Auckland Zoo Future Development of Auckland Zoo (Speculation)

[ZooNZ]

Thought this would be interesting to discuss looking ahead at the future of Auckland Zoo. This map can be found in the historical exhibition in the Dome. I apologise if the image is not the clearest.

Some of the interesting things to note are:

• The zoo seems to plan to connect all the tracks to a central location rather than to each other
• There seem to be plans to build a habitat beside the Tasmanian devil habitats which is currently empty
• There will be significant changes made around the Watering Hole and beyond in the African track as the elephant habitat will be expanded to become a bigger habitat. There's a planned aviary to be built (possibly free-flight flamingos?) and will definitely be a relocation of the cheetahs as their current habitat is not visible on the plan. Also, you can see that the Africa track won't link to Te Wao Nui but loop back to the central area
• In Te Wao Nui, the Islands area seems to removed
• A Conservation Campus is to be built where the dome and red panda habitat occupies
• The old siamang habitat area will become a building, possibly housing some smaller South American creatures

So that's some of the things I noticed from the plan. Thoughts?

Auckland Zoo Master Plan 2022

• ZooNZ
• 14 Jan 2023

 

[Zoofan15]

Thought this would be interesting to discuss looking ahead at the future of Auckland Zoo. This map can be found in the historical exhibition in the Dome. I apologise if the image is not the clearest.

Some of the interesting things to note are:

• The zoo seems to plan to connect all the tracks to a central location rather than to each other
• There seem to be plans to build a habitat beside the Tasmanian devil habitats which is currently empty
• There will be significant changes made around the Watering Hole and beyond in the African track as the elephant habitat will be expanded to become a bigger habitat. There's a planned aviary to be built (possibly free-flight flamingos?) and will definitely be a relocation of the cheetahs as their current habitat is not visible on the plan. Also, you can see that the Africa track won't link to Te Wao Nui but loop back to the central area
• In Te Wao Nui, the Islands area seems to removed
• A Conservation Campus is to be built where the dome and red panda habitat occupies
• The old siamang habitat area will become a building, possibly housing some smaller South American creatures

So that's some of the things I noticed from the plan. Thoughts?

Auckland Zoo Master Plan 2022

• ZooNZ
• 14 Jan 2023

This masterplan indeed implies the elephant exhibit is to become part of the African precinct long term. There were talks of this taking the form of an African forest complex, which as long as it isn’t lemurs, I’ll be happy with. African forest to me raises expectations of the Congo.

A lot of space has been allocated to the entry precinct, which isn’t a good move imo. Entry precincts are highly overated at other zoos in the region and I doubt this will be much better.

Cheetah will be phased out I believe; and this masterplan has me concerned Hamadryas baboon will follow. They don’t appear to be accomodated in these plans.

 

[Jambo]

This masterplan indeed implies the elephant exhibit is to become part of the African precinct long term. There were talks of this taking the form of an African forest complex, which as long as it isn’t lemurs, I’ll be happy with. African forest to me raises expectations of the Congo.

A lot of space has been allocated to the entry precinct, which isn’t a good move imo. Entry precincts are highly overated at other zoos in the region and I doubt this will be much better.

Cheetah will be phased out I believe; and this masterplan has me concerned Hamadryas baboon will follow. They don’t appear to be accomodated in these plans.

It looks like some sort of aviary will go where the Cheetah currently are (presumably for the Flamingo)?

The Cheetah phase out does make sense; they are a species that does require a lot of space. The baboon one though, makes me scratch my head. They're a crowd pleasing species, and do have quite a reasonable enclosure at the moment. They're also breeding well; but I imagine the lack of support for this species elsewhere in NZ may be behind this.

I also noticed the Servals are absent in the plans too which is a big shame. Losing Cheetah, Baboons and Servals would only be made worth it if they're replaced with a high profile species like Gorillas or Mandrills, alongside potentially Bongo, Colobus Monkeys or even Pygmy Hippo (depending on the import restrictions).

 

[ZooNZ]

It looks like some sort of aviary will go where the Cheetah currently are (presumably for the Flamingo)?

The Cheetah phase out does make sense; they are a species that does require a lot of space. The baboon one though, makes me scratch my head. They're a crowd pleasing species, and do have quite a reasonable enclosure at the moment. They're also breeding well; but I imagine the lack of support for this species elsewhere in NZ may be behind this.

