsavo (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 13/06/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 30/08/1993
Moku (1965) x Cairo (1970)
Kinshasa (F)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 24/06/1980
Sent to Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 07/07/2000
Moku (1965) x Botswana (1966)
The male intended to be imported in 1982 would have replaced one of the males sent in 1981 (who died in an accident the same year); but this still would have left them with a herd of three bulls and two cows. Assuming it was understood that this wasn't an ideal starting ratio for a breeding herd, I'm wondering if the male planned for import in 1982 was destined for another zoo in New Zealand, and would simply be quarantined at Auckland Zoo.
How the Honolulu Zoo giraffes were related:
Twiga (1952) was the mother of Botswana (1966), Cairo (1970), Idi (1974) and Masai (1982).
Hi Cecelia (1955) was the mother of Kenya (1960), Moku (1965), Sudan (1974) and Lo Cecil (1980).
Last edited:
Thanks for Honokulu Zoo ZAA connection update. Will do my own with US stock soon and let you know what transpires.
Cool, I'll be interested to see what relatives this line still has in the USA. I didn't get time to work out what giraffes Honolulu have (and if they're related to the Auckland Zoo imports) but it appeared Honolulu Zoo have gone from having a large breeding herd in the 1980s to three or four non breeding giraffes. I hope they're not being phased out.
The North American studbook for giraffes is available online, so it's an easy task.
And the answer is...
The Honolulu Zoo have just two giraffes: a female born 1994; and a neutered male born 1999. They are the only surviving offspring of a pair imported by the Honolulu Zoo in 1992 (both now deceased). They are of no relation to the Auckland Zoo imports of the 1980s.
The Honolulu Zoo have just two giraffes: a female born 1994; and a neutered male born 1999. They are the only surviving offspring of a pair imported by the Honolulu Zoo in 1992 (both now deceased). They are of no relation to the Auckland Zoo imports of the 1980s.
Do not despair I will check the real up-to-date reports. You will have to wait till this Monday
Kabili (Auckland Zoo)
When Kiraka gave birth to twins 31/12/2016, a comment was made on Facebook that the surviving calf (Kabili) may be infertile due to her being the female calf from male-female twins. This phenomenon, known as freemartinism, is well documented in dairy cattle.
Research suggests freemartinism occurs in around 90% of female dairy cattle calves born with a male twin, with those females exhibiting a masculinised appearance and non functioning ovaries. There is a genetic test available for US$25, which confirms if the calf is a freemartin (Karyotyping of a sample of cells shows XX/XY chromosomes). I’d be interested to know if Auckland Zoo have done this test.
Out of curiosity, I did a review of the latest available copy of the international giraffe studbook (2011) to see if any females with a male twin had produced calves. I came across two points of interest:
1) Kiraka’s mother produced two sets of twins (in 1995 and 1999). As in dairy cattle, it’s apparent there is a strong genetic component behind twin births. If Auckland Zoo import a new bull in the future, the likelihood of Kiraka producing twins again would be comparatively high.
2) Of the approximately 30 sets of twins recorded, many were stillborn or died in infancy; or were same sex. There was however a case of male-female twins, where the female survived to adulthood at the Paris Zoologial Park. Guenièvre was born 24/07/1989, and died this year at the age of 30. She never produced any calves.
The zoo’s website provided this article following her death:
As Guenièvre grew up and reached the age of sexual maturity, a peculiarity was confirmed in the eyes of the animal team: its large size - out of the norm for a female - as well as its absence of oestrus cycles (and therefore of gestation) seemed to confirm a freemartinism. This rare anomaly is linked to the appearance of hormonal disturbances during twin gestation with twins of different sexes.
Au revoir Guenièvre
As seen in the article, Guenièvre was noticeably taller than her female companions. It’ll be interesting to see Kabili’s final height (compared to Rukiya and Kiraka). She turns three this month, and by this time next year will be almost fully grown.
When Kiraka gave birth to twins 31/12/2016, a comment was made on Facebook that the surviving calf (Kabili) may be infertile due to her being the female calf from male-female twins. This phenomenon, known as freemartinism, is well documented in dairy cattle.
Research suggests freemartinism occurs in around 90% of female dairy cattle calves born with a male twin, with those females exhibiting a masculinised appearance and non functioning ovaries. There is a genetic test available for US$25, which confirms if the calf is a freemartin (Karyotyping of a sample of cells shows XX/XY chromosomes). I’d be interested to know if Auckland Zoo have done this test.
Out of curiosity, I did a review of the latest available copy of the international giraffe studbook (2011) to see if any females with a male twin had produced calves. I came across two points of interest:
1) Kiraka’s mother produced two sets of twins (in 1995 and 1999). As in dairy cattle, it’s apparent there is a strong genetic component behind twin births. If Auckland Zoo import a new bull in the future, the likelihood of Kiraka producing twins again would be comparatively high.
