Unfortunately Australia's Orang population is dwindling as fast as its gorilla population.
Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo News 2023
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Rennovation of green iguana habitat:
From socials:
Our ectotherm team recently gave our green iguana habitat a spruce up ahead of welcoming this green iguana pair!
The male iguana's journey with us began in 2016 when a person tried to smuggle him through the mail! Thankfully, he was intercepted by New Zealand Customs, and he has been helping us to advocate against wildlife crime ever since.
The female iguana's story is equally captivating; she was confiscated from a cargo boat arriving from Panama and spent some time in Wellington Zoo before making her way to us.
From socials:
Our ectotherm team recently gave our green iguana habitat a spruce up ahead of welcoming this green iguana pair!
The male iguana's journey with us began in 2016 when a person tried to smuggle him through the mail! Thankfully, he was intercepted by New Zealand Customs, and he has been helping us to advocate against wildlife crime ever since.
The female iguana's story is equally captivating; she was confiscated from a cargo boat arriving from Panama and spent some time in Wellington Zoo before making her way to us.
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Sumatran tigers reintroduced for mating:
Auckland Zoo’s tigers Zayana and Ramah reunited for mating | Auckland Zoo News
We’re really pleased to share that Sumatran tiger Zayana came back into oestrus last week, meaning that she and male Ramah could once again come together to mate.
Our Carnivore senior keeper Nick says in this latest oestrus period the pair have reconnected exceptionally well, been extremely respectful of each other, and they’ve seen a real progression in their natural mating behaviours.
In the coming weeks we’ll be monitoring Zayana closely to see whether or not she comes back into oestrus. If she does fall pregnant, then it’s likely she could give birth near the end of the year. But as always, there is a long way to go yet and so we’re just taking one step at a time!
Auckland Zoo’s tigers Zayana and Ramah reunited for mating | Auckland Zoo News
We’re really pleased to share that Sumatran tiger Zayana came back into oestrus last week, meaning that she and male Ramah could once again come together to mate.
Our Carnivore senior keeper Nick says in this latest oestrus period the pair have reconnected exceptionally well, been extremely respectful of each other, and they’ve seen a real progression in their natural mating behaviours.
In the coming weeks we’ll be monitoring Zayana closely to see whether or not she comes back into oestrus. If she does fall pregnant, then it’s likely she could give birth near the end of the year. But as always, there is a long way to go yet and so we’re just taking one step at a time!
Two Gouldian finch chicks have hatched:
From socials:
Two beautiful Gouldian finch chicks have hatched at our Zoo!
Gouldian finches are native to the northern territories of Australia and are renowned for their vibrant plumage, which features a stunning mix of reds, greens, and yellows.
Once the finches reach full adulthood, the males display bright purple chests, while the females display a paler mauve shade. This distinctive colouring makes it easy for us to determine their sex!
You can visit the rest of the Gouldian finch flock in our Australia Bush Track!
From socials:
Two beautiful Gouldian finch chicks have hatched at our Zoo!
Gouldian finches are native to the northern territories of Australia and are renowned for their vibrant plumage, which features a stunning mix of reds, greens, and yellows.
Once the finches reach full adulthood, the males display bright purple chests, while the females display a paler mauve shade. This distinctive colouring makes it easy for us to determine their sex!
You can visit the rest of the Gouldian finch flock in our Australia Bush Track!
Auckland Zoo Update (30/09/2023)
News:
The zoo no longer has wallaby. The walkabout now contains a pair of emu on one side and an elderly male brolga on the other.
The staff are doubtful the greater flamingo flock will breed this year due to the disruption from the renovation of their exhibit (being held off display etc). On the plus side, the renovations are hoped to enhance future breeding success.
The zoo’s breeding pair of golden lion tamarins (Alonzo and Frida) have died. Their 1.1 offspring (Rufino and Aurora) remain at the zoo and are on exhibit together. They’re notable for being the first and only successful rearing of their species to adulthood in a New Zealand zoo. Due to being partially handraised, they make for a more engaging pair than any of their predecessors.