I also noticed the Servals are absent in the plans too which is a big shame. Losing Cheetah, Baboons and Servals would only be made worth it if they're replaced with a high profile species like Gorillas or Mandrills, alongside potentially Bongo, Colobus Monkeys or even Pygmy Hippo (depending on the import restrictions).

The plan doesn't really specify what species will inhabit the exhibits which does make it harder to know what they are planning to lose or introduce to the zoo. There is a planned new exhibit at the end of the African track and the expansion of the current flamingo habitat will also be filled by some other species (if the aviary is indeed for the flamingos of course). So potentially the baboons could be relocated to one of these two exhibits if they wanted, or two entirely new species will be introduced.

 

[Jambo]

The plan doesn't really specify what species will inhabit the exhibits which does make it harder to know what they are planning to lose or introduce to the zoo. There is a planned new exhibit at the end of the African track and the expansion of the current flamingo habitat will also be filled by some other species (if the aviary is indeed for the flamingos of course). So potentially the baboons could be relocated to one of these two exhibits if they wanted, or two entirely new species will be introduced.

There also looks to be some off display cages where the current baboon/serval enclosures are - not sure what these are for.

Don't think baboons would be in the current flamingo habitat; the area is much too small for them. Hopefully this enclosure will *potentially* be used as a secondary lion enclosure connected to the main enclosure by an overhead pathway, or something of the sort.

 

[Zoofan15]

It looks like some sort of aviary will go where the Cheetah currently are (presumably for the Flamingo)?

The Cheetah phase out does make sense; they are a species that does require a lot of space. The baboon one though, makes me scratch my head. They're a crowd pleasing species, and do have quite a reasonable enclosure at the moment. They're also breeding well; but I imagine the lack of support for this species elsewhere in NZ may be behind this.

I also noticed the Servals are absent in the plans too which is a big shame. Losing Cheetah, Baboons and Servals would only be made worth it if they're replaced with a high profile species like Gorillas or Mandrills, alongside potentially Bongo, Colobus Monkeys or even Pygmy Hippo (depending on the import restrictions).

I’m thinking this is the flamingo aviary, but it doesn’t look very big. I was expecting something massive and indeed the current exhibit barely meets the needs for the flock. I would assume the aviary will include the exhibit space allocated to the Cheetah exhibit (still not a lot of space); but the Hamadryas baboon and Serval exhibits appear to be part of the entry/kids precinct - which is disappointing.

A keeper at Wellington Zoo told me the region (not just Wellington Zoo) are phasing out Cheetah. I found it hard to believe - especially given how well they do at open range zoos; but it appears Auckland will also be dropping the species. They’re eight year old now, but could still be transferred to Orana for their remaining years.

 

[Zoofan15]

There also looks to be some off display cages where the current baboon/serval enclosures are - not sure what these are for.

Don't think baboons would be in the current flamingo habitat; the area is much too small for them. Hopefully this enclosure will *potentially* be used as a secondary lion enclosure connected to the main enclosure by an overhead pathway, or something of the sort.

These would have be the back of house cages used to manage multiple individuals. The zoo once had 1.2 Serval requiring seperate housing and managed a male Chacma baboon seperate from the main troop of Chacma baboon; and then seperate from the Hamadryas baboon troop until his death.

Sadly, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Auckland Zoo phase out Hamadryas baboon. I was told there was a plan to export the three youngest adult females to Singapore in 2020. The export was postponed when Covid hit and it was discovered Mali was pregnant. This would have culled any chance of succession in the troop.

Since then, the zoo has welcomed a male born June 2022 (who’d be near impossible to place in another zoo). I’m hopeful the zoo will consider continuing with this species, they’re an engaging exhibit that has drawn visitor interest second only to the orangutans and elephant on most of my visits.

 

[Jambo]

I’m thinking this is the flamingo aviary, but it doesn’t look very big. I was expecting something massive and indeed the current exhibit barely meets the needs for the flock. I would assume the aviary will include the exhibit space allocated to the Cheetah exhibit (still not a lot of space); but the Hamadryas baboon and Serval exhibits appear to be part of the entry/kids precinct - which is disappointing.

A keeper at Wellington Zoo told me the region (not just Wellington Zoo) are phasing out Cheetah. I found it hard to believe - especially given how well they do at open range zoos; but it appears Auckland will also be dropping the species. They’re eight year old now, but could still be transferred to Orana for their remaining years.

I was thinking the same thing; the proposed aviary does look tiny. I hope this is not the case. I'd be extremally disappointed if it does turn out to be a small aviary; one that wouldn't be able to accommodate such a large flock, especially with Auckland holding the regions only flamingoes, I would hate for them not to put a lot of focus onto them and giving them a larger exhibit.