2) Of the approximately 30 sets of twins recorded, many were stillborn or died in infancy; or were same sex. There was however a case of male-female twins, where the female survived to adulthood at the Paris Zoologial Park. Guenièvre was born 24/07/1989, and died this year at the age of 30. She never produced any calves.
The zoo’s website provided this article following her death:
As Guenièvre grew up and reached the age of sexual maturity, a peculiarity was confirmed in the eyes of the animal team: its large size - out of the norm for a female - as well as its absence of oestrus cycles (and therefore of gestation) seemed to confirm a freemartinism. This rare anomaly is linked to the appearance of hormonal disturbances during twin gestation with twins of different sexes.
Au revoir Guenièvre
As seen in the article, Guenièvre was noticeably taller than her female companions. It’ll be interesting to see Kabili’s final height (compared to Rukiya and Kiraka). She turns three this month, and by this time next year will be almost fully grown.
Rukiya (Auckland Zoo)
0.1 Rukiya
Born at Wellington Zoo 23/09/2001
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 16/09/2002
Sire: Ricky; Dam: Tisa
Rukiya has given birth to seven calves at Auckland Zoo:
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 26/05/2006
Died at Auckland Zoo 28/05/2006
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Forrest
Born at Auckland Zoo 17/11/2007
Sent to Australia Zoo 20/11/2008
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Jelani
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2010
Sent to Werribee Open Range Zoo 10/09/2011
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Nakuru
Born at Auckland Zoo 16/01/2012
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 15/04/2013
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Shira
Born at Auckland Zoo 03/08/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 25/11/2015
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Zuri
Born at Auckland Zoo 23/04/2015
Sent to Wellington Zoo 30/05/2016
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2018
Died at Auckland Zoo 08/03/2018
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Rukiya
Born at Wellington Zoo 23/09/2001
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 16/09/2002
Sire: Ricky; Dam: Tisa
Rukiya has given birth to seven calves at Auckland Zoo:
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 26/05/2006
Died at Auckland Zoo 28/05/2006
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Forrest
Born at Auckland Zoo 17/11/2007
Sent to Australia Zoo 20/11/2008
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Jelani
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2010
Sent to Werribee Open Range Zoo 10/09/2011
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Nakuru
Born at Auckland Zoo 16/01/2012
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 15/04/2013
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Shira
Born at Auckland Zoo 03/08/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 25/11/2015
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Zuri
Born at Auckland Zoo 23/04/2015
Sent to Wellington Zoo 30/05/2016
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2018
Died at Auckland Zoo 08/03/2018
Sire: Zabulu
Kiraka (Auckland Zoo)
0.1 Kiraka
Born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo 20/11/2009
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 05/10/2011
Sire: Unnami; Dam: Mutangi
Kiraka has given birth to four calves at Auckland Zoo:
0.1 Mdomo
Born at Auckland Zoo 15/11/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 24/02/2016
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Mtundu
Born at Auckland Zoo 21/08/2015
Sent to Mogo Zoo 21/02/2017
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Died at Auckland Zoo 02/01/2018
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Kabili
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Still at Auckland Zoo
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Kiraka
Born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo 20/11/2009
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 05/10/2011
Sire: Unnami; Dam: Mutangi
Kiraka has given birth to four calves at Auckland Zoo:
0.1 Mdomo
Born at Auckland Zoo 15/11/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 24/02/2016
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Mtundu
Born at Auckland Zoo 21/08/2015
Sent to Mogo Zoo 21/02/2017
Sire: Zabulu
1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Died at Auckland Zoo 02/01/2018
Sire: Zabulu
0.1 Kabili
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Still at Auckland Zoo
Sire: Zabulu
Last edited:
Thanks for that correction, @Tafin. I initially made a mistake and recorded the twins as born 31/12/2017. When I went back to edit their DOB to 31/12/2016, I somehow forgot to amend the date of death of the male - who indeed died (unnamed) at three days of age.
I wanted to have a record of Rukiya and Kiraka's calves as the last few years went by in a blur and were when the bulk of their calves were born. Hopefully they'll be many more to come with the recent arrival of a bull; not to mention the statistically high chance of another set of twins from Kiraka.
Based on my observations, I don’t believe Kiraka the giraffe is a freemartin. Freemartinism often results in the female developing a masculinised appearance, which in giraffes presents as the female attaining the size of a male giraffe. Kiraka is 3.5 years old and still considerably smaller than Rukiya and Kiraka. Given maturity is attained at four to five years of age, I’d expect her to be at least close to their height by now if she was a freemartin.