Reptile Row is still closed, following the flooding earlier this year.
Future developments:
A number of people asked me to ask about the zoo’s plans for replacing the elephants (and other future developments). I will post this information in the future developments thread tomorrow morning.
Photos from my visit are here:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/auckland-zoo.502/
Aaaa
News:
The zoo no longer has wallaby. The walkabout now contains a pair of emu on one side and an elderly male brolga on the other.
The staff are doubtful the greater flamingo flock will breed this year due to the disruption from the renovation of their exhibit (being held off display etc). On the plus side, the renovations are hoped to enhance future breeding success.
The zoo’s breeding pair of golden lion tamarins (Alonzo and Frida) have died. Their 1.1 offspring (Rufino and Aurora) remain at the zoo and are on exhibit together. They’re notable for being the first and only successful rearing of their species to adulthood in a New Zealand zoo. Due to being partially handraised, they make for a more engaging pair than any of their predecessors.
Reptile Row is still closed, following the flooding earlier this year.
Future developments:
A number of people asked me to ask about the zoo’s plans for replacing the elephants (and other future developments). I will post this information in the future developments thread tomorrow morning.
Photos from my visit are here:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/auckland-zoo.502/
Aaaa
Since the Flamingos are the only flock in the whole region and they went to a lot of trouble and expense obtaining them I hope they will get some special attention now!
Sad to hear that; the walkabout seems to be a shadow of what it once was now. I'd hope they planned to acquire more Wallaby in the future.
A single pair of emus and a brolga don't really make for that much of an engaging exhibit, especially with the space and potential the exhibit has.
I agree. The zoo had large colonies of red-necked wallaby and parma wallabies when the exhibit opened, that dwindled to single figures in recent years. I know toxoplasmosis has historically been a problem for the wallabies (and other small mammals in open air exhibits), so unsure whether the zoo will get more.
Female ostriches arrive:
From socials:
We’ve welcomed some young female ostriches to our ostrich flock!
Earlier this year, our ungulates team leader Tommy and keepers Dion and Ben embarked on a journey down to Kowhai Grove in Palmerston North to collect these birds.
Once they arrived, the new ostriches carried out a one-month quarantine. This is important so we can ensure the birds are healthy before introducing them to any other animals at the Zoo.
After this, introductions were made under the supervision of our skilled keepers - including with the giraffe and zebras, who they share a mixed-species habitat with. When you visit, you may occasionally witness playful chasing from the older ostriches as they help the younger ones find their place within the flock.
From socials:
We’ve welcomed some young female ostriches to our ostrich flock!
Earlier this year, our ungulates team leader Tommy and keepers Dion and Ben embarked on a journey down to Kowhai Grove in Palmerston North to collect these birds.
Once they arrived, the new ostriches carried out a one-month quarantine. This is important so we can ensure the birds are healthy before introducing them to any other animals at the Zoo.
After this, introductions were made under the supervision of our skilled keepers - including with the giraffe and zebras, who they share a mixed-species habitat with. When you visit, you may occasionally witness playful chasing from the older ostriches as they help the younger ones find their place within the flock.
Auckland Zoo Update
Update from my visit (04/11/2023):
I noticed Kiraka the giraffe was pregnant and asked a keeper, who confirmed she was due December 2023/January 2024. This is Kiraka’s fifth pregnancy. Since her third pregnancy was twins and they run in her maternal line, it’ll be interesting to see the outcome of this pregnancy.
A volunteer confirmed Arif the Asian-small clawed otter died earlier this year. His death leaves the zoo with four brothers (Budi, Agus, Hendra and Ika).
Daya the Bornean orangutan has not yet been integrated with Charlie, Melur and Bahmi. Bahmi has become very independent in the last month and was seen exploring away from Melur on several occasions throughout the day.
Baishe the juvenile Greater flamingo is a male.
Strengthening work is being carried out on the zoo’s historic bridge (1922).
Reptile Row is still closed.