That's disappointing to hear the NZ region is phasing out Cheetah. They're such an iconic species but do require a fair amount of space for adequate housing. Auckland's exhibit is on the smaller side, and even if they did give them a newer, larger exhibit they'd still only be holding a non breeding ambassador pair. So I can sort of see the reasoning behind this species phase out.

I also noticed that the seal enclosure seems absent on the map, apparently replaced by the 'Nature play' area. Looks to be another disappointment, as it could've been renovated as a mini aquarium or even given to the Little Penguins as a large enclosure.

 

[Zorro]

I’m thinking this is the flamingo aviary, but it doesn’t look very big. I was expecting something massive and indeed the current exhibit barely meets the needs for the flock. I would assume the aviary will include the exhibit space allocated to the Cheetah exhibit (still not a lot of space); but the Hamadryas baboon and Serval exhibits appear to be part of the entry/kids precinct - which is disappointing.

A keeper at Wellington Zoo told me the region (not just Wellington Zoo) are phasing out Cheetah. I found it hard to believe - especially given how well they do at open range zoos; but it appears Auckland will also be dropping the species. They’re eight year old now, but could still be transferred to Orana for their remaining years.

I believe that the flamingos at Auckland Zoo should have more focus being that they are the only Flamingos in the region also considering the amount of effort, time and money that the zoo put into this project not that many years ago!

 

[Zoofan15]

I was thinking the same thing; the proposed aviary does look tiny. I hope this is not the case. I'd be extremally disappointed if it does turn out to be a small aviary; one that wouldn't be able to accommodate such a large flock, especially with Auckland holding the regions only flamingoes, I would hate for them not to put a lot of focus onto them and giving them a larger exhibit.

That's disappointing to hear the NZ region is phasing out Cheetah. They're such an iconic species but do require a fair amount of space for adequate housing. Auckland's exhibit is on the smaller side, and even if they did give them a newer, larger exhibit they'd still only be holding a non breeding ambassador pair. So I can sort of see the reasoning behind this species phase out.

I also noticed that the seal enclosure seems absent on the map, apparently replaced by the 'Nature play' area. Looks to be another disappointment, as it could've been renovated as a mini aquarium or even given to the Little Penguins as a large enclosure.

The flamingos really deserve to be given an exhibit that meets their needs and will allow the flock to expand throughout the coming decades. The lack of focus on this species may be due to them being neither enabling (the general public have little interest in them) nor a NZ native/conservation project; but recognition should be given to the fact this is a species that can’t be imported into the region and is held nowhere else.

Judging by the lack of engagement with their exhibit, I don’t think Auckland’s Cheetah will be overly missed by the general public. They’re better suited to the open range zoos - and I strongly believe Orana should at least continue with them; along with Monarto and Dubbo.

I’m hopeful the Little penguins will have a future at Auckland Zoo. They mentioned on their TV series, the focus is on breeding to build up a sustainable colony. I too hoped the seal pool was their destination as it’d allow for a large colony to be displayed instead of the typical 6-12 Little blue penguins you see in zoos.

 

[Matt_C]

The flamingos really deserve to be given an exhibit that meets their needs and will allow the flock to expand throughout the coming decades. The lack of focus on this species may be due to them being neither enabling (the general public have little interest in them) nor a NZ native/conservation project; but recognition should be given to the fact this is a species that can’t be imported into the region and is held nowhere else.

Judging by the lack of engagement with their exhibit, I don’t think Auckland’s Cheetah will be overly missed by the general public. They’re better suited to the open range zoos - and I strongly believe Orana should at least continue with them; along with Monarto and Dubbo.

I’m hopeful the Little penguins will have a future at Auckland Zoo. They mentioned on their TV series, the focus is on breeding to build up a sustainable colony. I too hoped the seal pool was their destination as it’d allow for a large colony to be displayed instead of the typical 6-12 Little blue penguins you see in zoos.

Hard to see Hamilton phasing Cheetah out, they are very committed to them currently and I think plan to long term be a bachelor facility.

 

[Jambo]

Hard to see Hamilton phasing Cheetah out, they are very committed to them currently and I think plan to long term be a bachelor facility.

This would be hard if no other zoos in NZ hold (or even breed) cheetahs.

 

[Matt_C]

This would be hard if no other zoos in NZ hold (or even breed) cheetahs.

