Hamilton Zoo Hamilton Zoo News 2024

Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit 20/07/2024:

It was great to see Jabali the giraffe, who arrived from Auckland Zoo earlier this month. The crowds were clearly excited to see a young giraffe (Jabali is 22 months old), who is the zoo’s first new giraffe since Dume arrived in 2007. Masamba and Dume were housed in an adjacent yard and were more interested in each other than the newcomer.

One of the Lowland nyala bulls has been separated from the other two while treated for a hoof injury. He will be reintegrated once recovered.

I only saw two Indian antelope on the Savannah, despite the website saying they have ten (all males). I will ask on my next visit if the others have been separated (the zoo has off display paddocks); or if they’re no longer around. The Savannah in general was looking very empty, with the giraffes now held in the yards; and just the zebra and ostrich on display with the two antelope.

The boardwalk surrounding the spider monkey exhibit is being rebuilt.

The Blue duck pair are named Kahurangi (male) and Kikorangi (female).

The Dromedary camel stable has been demolished and a new stable is being built in its place to house the donkeys and ponies that now occupy this exhibit.

Photos from my visit: Hamilton Zoo - ZooChat
 
Zoofan15 said:
Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit 20/07/2024:

It was great to see Jabali the giraffe, who arrived from Auckland Zoo earlier this month. The crowds were clearly excited to see a young giraffe (Jabali is 22 months old), who is the zoo’s first new giraffe since Dume arrived in 2007. Masamba and Dume were housed in an adjacent yard and were more interested in each other than the newcomer.

One of the Lowland nyala bulls has been separated from the other two while treated for a hoof injury. He will be reintegrated once recovered.

I only saw two Indian antelope on the Savannah, despite the website saying they have ten (all males). I will ask on my next visit if the others have been separated (the zoo has off display paddocks); or if they’re no longer around. The Savannah in general was looking very empty, with the giraffes now held in the yards; and just the zebra and ostrich on display with the two antelope.

The boardwalk surrounding the spider monkey exhibit is being rebuilt.

The Blue duck pair are named Kahurangi (male) and Kikorangi (female).

The Dromedary camel stable has been demolished and a new stable is being built in its place to house the donkeys and ponies that now occupy this exhibit.

Photos from my visit: Hamilton Zoo - ZooChat
Click to expand...

Thanks for your update. I have a question about the former camel, now donkey and pony exhibit. I'm glad on your June visit you were able to capture photos of the stable before its demolition. You mentioned that these exhibits were blocked off for many years. Are they located on the path to the tiger exhibit?

Having never been to Hamilton Zoo before myself, I'm relying on maps and photographs for my sense of direction. Were these exhibits previously bypassed in order to access the tiger complex, following the death of the last camel? Can you recall if this area is earmarked for development in the Hamilton Zoo masterplan?
 
Abbey said:
Thanks for your update. I have a question about the former camel, now donkey and pony exhibit. I'm glad on your June visit you were able to capture photos of the stable before its demolition. You mentioned that these exhibits were blocked off for many years. Are they located on the path to the tiger exhibit?

Having never been to Hamilton Zoo before myself, I'm relying on maps and photographs for my sense of direction. Were these exhibits previously bypassed in order to access the tiger complex, following the death of the last camel? Can you recall if this area is earmarked for development in the Hamilton Zoo masterplan?
Click to expand...

Thank you! I’m glad too. The path was reopened for the first time in years on my visit last month and I just decided to take photos of the old stable and camel/oryx exhibits, not realising the building would imminently be demolished.

Yes it is on the way to the tiger exhibits and there’s now a complete loop with both sides open rather than the tiger/wild dog exhibits being a dead end. The camel exhibit was viewable from both sides following the death of Sahara in the 2000’s and held Alpaca for around a decade. You could only view it from the rear (due to the upper path being closed) for the last approx 2-3 years.

This is the view from the rear (taken while standing on footpath that’s adjacent to lawn):

New Equine Stable

New Equine Stable

  • Media owner Zoofan15
  • Date added
  • Comments 1
Photo taken 20/07/2024.
 
