Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo News 2024

[ApeLadyNZ]

Great update!

Auckland Zoo had four female Ring-tailed lemurs as of last year, so one of the following has likely passed if you saw three:

0.1 Bekily (2001)
0.1 Esira (2004)
0.1 Evatra (2004)
0.1 Manukara (2004)

I also only saw three otters on my last visit. Arif died last year, which left them with these four:

1.0 Budi (2019) Kanan x Takumi
1.0 Agus (2020) Kanan x Takumi
1.0 Hendra (2020) Kanan x Takumi
1.0 Ika (2020) Kanan x Takumi

The male Galapagos tortoise you saw mating would have been Smiley. The hatchlings (six surviving to date) have all come from the same female (Chippie), so the female he was mating may have been her. Fingers crossed for some more as it’s been over two years since we last heard news of hatchlings.

The Golden lion tamarin are a hand-raised sibling pair and I too see them on every visit. It’s noted they’re friendlier than their mother raised parents (now deceased), who I infrequently saw; and their predecessors who I almost never saw.

I saw the whole troop of baboons (4.6) minus one elderly female on my last visit. I feel like it’s likely the female you saw would have been exported with the others (even if they wanted to give Jabari additional time with his mother - he’s two years old). I’m tempted to say the others were off display/out of sight, but I will try confirm on my next visit unless @ApeLadyNZ or another regular visitor knows otherwise.

Yes, great update @Jambo ! @Zoofan15 - Sadly I have not been to the zoo in 2-3 weeks due to illness but am hoping to resume visits this weekend if I am feeling better. I will make some enquiries about the baboons and lemurs if I see any primate keepers about.

I do think the Tasmanian Devil that @Jambo mentioned is the male, Nita - he is indeed currently the only Devil held by the zoo at this time. His sister Nawnta and the elderly female named Luna both passed away in recent months.

 

[Jambo]

Yes, great update @Jambo ! @Zoofan15 - Sadly I have not been to the zoo in 2-3 weeks due to illness but am hoping to resume visits this weekend if I am feeling better. I will make some enquiries about the baboons and lemurs if I see any primate keepers about.

I do think the Tasmanian Devil that @Jambo mentioned is the male, Nita - he is indeed currently the only Devil held by the zoo at this time. His sister Nawnta and the elderly female named Luna both passed away in recent months.

Thanks @ApeLadyNZ, it would be good to know re. the baboons as it has been rumored they were on the phase out list. When I caught them, the trio I saw came from behind the hill so I'm tempted to say the others may have just been back there.

And yes, I was referring to Nita. He's very active for a devil. Hopefully Auckland acquire another pair soon. I spent quite some time trying to find the devil in the opposite exhibits before a volunteer advised me they only had the one I had already seen on the other side.

 

[Zoofan15]

Yes, great update @Jambo ! @Zoofan15 - Sadly I have not been to the zoo in 2-3 weeks due to illness but am hoping to resume visits this weekend if I am feeling better. I will make some enquiries about the baboons and lemurs if I see any primate keepers about.

I do think the Tasmanian Devil that @Jambo mentioned is the male, Nita - he is indeed currently the only Devil held by the zoo at this time. His sister Nawnta and the elderly female named Luna both passed away in recent months.

Thanks @ApeLadyNZ, it would be good to know re. the baboons as it has been rumored they were on the phase out list. When I caught them, the trio I saw came from behind the hill so I'm tempted to say the others may have just been back there.

And yes, I was referring to Nita. He's very active for a devil. Hopefully Auckland acquire another pair soon. I spent quite some time trying to find the devil in the opposite exhibits before a volunteer advised me they only had the one I had already seen on the other side.

Hamadryas baboons are definitely being phased out. The exhibit is deemed inadequate to support a regularly breeding troop. Mali and her son Jabari are in Badi’s harem. I believe he has the other breeding aged females in his harem too, so I would have expected to have seen them in reasonable proximity; but it sounds likely they were over the hill.

It’d ve nice to see Auckland Zoo import more devils. Orana and Melbourne, which have multiple devils, have far more engaging exhibits; though I’ll note Luna was an exception. She was solitary, but highly active.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Thanks @ApeLadyNZ, it would be good to know re. the baboons as it has been rumored they were on the phase out list. When I caught them, the trio I saw came from behind the hill so I'm tempted to say the others may have just been back there.

And yes, I was referring to Nita. He's very active for a devil. Hopefully Auckland acquire another pair soon. I spent quite some time trying to find the devil in the opposite exhibits before a volunteer advised me they only had the one I had already seen on the other side.

I'll certainly ask about the baboons next time I am at the zoo! They do appear to be on the phase out list but I am not sure of the timeline for this and yes, the others may have been behind the hill as they often go over there. As for the Tasmanian devils, it's possible that Auckland may take on another sibling pair in the future as they did with Nawnta and Nita.

 

[Zoofan15]

Nepalese red panda update:

Tashi has been moved from his exhibit at the top of the zoo to the zoo’s BOH facilities to seperate him from his sister during breeding season.