All the current males come from Australia and I suspect that they would be happy to continue sourcing from there.

 

[Zoofan15]

Hard to see Hamilton phasing Cheetah out, they are very committed to them currently and I think plan to long term be a bachelor facility.

This would be hard if no other zoos in NZ hold (or even breed) cheetahs.

All the current males come from Australia and I suspect that they would be happy to continue sourcing from there.

I’m taking the comment regarding a regional phase out with a pinch of salt as there’s evidence from both sides:

Wellington have phased out Cheetah; Auckland appear to be phasing out Cheetah (as per the masterplan); and Orana Wildlife Park haven’t bred since 2014 (or imported since 2016) - despite previously regularly breeding and importing (mostly from South Africa).

Conversely, Hamilton Zoo are a relatively new holder; Australia Zoo have plans to build an on display exhibit; and the WCCC have recently bred the species.

They can potentially live into their mid-teens, so it’s possible those who’ve acquired bachelor groups of young males are working with the phase out - but content to have an exhibit of them for the next decade (phase outs aren’t instant and can easily take a decade or more to implement across all facilities).

 

[Zoofan15]

Discussion of Masterplan - Part 1


Photo by @ZooNZ

Auckland Zoo’s masterplan is a huge disappointment to me. As I previously mentioned, the most regrettable developments are the phase out of Hamadryas baboon and Serval in favour of a “Nature Play” area; the extension of the African Savannah into the elephant exhibit (following Burma’s departure); and the demolition of the fur seal pool (which I hoped would at least be repurposed for another marine species).

From my many visits, it’s clear the African lions are one of zoo’s biggest attractions. Lion Hill, which opened in 1998, offered a marked improvement on the Lion Pit (built in 1922); but exhibit standards have evolved and now Lion Hill is merely an adequate exhibit. Lion Hill is comparable to Wellington Zoo’s Kopje exhibit in terms of quality; and like Wellington Zoo are, I’m of the opinion Auckland Zoo would do well to upgrade their lion facilities. Upgrading the lion exhibit would not only better showcase this species, but allow the zoo to manage a large breeding pride – something the current exhibit doesn’t allow space for.

To facilitate an expansion of the lion exhibit, I’m of the opinion Auckland Zoo should consider phasing out Southern white rhinoceros. A newborn calf is a huge attraction, but by 6-12 months, the calf has surpassed the perpetual running around the exhibit phase and the site of rhinos serenely grazing hay does little to inspire the general public. Larger herds (in larger exhibits) are held at Hamilton Zoo and Orana Wildlife Park and rather than attempt to compete, Auckland needs to be realistic about what will ultimately bring in the visitors.

The focus on visitor engagement is something all zoos strive to achieve – and there’s scope to create a more immersive exhibit with tunnels (overhead and underground) connecting the existing exhibit to the new exhibit. A large breeding pride (final pride size of 8-12 adults) would primarily be maintained in the larger (new exhibit); with an offshoot pride of 2-3 male offspring of the breeding pride would primarily be maintained in the smaller (existing) exhibit. On occasions, the prides would swap exhibits – with the scent of the other pride; as well as different features in the exhibits leading to a more active display. Viewing of the new exhibit would be greatly enhanced; along with greenery to create a more immersive, park like feel.

 

[Zoofan15]

Discussion of Masterplan - Part 2

Burma’s departure will vacate a sizeable area of land that visitors will have high expectations for the repurposing of. My conversations with staff last year indicated one option that’s being considered is an African forest precinct. New Zealand has no IRA for importing hippopotamus, so I doubt Pygmy hippopotamus is being considered; but Western lowland gorilla, Mandrill, Okapi and Eastern bongo are all species that could be imported (subject to being able to source them). Western lowland gorilla would be the biggest crowd pullers, as well as the easiest to source. A species like Black and white colobus could be a strong likelihood in support of Australian populations of this species.

I support Auckland Zoo’s apparent decision to phase out Cheetah. Their exhibit is uninspiring and attracts little interest from visitors. The exhibit would be ideal for Caracal, but an extension of the flamingo exhibit needs to take priority.

If the zoo is committed to phasing out pinnipeds (which I think is a shame), the exhibit would best engage the public by housing sharks; or alternatively a large breeding colony of Little blue penguins.