Photos in gallery:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/auckland-zoo.502/
Update from my visit (04/11/2023):
I noticed Kiraka the giraffe was pregnant and asked a keeper, who confirmed she was due December 2023/January 2024. This is Kiraka’s fifth pregnancy. Since her third pregnancy was twins and they run in her maternal line, it’ll be interesting to see the outcome of this pregnancy.
A volunteer confirmed Arif the Asian-small clawed otter died earlier this year. His death leaves the zoo with four brothers (Budi, Agus, Hendra and Ika).
Daya the Bornean orangutan has not yet been integrated with Charlie, Melur and Bahmi. Bahmi has become very independent in the last month and was seen exploring away from Melur on several occasions throughout the day.
Baishe the juvenile Greater flamingo is a male.
Strengthening work is being carried out on the zoo’s historic bridge (1922).
Reptile Row is still closed.
Photos in gallery:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/categories/auckland-zoo.502/
Nepalese Red Panda Update
Tashi and Dalha are now sharing the new red panda exhibit near the entrance; their father, Ramesh, was housed in the old red panda exhibit (old bear pit) as of my latest visit.
From socials:
You may have noticed, we now have two red panda in this habitat!
Recently, Dalha joined her older brother Tashi at our habitat closest to the Zoo entrance and our carnivore keepers report they’ve been getting along well.
Generally red panda are solitary in the wild, and only come together to breed. Interestingly, red panda have a short breeding window each year, which in the Southern Hemisphere is August through to September. As Dalha and Tashi are siblings they wouldn’t share a habitat over this period, but can do so until July next year.
Tashi and Dalha are now sharing the new red panda exhibit near the entrance; their father, Ramesh, was housed in the old red panda exhibit (old bear pit) as of my latest visit.
From socials:
You may have noticed, we now have two red panda in this habitat!
Recently, Dalha joined her older brother Tashi at our habitat closest to the Zoo entrance and our carnivore keepers report they’ve been getting along well.
Generally red panda are solitary in the wild, and only come together to breed. Interestingly, red panda have a short breeding window each year, which in the Southern Hemisphere is August through to September. As Dalha and Tashi are siblings they wouldn’t share a habitat over this period, but can do so until July next year.
ApeLadyNZ
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the updates, especially about the orangutans! I was lucky enough to see Daya yesterday as she was allowed out into the habitat by herself in the afternoon, while the siamang pair were recalled and Charlie, Melur and Bahmi temporarily occupied the siamang habitat. Daya appears to be a very intelligent, active and inquisitive orangutan, exploring everywhere and showing herself to be very curious about her surroundings and the visitors.
There was also a probable first for Bahmi yesterday, according to zoo staff, which I was lucky enough to witness. The orangutans had access to the aerial pathways in the morning, and Melur allowed Bahmi to climb some distance across the pathway leading from the siamang habitat to the orangutan one, all on his own, although closely monitoring him and ready to grab him should he run into difficulties. He is becoming quite independent and cheeky, displaying an interest in everything, including zoo visitors, and seems to have a very similar temperament to older brother Madju at that age.
There was also a probable first for Bahmi yesterday, according to zoo staff, which I was lucky enough to witness. The orangutans had access to the aerial pathways in the morning, and Melur allowed Bahmi to climb some distance across the pathway leading from the siamang habitat to the orangutan one, all on his own, although closely monitoring him and ready to grab him should he run into difficulties. He is becoming quite independent and cheeky, displaying an interest in everything, including zoo visitors, and seems to have a very similar temperament to older brother Madju at that age.
Welcome to ZooChat @ApeLadyNZ!
That’s great you got to see Daya. I’ve missed seeing her on a few weekend visits lately, which I assume has been down to wanting the family group on display on the busier days (as Daya has had time outdoors before on rotation); but recalling the Siamang was a good option to getting both outside.
That’s also cool you got to see Bahmi climbing the aerial pathway. I was surprised to see him climbing on the ropes and to the top of the tallest tree in the orangutan exhibit last weekend. He’s become very independent from Melur in the space of a month or so.