From socials:

(1) Hamilton Zoo - It is with a heavy heart that we have some sad news... | Facebook

"It is with a heavy heart that we have some sad news to share. We have been closely monitoring Romeo, our African Wild Dog, since the loss of his brother Kudu. Over the past week, we have observed a gradual change in his behaviour. Today he indicated that he was ready to say goodbye.
After a special send off tomorrow we’ll be saying goodbye to Romeo around noon.
Romeo has been a beloved part of our Zoo family. His presence and spirit have touched the hearts of staff and visitors alike. He will be deeply missed by all of us.
We invite you to join us in wishing Romeo goodbye and thanking him for the joy and memories he has given us."
Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time."
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
From socials:

(1) Hamilton Zoo - It is with a heavy heart that we have some sad news... | Facebook

"It is with a heavy heart that we have some sad news to share. We have been closely monitoring Romeo, our African Wild Dog, since the loss of his brother Kudu. Over the past week, we have observed a gradual change in his behaviour. Today he indicated that he was ready to say goodbye.
After a special send off tomorrow we’ll be saying goodbye to Romeo around noon.
Romeo has been a beloved part of our Zoo family. His presence and spirit have touched the hearts of staff and visitors alike. He will be deeply missed by all of us.
We invite you to join us in wishing Romeo goodbye and thanking him for the joy and memories he has given us."
Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time."
Click to expand...

Romeo was euthanised due to spinal disease:

Hamilton Zoo farewells its only African wild dog

Hamilton Zoo farewelled its only African wild dog, Romeo, on Thursday.

The team put him down after noticing a gradual loss of mobility because of spinal disease.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Romeo was euthanised due to spinal disease:

Hamilton Zoo farewells its only African wild dog

Hamilton Zoo farewelled its only African wild dog, Romeo, on Thursday.

The team put him down after noticing a gradual loss of mobility because of spinal disease.
Click to expand...

It's a sad loss, as Romeo was a beloved animal to the Hamilton community and a valuable member of his species. @Zoofan15 - I think you mentioned that the plan is now to phase out the African wild dogs at Hamilton and replace them with spotted hyena, is that correct?
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
It's a sad loss, as Romeo was a beloved animal to the Hamilton community and a valuable member of his species. @Zoofan15 - I think you mentioned that the plan is now to phase out the African wild dogs at Hamilton and replace them with spotted hyena, is that correct?
Click to expand...

Yes, a keeper told me on a visit last year that the plan is for the Spotted hyena to be housed in the old African wild dog exhibit that’s opposite the Savannah.

Old African Wild Dog Exhibit

Old African Wild Dog Exhibit

  • Media owner Zoofan15
  • Date added
Photo taken 20/07/2024.

The plan for Romeo’s exhibit (main African wild dog exhibit) was undecided when I asked, but they were still talking of building a third tiger exhibit.

Personally, I think they’d be better off using both African wild dog exhibits for Spotted hyena to manage breeding of them. It served them well in terms of managing African wild dog across two exhibits; and unless they’re going to build a Sri Lankan leopard exhibit or similar in place of Romeo’s exhibit, I don’t foresee anything else being a bigger asset to the zoo right now.

With Auckland Zoo phasing out several species over the coming years and Hamilton Zoo continuing to expand, it’ll be interesting to see how this affects the popularity of each zoo.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yes, a keeper told me on a visit last year that the plan is for the Spotted hyena to be housed in the old African wild dog exhibit that’s opposite the Savannah.

Old African Wild Dog Exhibit

Old African Wild Dog Exhibit

  • Media owner Zoofan15
  • Date added
Photo taken 20/07/2024.

The plan for Romeo’s exhibit (main African wild dog exhibit) was undecided when I asked, but they were still talking of building a third tiger exhibit.

Personally, I think they’d be better off using both African wild dog exhibits for Spotted hyena to manage breeding of them. It served them well in terms of managing African wild dog across two exhibits; and unless they’re going to build a Sri Lankan leopard exhibit or similar in place of Romeo’s exhibit, I don’t foresee anything else being a bigger asset to the zoo right now.