The South American precinct needs addressing. The Siamang exhibit has sat empty for years now and Capybara have been phased out. It’s been reduced to a handful of monkeys and Green iguana; linked to exhibits for alligators and giant tortoises. The masterplan indicates the construction of a building on the site of Siamang exhibit. My preference would be to see indoor housing for Golden lion tamarin in this space, with a small troop of Bolivian squirrel monkey inhabiting the vacated Golden lion tamarin exhibit. This in turn would free up the old Capybara/squirrel monkey exhibit for a new species – with Maned wolf being the most engaging option (given Jaguar aren’t realistic).

To summarise, I’d consider Auckland Zoo in it’s present state to be a phenomenal zoo. They’ve undertaken some ground breaking developments over the past few years, which is why it’s so disappointing to see the masterplan indicate it’s all down here from here. Plans always change and naturally, I’m hopeful management will consider alternative ideas – of which I believe, these indicate some of the best.

 

[Zoofan15]

Development Update

An update from my visit (31/05/2023):

The Coast (New Zealand Precinct):

Spoiler: The Coast

It looks like pinnipeds will be phased out sooner than we think. Auckland Zoo are currently exploring options to export their remaining fur seal to an Australia facility. Orua is 17 years old and could potentially live another five years or so, so they want to investigate export as an option to phase out sooner.

The supporting infrastructure of the sea lion exhibit (filtration, salt water treatment etc) has reached the end of its lifespan and an overhaul would be needed to continue with the species.

The plan for repurposing this exhibit has been confirmed as a New Zealand coastal bird exhibit featuring Little blue penguin and diving birds such as Spotted shag. The exhibit will be fully covered (like an aviary).

Green sea turtles will not be exhibited at Auckland Zoo during their rehabilitation (and will continue to be sent to Kelly Tarltons for this). Like fish, they have very sensitive water quality requirements which make them unsuitable for this exhibit.

Great Flamingo (African Precinct):

Spoiler: Flamingo Exhibit

The flamingo exhibit is currently being renovated. The flamingo flock aren’t currently making full use of the pool because it’s too deep and the land area is too hard for their feet.

The pool has been drained and it’s going to be levelled to make it shallow for the birds. This will allow them to practice natural behaviours such as filter feeding; and is hoped to enhance courtship behaviour/breeding.

The substrate on the land area (beach) is also being replaced to provide them with greater comfort on their feet.

While these are positive changes from a welfare perspective and will hopefully enhance breeding, the footprint of the exhibit will remain unchanged. This is a long term solution and replaces prior plans for a flamingo aviary.

I enquired about plans for the elephant exhibit and the entry precinct, but the responses I received were vague and potentially unreliable so I won’t detail them here (feel free to PM me if interested).

 

[joe99]

I like the idea of the larger coast aviary very much, with a larger little blue colony and some rescued diving birds (maybe even larger penguins like Fiordland crested penguins could live in this larger enclosure) and seeing them swim with the taller viewing panel to see them dive would be pretty cool.

also nice to see some efforts to renovate the flamingos to try and encourage more natural and breeding behaviours, though not having an aviary is disappointing and would help even more with breeding.

 

[Zoofan15]

I visited Auckland Zoo on Saturday. As usual, it was a good visit but it’s clear the zoo needs to make a number of improvements from a visitor perspective:

South American precinct:

The South American precinct lacks impact. It opened in 1996 and unlike the African precinct (1998), it’s looking very dated. It should be noted that the latter has been modernised via upgrades over the years - while the former is largely in its original state (bar some add on exhibits).

A better name for the South American precinct would be the ghost precinct. The Capyabra are gone, the Siamang exhibit is abandoned, the formerly large troops of squirrel monkey and spider monkey have dwindled to a handful of females (a pair of spider monkeys were the only primates to be seen that day) and it’s always a lottery whether you see the Golden lion tamarin (nobody hit the jackpot Saturday).

The most pressing thing to address is the empty Siamang exhibit. They left three years ago, yet nothing has been done with the considerable amount of space this exhibit occupied. Maned wolf would be the dream, but the exhibit best lends itself to a medium sized monkey - with Brown capuchin being the easiest to source.

Australian precinct:

The wallaby walk through needs more wallabies. Their colony recently dwindled to a single wallaby that’s either died, been transferred out or is the master of camouflage. A single pair of Emu appeared to be the sole occupants of this exhibit.

You see Auckland’s Tasmanian devils either when it’s so hot, they take to the water; or when it rains (which serves to bewitch them). I usually see Wellington’s resting in their nesting box (which Auckland’s are apparently doing when not visible), so increased visibility of the nesting box appears the obvious place to start.