Their father (Ramesh) is in the bear pit exhibit (opposite orangutans).

1.0 Ramesh (2015) Sagar x Bo - bear pit exhibit
1.0 Tashi (2018) Ramesh x Khela - BOH
0.1 Dahla (2019) Ramesh x Khela - top exhibit

Reported on socials.

 

[Jambo]

Nepalese red panda update:

Tashi has been moved from his exhibit at the top of the zoo to the zoo’s BOH facilities to seperate him from his sister during breeding season.

Their father (Ramesh) is in the bear pit exhibit (opposite orangutans).

1.0 Ramesh (2015) Sagar x Bo - bear pit exhibit
1.0 Tashi (2018) Ramesh x Khela - BOH
0.1 Dahla (2019) Ramesh x Khela - top exhibit

Reported on socials.

Makes sense, I heard a volunteer mention Dahla being in the on display exhibit so was wondering which of the boys I saw in the off display old bear pit.

Whereabouts is the BOH enclosure located?

 

[Zoofan15]

Makes sense, I heard a volunteer mention Dahla being in the on display exhibit so was wondering which of the boys I saw in the off display old bear pit.

Whereabouts is the BOH enclosure located?

I know the Temminck’s golden cat off display/breeding exhibits were on the hillside slopes as shown on The Zoo, so I’m assuming there.

I recall a non-breeding meerkat pair being held in BOH vet facilities (also shown on The Zoo), so that could be another possibility considering red pandas aren’t large animals.

 

[Zoofan15]

Porcupine information:

Auckland Zoo’s new porcupine are Lawrence (09/09/2013) and Snickers (19/05/2017). Lawrence weighs 15.1kg and Snickers weighs 16.3kg.

It was advised on Auckland’s socials today that the best time of day to see them is at the 10am keeper talk. You may otherwise catch a glimpse of them in their heated area. I thought this was worth mentioning as despite visiting regularly, I haven’t seen a porcupine at Auckland Zoo since 2014 and know others are just as keen to see them.

It’s unclear if Mwiba (born July 2021) is still at the zoo.

 

[Jambo]

Porcupine information:

Auckland Zoo’s new porcupine are Lawrence (09/09/2013) and Snickers (19/05/2017). Lawrence weighs 15.1kg and Snickers weighs 16.3kg.

It was advised on Auckland’s socials today that the best time of day to see them is at the 10am keeper talk. You may otherwise catch a glimpse of them in their heated area. I thought this was worth mentioning as despite visiting regularly, I haven’t seen a porcupine at Auckland Zoo since 2014 and know others are just as keen to see them.

It’s unclear if Mwiba (born July 2021) is still at the zoo.

Saw them both in the old water tank on the left side of the exhibit a few weeks ago. There's a small viewing window which allows you to catch a glimpse of them, and I was lucky enough to see them moving around in there. I was told by a volunteer next to the Meerkats that the best time to see them active is right after zoo opening when they are first let out.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Saw them both in the old water tank on the left side of the exhibit a few weeks ago. There's a small viewing window which allows you to catch a glimpse of them, and I was lucky enough to see them moving around in there. I was told by a volunteer next to the Meerkats that the best time to see them active is right after zoo opening when they are first let out.

Are these the ones that were sent up from Orana in the hopes they will breed? It would be awesome to see porcupettes at the zoo if that is on the cards!

 

[Zoofan15]

Are these the ones that were sent up from Orana in the hopes they will breed? It would be awesome to see porcupettes at the zoo if that is on the cards!

Auckland Zoo sent Bruce and Kali to Orana Wildlife Park and received Lawrence and Snickers in return. Kali never bred at Auckland Zoo (her sister Alika produced two litters with Bruce); and Lawrence and Snickers never bred at Orana Wildlife Park.

It’s never been publicly stated that this was a breeding exchange, but it’s a reasonable assumption given Orana’s second exhibit is occupied by 0.2 Crested porcupine. Lawrence and Snickers are both valuable founders, so offspring from them would be great.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Auckland Zoo sent Bruce and Kali to Orana Wildlife Park and received Lawrence and Snickers in return. Kali never bred at Auckland Zoo (her sister Alika produced two litters with Bruce); and Lawrence and Snickers never bred at Orana Wildlife Park.

It’s never been publicly stated that this was a breeding exchange, but it’s a reasonable assumption given Orana’s second exhibit is occupied by 0.2 Crested porcupine. Lawrence and Snickers are both valuable founders, so offspring from them would be great.

Here's hoping the change of scene will provide a breeding incentive for both pairs!

 

[Zoofan15]

Renovations to tropical dome:

From socials:

It’s your last chance to visit gharial sisters Malu and Sumpit, and their amazing Swamp Forest habitat, this week, ahead of essential maintenance works taking place from 12 August.

For those of you that have experienced this tropical environment first hand, you’ll know just how beautifully humid this space is – an amazing 28 degrees year-round! Since we opened this climate-controlled habitat in late 2022, we’ve been incredibly lucky to see an increase in visitors enjoying this immersive space.