With Auckland Zoo phasing out several species over the coming years and Hamilton Zoo continuing to expand, it’ll be interesting to see how this affects the popularity of each zoo.
Click to expand...

That's interesting, that Hamilton may be considering breeding spotted hyena - I always thought that the intention was for a non-breeding single sex group?

If they're intending the space for tigers, perhaps the intention will be for further breeding after the current two cubs have grown up and been transferred out.
 
ApeLadyNZ said:
That's interesting, that Hamilton may be considering breeding spotted hyena - I always thought that the intention was for a non-breeding single sex group?

If they're intending the space for tigers, perhaps the intention will be for further breeding after the current two cubs have grown up and been transferred out.
Click to expand...

To be clear, I said I think they’d be better off using both African wild dog exhibits for Spotted hyena to manage breeding of them; not that they were planning to. If they’re to be the only holder of them in New Zealand (and only house the species in one exhibit), it makes sense for Hamilton Zoo to be a non-breeding holder; as opposed to sending animals from Australia to New Zealand to breed and then sending back the offspring.

Monarto have 6.3.5 Spotted hyena, which are held across four packs, so they’re the most likely source. These two are the most likely candidates imo:

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

The game-changer would be whether Orana Wildlife Park have any interest in acquiring Spotted hyena. They have four ageing African wild dogs and could potentially phase out the species in favour of hyena. In that case, Hamilton Zoo could potentially receive a breeding pair with the intention of future offspring being sent to Orana; but this is just speculation.
 
Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit 20/07/2024:

Hamilton Zoo have Brolga again! The breeding pair held at Auckland Zoo for the past few years are now exhibited across the waterfowl lake between the Fishing cat and Siamang exhibits. Their names are 1.0 Iraga (2005) and 0.1 Kirra (2014)

Jabali (2022) the new giraffe turned two years old this month. He has now been fully integrated with elderly bulls, Masamba (2002) and Dume (2006). They seemed to be getting on well, following each other around the night yard paddocks.

Two porcupettes were born this month to Ayanfe and Ingozi. This is their third litter.

The board walk renovations around the spider monkey exhibit are now complete; the path around the Kune Kune pig exhibit (leading up to the Lowland nyala) is now being redeveloped.

Photos from my visit: Hamilton Zoo - ZooChat
 
Himalayan monal now on display:

Exciting news from the zoo’s newsletter!

The zoo did have an ageing pair held off display, so I will confirm on my next visit that these are indeed a new pair; but either way, it’s great to see this species on display again.

Come check out our two new Himalayan Monal’s in the parrot court! The male is easily recognizable with its striking multi-coloured plumage, showcasing vibrant hues that catch the eye. In contrast, the female features brown feathers accented by a prominent white patch on her throat and beautiful blue colouring around her eyes. Don't miss the chance to see these beautiful birds in their new home!
 
Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit 05/10/2024:

The Plains zebra foals have been sexed as fillies and have been named Tula (born November 2023 to Marbles); and Bem (born January 2024 to Zalika). Zalika and Bem have been separated from the herd while Bem recovers from an abscess on her hoof. One of the young males (Pebbles) has been castrated, which will allow him to live with the females long term.

I saw the Himalayan monal, which was exciting given their scarcity in New Zealand zoos. They’re in the Parrot Court exhibit that’s adjacent the Rainforest entry.

The zoo are planning to acquire a female meerkat to pair with Pemba, the elderly male.

The renovations to the pathway around the Kune Kune pigs up to the Lowland nyala are complete.

The equid stable is now complete; and the exhibit has been renovated.

Photos from my visit: Hamilton Zoo - ZooChat
 
Zoofan15 said:
Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit 05/10/2024:

The Plains zebra foals have been sexed as fillies and have been named Tula (born November 2023 to Marbles); and Bem (born January 2024 to Zalika). Zalika and Bem have been separated from the herd while Bem recovers from an abscess on her hoof. One of the young males (Pebbles) has been castrated, which will allow him to live with the females long term.

I saw the Himalayan monal, which was exciting given their scarcity in New Zealand zoos. They’re in the Parrot Court exhibit that’s adjacent the Rainforest entry.