Auckland Zoo has two Tasmanian devil exhibits. One exhibit I see them around 25% of the time; the other 5% of the time. I’d replace the second exhibit with Dingo. They’re more of novelty to New Zealanders than Australians and are the ideal species for public engagement (walks around the zoo etc). Dingo would also greatly appeal to international visitors.

The lone male Brolga is less active than the breeding pair, but I have no recommendations here as I support the transfer of the breeding pair to an off display exhibit to facilitate breeding. Hopefully it works!

African precinct:

A quarter of a century after it opened, this remains a phenomenal precinct and is widely regarded as the zoo’s second best precinct (after South East Asia). However a few improvements are needed.

Expanding the rhino/nyala exhibit into the old hippopotamus waterhole has been a waste of time. I’ve never once seen the rhino venture down this end and even the Waterbuck don’t use the water. The most action the waterhole has been was when a visitor jumped in last year (which we hope won’t be repeated). In an ideal world, this section would be divided off and renovated for Pygmy hippopotamus; but logistically speaking, remodelling it for Sitatunga is a compromise that would at least bring about some improvement.

The Hamadryas baboons were (as always) one of the most engaging exhibits at the zoo with large crowds of people gathered around. I’ll say it again that the zoo desperately needs to reconsider phasing out this exhibit to build a playground.

The Serval was nowhere in sight, which is a common occurrence. Caracal are the obvious replacement and preferable to the aforementioned threats to build a playground on this site.

Elephant exhibit:

Burma’s need for companionship is evident and it’s actually quite depressing to see her standing idly in her paddock. This is in no way a criticism of Auckland Zoo - who were thrown a curveball by Australia Zoo cancelling her transfer last minute; and whose keepers are going above and beyond to ensure Burma’s needs are met. However, there is zero doubt in my mind her export is in her best interests and as such, I won’t be sorry to see her go. She’ll have a great life at Monarto.

A number of ideas have been considered by the zoo for her exhibit, but nothing publicly confirmed. Given the popularity of lions, I’d like to see a large complex built to manage a multigenerational breeding pride. The current exhibit (which is on the small side) could be remodelled for a pair of Spotted hyena or a small pack of African wild dog.

An African forest exhibit has been discussed in the past by management, but whether they could source the species needed to pull it off is debatable.

 

[Zoofan15]

Future Development Questions

Through speaking to keepers and volunteers, I have answers to two questions people have asked me to find out regarding future developments at the zoo:

What’s replacing the elephant exhibit?

The zoo are planning to build a rhinoceros exhibit on the site of the elephant exhibit (following Burma’s export next year). There’s currently 1.3 southern white rhinoceros at the zoo and they’re planning to bring in more. The repurposing of the elephant exhibit for rhinoceros means the exhibit and supporting infrastructure will only need to undergo minor changes. The current rhinoceros exhibit will remain a rhinoceros exhibit.

I’m 50:50 on how I feel about this. I was really excited by the possibility of an African forest precinct on this site and the range of new species the zoo could have acquired. I also liked my idea to build a large African lion complex to manage multiple prides; with the current lion exhibit refurbished for either African wild dog or hyena. Both these concepts would have surely been major crowd pullers.

On the plus side, I’m glad if they’re going the rhinoceros route, they’re at least planning for two large exhibits to accomodate a number of rhinos. Via the Australian Rhino Project, they’ll be 35 new rhinos coming into the region and Auckland Zoo could potentially hold double figures. It’s certainly preferable to extending the giraffe/zebra exhibit (which is already plenty big enough) into the existing rhino exhibit (with the rhinos then moving across to the elephant exhibit).

Are the zoo still planning to build a flamingo aviary?

Unfortunately, the zoo no longer plan to build a flamingo aviary. Instead they’ve refurbished the existing exhibit by adding in a shelf to the pool to create a shallow zone for the flamingos to stand. Though the footprint of the exhibit hasn’t increased, it has at least increased the percentage of the exhibit they can use. In all my years of visiting, I’ve only once seen a flamingo swimming in the deep water. It’s also believed the changes will enhance breeding success.

Considering flock sizes of 40+ birds have a markedly improved reproductive output, I think it’s a shame the zoo aren’t planning to build an exhibit large enough to accomodate a flock this size. It’s difficult to predict what impact the refurbishment of the exhibit will have on breeding. At the previous rate, it would have likely taken 15 years to reach a flock size of 40; but this could potentially be achieved much sooner. Presumably, the plan from there would be to transfer a small number of flamingos to another New Zealand zoo e.g. Orana Wildlife Park.

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