Early signs between Daya and the others have been promising, so long term I’m optimistic they can form a cohesive group. I don’t know about you, but she reminds me very much of Indra and Intan in her appearance. I saw old footage of Dara from 2000 recently and it was clear how different she looked from Indra/Intan.
ApeLadyNZ
Well-Known Member
Welcome to ZooChat @ApeLadyNZ!
That’s great you got to see Daya. I’ve missed seeing her on a few weekend visits lately, which I assume has been down to wanting the family group on display on the busier days (as Daya has had time outdoors before on rotation); but recalling the Siamang was a good option to getting both outside.
That’s also cool you got to see Bahmi climbing the aerial pathway. I was surprised to see him climbing on the ropes and to the top of the tallest tree in the orangutan exhibit last weekend. He’s become very independent from Melur in the space of a month or so.
Early signs between Daya and the others have been promising, so long term I’m optimistic they can form a cohesive group. I don’t know about you, but she reminds me very much of Indra and Intan in her appearance. I saw old footage of Dara from 2000 recently and it was clear how different she looked from Indra/Intan.
Thank you, @Zoofan15 !
Hopefully you'll get a glimpse of Daya soon. She certainly is a beauty! My memory of Dara, Intan (orangutan, not siamang, LOL) and Indra is a little fuzzy, but Daya is certainly a contrast to our Melur. She does remind me of the late Wanita a little bit, as her hair is much darker than the others and longer on the arms. She certainly has a lot of youthful energy and I hope she will bond well with Bahmi and the others - great to hear that interactions between her and the family group have so far been positive. I think as Orangutan Caring Week had just started, yesterday's focus was on the orangutans and the staff were eager to have all the orangutans out on view.
Yes, Bahmi has certainly grown very independent and bold. I had a day off on Thursday and saw him swinging and playing alone while Melur was on the other side of the habitat, foraging for hidden snacks. One of the staff told me Melur is letting Bahmi out of her line of sight quite often while in the habitat, though of course she's got her eyes on him when they're on the pathways or towers. Although she is letting him look over the side of the towers when they sit up there, which she never used to do.
Indra and her daughter Intan were very similar in appearance and had soft facial features, with shaggy hair either side of their face (like Daya). Dara by contrast had harsher facial features and a more prominent forehead (similar to Gangsa). Melur is inbetween the two extremes.
I’m anticipating Melur will be a relaxed mother this time around, like she was with Madju. According to keepers, Indra was a lot more strict with Intan and Isim. I don’t know a lot about Dara as a mother, but it sure would have been great to see her son Datuk growing up alongside Intan (who was born two months prior).
For those who don’t visit regularly, this is an aerial photo of Auckland’s Bornean orangutan and Siamang exhibits. The orangutan exhibit is on the left, though as mentioned, they’re interconnected and the apes can potentially rotate use of both.
Source: Auckland Zoo
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ApeLadyNZ
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that, @Zoofan15 ! I will have to look for some photos of Dara and Intan. I did see some of Indra that Busch Gardens posted on their Facebook a while back. I recall an Auckland Zoo volunteer telling me that Indra used to like looking inside people's bags to see what they were carrying - similar to Louisville Zoo's Amber!
Melur certainly seems very relaxed with Bahmi and lets him climb, explore and play very freely. Bahmi is even getting cheeky with dad Charlie, pulling his hair and poking him in the back, which then causes Melur to get annoyed with poor Charlie! Hopefully Daya will become a good playmate for Bahmi, the way Wanita once was for Madju.
And thanks for sharing that aerial photo - that is amazing!
There’s a great photo of Indra and Intan on Page 133 of A Tiger by the Tail - a History of Auckland Zoo (1992), if you happen to have a copy; or The Zoo - Meet the Locals (2000), which has a photo of Intan around Daya’s age where they look strikingly similar. This book also has a photo of an adolescent Charlie; Indra with a juvenile Isim; and a photo of the colony circa 1996 where Horst is the male on rotation, along with Dara, Indra, Intan and Isim (infant in Indra’s arms).