In the current design, hot air is able to escape each time the doors open and close. To ensure we can more sustainably control the temperature inside, we’re going to be building a second set of doors on the outside of our current entry and exit. These second doors will act almost like an airlock and will enable us to more efficiently control the heat inside.

 

[Jambo]

Renovations to tropical dome:

From socials:

It’s your last chance to visit gharial sisters Malu and Sumpit, and their amazing Swamp Forest habitat, this week, ahead of essential maintenance works taking place from 12 August.

For those of you that have experienced this tropical environment first hand, you’ll know just how beautifully humid this space is – an amazing 28 degrees year-round! Since we opened this climate-controlled habitat in late 2022, we’ve been incredibly lucky to see an increase in visitors enjoying this immersive space.

In the current design, hot air is able to escape each time the doors open and close. To ensure we can more sustainably control the temperature inside, we’re going to be building a second set of doors on the outside of our current entry and exit. These second doors will act almost like an airlock and will enable us to more efficiently control the heat inside.

Makes sense, when I did visit recently I noticed the doors were kept open for a fair amount of time (due to visitors passing in and out), and were therefore letting a lot of the outside air indoors making it not as warm in the proximity near the doors. These renovations should hopefully help rectify this issue.

 

[Zoofan15]

Makes sense, when I did visit recently I noticed the doors were kept open for a fair amount of time (due to visitors passing in and out), and were therefore letting a lot of the outside air indoors making it not as warm in the proximity near the doors. These renovations should hopefully help rectify this issue.

It sounds like an airtight version of the double doors they have in the aviaries are in the works. This system (while necessary) can become a hassle when the paths are congested; but I know a number of us have all commented on the decrease in foot traffic through the tropical dome compared to when it opened, so that should mitigate it.

I know the tropical dome is popular in winter for the humidity alone. In summer, it keeps people moving.

 

[Zoofan15]

Cotton-top tamarin update:

Female tamarin Nomi has transferred to Brooklands Zoo. One of the numerous offspring born to the zoo‘s breeding pair.

While Nomi won’t be breeding in the immediate future, breeding recommendations are usually given to tamarins who have had the experience of assisting in the raising of younger siblings, as Nomi has done.

1.0 Nuri (07/08/2013)
0.1 Mrs Nuri (15/12/2013)
0.1 Tito (01/06/2018) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
0.1 Monito (01/06/2018) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
0.1 Yara (07/05/2019) Nuri x Mrs Nuri - Hamilton
0.1 Cali (07/05/2019) Nuri x Mrs Nuri - Altina
0.1 Nomi (03/12/2019) Nuri x Mrs Nuri - Brooklands
0.1 Sofia (03/12/2019) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
0.1 Unknown (00/07/2021) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
1.0 Unknown (27/03/2023) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
1.0 Unknown (27/03/2023) Nuri x Mrs Nuri
New infant (November 2023)

 

[Luke899]

I hope Auckland zoo is planning a party for Burma or a big event. Seems pretty quiet at Auckland zoo, and she leaves in just under three months.

 

[Zoofan15]

I hope Auckland zoo is planning a party for Burma or a big event. Seems pretty quiet at Auckland zoo, and she leaves in just under three months.

They gave people another heads up in July to get in and see her over the school holidays ahead of her departure in November; but with regards to a specific event, I’d be amazed if they didn’t do a celebration weekend given the significance of the occasion.

Auckland Zoo have held elephants for 101 years since June 1923 and Burma herself has been at the zoo for 34 years since May 1990. Auckland Zoo have traditionally celebrated the elephants birthdays; and in 2009, did a public memorial service to acknowledge Kashin’s passing (with free admission). The significance of this event (Burma leaving) is arguably comparable.

 

[Luke899]

They gave people another heads up in July to get in and see her over the school holidays ahead of her departure in November; but with regards to a specific event, I’d be amazed if they didn’t do a celebration weekend given the significance of the occasion.

Auckland Zoo have held elephants for 101 years since June 1923 and Burma herself has been at the zoo for 34 years since May 1990. Auckland Zoo have traditionally celebrated the elephants birthdays; and in 2009, did a public memorial service to acknowledge Kashin’s passing (with free admission). The significance of this event (Burma leaving) is arguably comparable.

Taronga are planning a big celebration and party next year to celebrate and farwell pak boon and tang mo.

Surely Auckland will do something similar ...

 

[Zoofan15]

Auckland Zoo to receive kangaroo and frilled necked-lizards:

From socials:

Soon you’ll see some changes to our Australia Bush Track! To welcome some new species to our Zoo whānau – kangaroos and frilled necked lizards! – some essential upgrades need to take place in key areas on the track.

You’ll still able to visit the majority of the track (and say g’day to cockatoo Captain) but our brolga and emu habitat, as well as the adjoining aviary with lorikeets – will be temporarily closed from Monday 26 August until the end of the year.

———

Both exciting additions to the zoo! I’ve long been of the opinion kangaroo would be a better fit for the walk through than wallaby, which have previously inhabited this exhibit.