The zoo are planning to acquire a female meerkat to pair with Pemba, the elderly male.

The renovations to the pathway around the Kune Kune pigs up to the Lowland nyala are complete.

The equid stable is now complete; and the exhibit has been renovated.

Photos from my visit: Hamilton Zoo - ZooChat
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update, did you notice if the eels had been added to the pond finally? My son tells me he saw three, but five year olds aren't the most reliable.
 
Matt_C said:
Thanks for the update, did you notice if the eels had been added to the pond finally? My son tells me he saw three, but five year olds aren't the most reliable.
Click to expand...

I skipped the eel pond/native birds yesterday, so can’t confirm; but they weren’t there when I last visited in early September. The pond looked as ready as it’s ever been though (crystal clear water, pumps running), so it wouldn’t surprise me if they’d added some since then.

I agree it’d be nice to finally see this exhibit up and running!
 
New Giraffe Barn and Rhino Barn/Yards (2025)

An interesting article about Hamilton Zoo planning to begin construction on a new giraffe house and rhino barn in 2025.

The Waikato Times

Hamilton City Council has approved a $2.5 million upgrade of the infrastructure, therefore allowing the large African animals to continue to be a main attraction.

Construction on the giraffe barn should begin in May and is expected to take around nine months, and work on the rhino enclosure should start a month or so later.

upload_2024-10-18_19-50-17.jpeg
Source: Hamilton Zoo
 

Attachments

  • upload_2024-10-18_19-50-17.jpeg
    upload_2024-10-18_19-50-17.jpeg
    35.8 KB · Views: 84
Hamilton Zoo Update

Update from my visit (26/10/2024):

The anticipated import of Spotted hyena has been delayed due to other projects needing to take priority. As detailed in the news article above, a new giraffe barn and rhino facilities are urgently needed. The larger rhino paddock was subdivided into two a while back and on the majority of the recent visits, the housing arrangements have been: Kruger (side paddock); Moesha, Kito, Imani and Zahra (upper paddock); and Samburu (lower paddock). Sometimes the cows have had the run of the upper and lower paddock and Samburu has been off display/BOH.

When Spotted hyena arrive, they will be housed in the Savannah; with the original plan back to being a third Sumatran tiger exhibit built on the site of the larger old African wild dog exhibit (opposite the tigers). The keeper I spoke to said an additional species would be housed adjacent to the new exhibit; but didn’t want to disclose what that was, so I respected that. I did advise him I was in favour of Sri Lankan leopard; but he appeared unaware of them, thus ending speculation it will be them.

The two young male bison have been castrated, meaning there will be no breeding for the foreseeable.

Ring-tailed lemur are now housed in what was formerly the Black and white ruffed lemur exhibit. Black and white ruffed lemur are still housed in one of the small cat cages, which long term is designated to hold a female Caracal. The male Caracal that was imported this year of course occupies the other small cat cage.

There were no eels in the eel pond @Matt_C.

The Savannah was closed on my visit. They’re rerouting a sewerage pipe from the toilet block up by the Kunekune.

The second Lowland nyala exhibit is now open for viewing. It’s been screened off since the arrival of this species.

I saw the youngest zebra foal, Bem (9 months old) in the raceway behind the giraffes yard, when viewing the giraffes. She still has a small cast on her foot, but looks to have otherwise recovered well. The staff I spoke to last time were optimistic of a full recovery from her foot abscess.

Photos from my visit here:
https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/users/zoofan15.11130/
Media for user: Zoofan15 - ZooChat
 
We went to the 'Boo at the Zoo' event yesterday, which was excellent. The top of the zoo in particular was heavily Halloween-themed and the kids loved it.

I can confirm there are definitely eels in the eel pond now. They are pretty small, and hiding in the rocky area near the waterfall. The keepers also confirmed that a new reptile species is being considered for the small glass enclosure near the old walk-through that previously held a snake-neck turtle. The keeper also mentioned plans for what I interpreted as being an exotic 'lizard lane', but they were vague and I thought they were implying that it would be in the new tuatara area which seems unlikely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top