You might also find this photo of interest:
It’s a signage board placed inside the grandstand for the zoo’s centenary and shows the original plans for the Orangtuan Park Exhibit (1987-2017). Of particular interest is the second night house and the division of the complex into two. I’d assume a rise in construction costs between project conception and delivery necessitated the scaling back of the project to one night house/dayroom and and then removal of the dividing wall.
It does explain however why Auckland Zoo imported 2.2 Bornean orangutan as founders for their colony, since the original plan would have enabled them to house Horst and Charlie in their own outdoor exhibits.
ApeLadyNZ
Well-Known Member
There’s a great photo of Indra and Intan on Page 133 of A Tiger by the Tail - a History of Auckland Zoo (1992), if you happen to have a copy; or The Zoo - Meet the Locals (2000), which has a photo of Intan around Daya’s age where they look strikingly similar. This book also has a photo of an adolescent Charlie; Indra with a juvenile Isim; and a photo of the colony circa 1996 where Horst is the male on rotation, along with Dara, Indra, Intan and Isim (infant in Indra’s arms).
You might also find this photo of interest:
It’s a signage board placed inside the grandstand for the zoo’s centenary and shows the original plans for the Orangtuan Park Exhibit (1987-2017). Of particular interest is the second night house and the division of the complex into two. I’d assume a rise in construction costs between project conception and delivery necessitated the scaling back of the project to one night house/dayroom and and then removal of the dividing wall.
It does explain however why Auckland Zoo imported 2.2 Bornean orangutan as founders for their colony, since the original plan would have enabled them to house Horst and Charlie in their own outdoor exhibits.
Thanks, @Zoofan15 ! Years ago, I did have a copy of A Tiger By the Tail, but it got lost somewhere over the years. I've never seen The Zoo - Meet the Locals, although it sounds amazing.
Also, thanks for the photo! It's fascinating to look back on what the zoo's original plans were for the orangutans. From what I've heard, Horst was considerably older than Charlie, who was still a juvenile when he arrived in Auckland and they got along at first, although the predictable conflicts arose as the two males matured and they then had to be separated.
I do wonder why Charlie was taken from his mother at such a young age, given that orangutans in general stay with their mothers for a long period of time. Perhaps his mother Girlie had given birth to another infant? In the wild, there are large gaps between births, but sometimes in captivity a female might conceive again while still raising a juvenile.
Speaking of our orangutans' progenitors, I was luckily able to find pictures of Charlie's parents online (and even video footage on Mandai Wildlife Reserve's Facebook page from over a decade ago of Girlie playing like a youngster at age 43!) Zabu was indeed an impressive male and Charlie bears a strong resemblance to him. I've been looking everywhere for pictures of, or information about, Melur's parents, but no luck. All I've been able to find out was that her father was called Laki and her mother Yasmin, and that was through these forums.
Meet the Locals covered the first two seasons of The Zoo TV series and had some great photographs. There’s also nice one of a juvenile Luka and another of Suzie, who would have been in her mid-30’s.
Yeah there’s a really interesting research paper that details the relationships between the orangutans. It states they lived together happily as a quartet until Horst reached adolescence and became aggressive to Charlie. Horst impregnated Indra and Dara in the second half of 1988, so it was probably around that time.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ication_friendship_and_ethics_between_species
Interviews with keepers implied Dara and Indra were close until Dara’s death in 2000 (when Dara was 23; Indra was 20); but Melur and Gangsa’s relationship (both with each other and Wanita) soured much earlier. Various combinations were tried, which unfortunately broke up Charlie/Gangsa, who were reportedly devoted to each other. Tbf I think Charlie likes any fertile female.
These are some notes I made on here in 2020 re. Melur’s ancestry:
I’ve been looking into Melur’s ancestry. Her sire’s line is very poorly represented. His name was Laki (born 1974 at London Zoo) and of his six offspring (three surviving) – only Melur has surviving descendants.
Laki’s parents were wild born. His sire had 10 offspring – most died in infancy and only one other besides Laki has surviving descendants. Laki’s mother had three offspring – only Laki has surviving descendants.
Melur’s mother is better represented. Her name was Yasmin (born 1978 at Twycross Zoo). Yasmin had five offspring (three surviving) at Hong Kong Zoo, before moving to the USA with her then youngest daughter (born 2001). As of 2015, she had given birth to a further three offspring in the USA. Her daughter Raba remained at the Hong Kong Zoo, where she delivered twins in 2011.
Yasmin’s parents have many surviving descendants. Most remain in Europe with the exception of three (one child and two grandchildren) living in Japan; and Yasmin and her descendants.
Laki’s parents were wild born. His sire had 10 offspring – most died in infancy and only one other besides Laki has surviving descendants. Laki’s mother had three offspring – only Laki has surviving descendants.
Melur’s mother is better represented. Her name was Yasmin (born 1978 at Twycross Zoo). Yasmin had five offspring (three surviving) at Hong Kong Zoo, before moving to the USA with her then youngest daughter (born 2001). As of 2015, she had given birth to a further three offspring in the USA. Her daughter Raba remained at the Hong Kong Zoo, where she delivered twins in 2011.
Yasmin’s parents have many surviving descendants. Most remain in Europe with the exception of three (one child and two grandchildren) living in Japan; and Yasmin and her descendants.
ApeLadyNZ
Well-Known Member
Meet the Locals covered the first two seasons of The Zoo TV series and had some great photographs. There’s also nice one of a juvenile Luka and another of Suzie, who would have been in her mid-30’s.
Yeah there’s a really interesting research paper that details the relationships between the orangutans. It states they lived together happily as a quartet until Horst reached adolescence and became aggressive to Charlie. Horst impregnated Indra and Dara in the second half of 1988, so it was probably around that time.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ication_friendship_and_ethics_between_species
Interviews with keepers implied Dara and Indra were close until Dara’s death in 2000 (when Dara was 23; Indra was 20); but Melur and Gangsa’s relationship (both with each other and Wanita) soured much earlier. Various combinations were tried, which unfortunately broke up Charlie/Gangsa, who were reportedly devoted to each other. Tbf I think Charlie likes any fertile female.
These are some notes I made on here in 2020 re. Melur’s ancestry:
I’ve been looking into Melur’s ancestry. Her sire’s line is very poorly represented. His name was Laki (born 1974 at London Zoo) and of his six offspring (three surviving) – only Melur has surviving descendants.
Laki’s parents were wild born. His sire had 10 offspring – most died in infancy and only one other besides Laki has surviving descendants. Laki’s mother had three offspring – only Laki has surviving descendants.
Melur’s mother is better represented. Her name was Yasmin (born 1978 at Twycross Zoo). Yasmin had five offspring (three surviving) at Hong Kong Zoo, before moving to the USA with her then youngest daughter (born 2001). As of 2015, she had given birth to a further three offspring in the USA. Her daughter Raba remained at the Hong Kong Zoo, where she delivered twins in 2011.
Yasmin’s parents have many surviving descendants. Most remain in Europe with the exception of three (one child and two grandchildren) living in Japan; and Yasmin and her descendants.
Thanks so much for the information, @Zoofan15 ! That is absolutely great to know, and I will definitely read through that report. The history of NZ's great ape and gibbon populations is something that fascinates me no end.
I think you're right about Charlie liking any fertile female! According to zoo staff, he is already making eyes at Daya!
Your post about Melur's parents was amazing - thanks for that - and has led me to confirm something that I was curious about, being that Yasmin is indeed Toledo Zoo's Yasmin! And she, as far as I know, is still alive, living in one of two orangutan groups with a male named Boomer and her youngest child, 8-year-old male Wakil. I've seen photos of Yasmin on Facebook, and she does look remarkably like Melur! There is also a video on YouTube of the Toledo Zoo orangutans from earlier this year, and I got a good look at young Wakil, who bears quite a strong facial resemblance to little Bahmi!