Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo News 2024

Rare Sumatran flower blooming/Tropical Dome reopens Monday:

We’re excited to share that we have one of the world’s rarest flowers – Amorphophallus titanium or the corpse flower of Sumatra - currently in the process of flowering!

The largest unbranched inflorescence in our planet’s plant kingdom, the corpse flower blooms for just 2-3 days (sometimes less) and once fully opened emits a powerful stench that also has a powerful purpose – to attract pollinators quickly and effectively.

While its home is at our Indonesian swamp forest (our climate controlled tropical dome that’s currently undergoing some upgrades and won’t re-open until Monday) we’ve moved it somewhere where all our visitors can view it! If you’re keen to come and experience this unique and stunning specimen (stands over 6ft tall in its pot) – we have it on display in the undercover shelter at our South East Asia Jungle Track’s high canopy habitat.

Please be aware, we can’t guarantee how long it’s going to bloom for as individual specimens can vary."
 
Lion Hill renovations:

From socials:

Come and see the pride this weekend, ahead of essential works!

The African lion habitat will be receiving a refresh next week (9 – 13 December) and this essential mahi includes installing new infrastructure to ensure a better flow of water through the Zoo, as well as regular maintenance of the lions’ moat.

While you won’t be able to visit the Zoo’s pride of lions – sisters Aziza, Kibibi and Ilola – during these works, you’ll be able to visit the rest of our sprawling Africa Safari Track as you usually would.
 
Tropical Dome reopens:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDVm6_wTylF/?img_index=1&igsh=OXRudHNidGs2NnY3
From socials:

Our Swamp Forest reopens today and if you haven’t experienced it for yourself - check it out this summer!

Our Jungle Track’s tropical dome was temporarily closed while a second set of doors was built outside of the original entry and exit. These second doors act almost like an airlock and will mean that we can more efficiently control the temperature and environmental performance of the building.
 
Zoo caring for eight critically endangered New Zealand fairy terns:

From socials:

This season we’re caring for eight tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern) chicks at the Zoo as part of a strategy to bolster their wild population.

This marks the fifth year of the Department of Conservation and Auckland Zoo conservation recovery programme where our expert bird keepers hatch and hand-rear tara iti in a dedicated incubation and breeding facility at Auckland Zoo, for eventual release into the wild.
 
Auckland have welcomed a female Meerkat named 'Adia'.

She is nine months old and has arrived from Natureland to regenerate Auckland's breeding program.

She has been paired with Auckland's two brothers; Tazama and Jua. It's hoped she'll breed once she reaches sexual maturity (in a few months time).

Information reported on socials.
 
Jambo said:
Auckland have welcomed a female Meerkat named 'Adia'.

She is nine months old and has arrived from Natureland to regenerate Auckland's breeding program.

She has been paired with Auckland's two brothers; Tazama and Jua. It's hoped she'll breed once she reaches sexual maturity (in a few months time).

Information reported on socials.
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Fantastic news! It’s been a long time since Auckland Zoo have bred meerkats.

The arrival of this female mirrors the zoo’s colony in the first season of The Zoo (1999/2000). The zoo’s meerkat population had dwindled to two middle-aged males, Swana (1994) and Namib (1994); and so a young female named Kanzi (1999) was transferred in from Orana Wildlife Park, where she’d been born. Sadly breeding from this group was unsuccessful, with success not achieved until 2008 in breeding meerkats (17 years after the zoo first acquired the species). The previous lack of success was attributed to holding a mixture of mother-raised and hand-raised individuals.
 
Cassidy Casuar said:
Auckland Zoo have posted that the Australian Bush Track opens to the public today, but the new frilled lizards and kangaroos will not be arriving until next year. They have also confirmed that the kangaroos will be eastern grey.
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From socials:

Australian precinct fully reopens:

Our Australia Bush Track fully opens today for you and your whānau to explore this summer!

A fabulous addition to this experience is an expansive new 4m high habitat for rock-dwelling skinks and arboreal dragons. Already moved in and making themselves at home are 18 Cunningham’s skinks – animals that were previously housed in ‘Lizard Lane’ but were moved to safety just ahead of the infamous January 2023 Auckland flood that swept through this area.

Joining them in 2025 will be some spectacular frilled-necked dragons – an extraordinary and unique arboreal lizard native to northern Australia - which will be new to the Zoo and a first for New Zealand.

For now, emus (Elvis and Ellie-May) and brolga have the run of rest of this revamped habitat. The arrival of a mob of Eastern grey kangaroo from Australia has unfortunately been delayed, but these Aussie icons are still coming – they’ll just be arriving a little later into 2025.

Our regular visitors will notice another great upgrade to this track - the spacious and attractive new entry/exit into and out of the walkthrough Australian aviary – designed to ease visitor flow on busy days while still ensuring the safety and security of the aviary birds.
 
Zoofan15 said:
A fabulous addition to this experience is an expansive new 4m high habitat for rock-dwelling skinks and arboreal dragons. Already moved in and making themselves at home are 18 Cunningham’s skinks – animals that were previously housed in ‘Lizard Lane’ but were moved to safety just ahead of the infamous January 2023 Auckland flood that swept through this area.
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WhistlingKite and I on our visit yesterday thought that'd be the purpose of the enclosure, nice to see official confirmation! We only spotted 2 baby Cunninghams but didn't spend all too much time with it, although it's quite nice!
Of course Lizard Lane still remains closed and the enclosures seemed entirely overgrown, not sure if the zoo have any plans to revamp/make something new with the space.

Unsure if anyones posted this but after the passing away of the zoo's only Antipodes Parakeet a few months back the aviary is now home to at least one North Island Tieke/Saddleback [seen & heard].
 
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Video update on Daya the Bornean orangutan:

From socials (video in link):

How time flies! It’s been over a year since Daya joined our orangutan whānau at Auckland Zoo.

In this video, we join primate keeper Grace as we follow Bornean orangutan Daya’s journey from Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands and how she has settled into life here in Auckland (including a special look into her positive reinforcement training sessions!).

We’re pleased to report that Daya has gone from strength to strength, building bonds with our keepers and orangutans Charlie, Melur and two-year-old Bahmi."

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Zoofan15 said:
Video update on Daya the Bornean orangutan:

From socials (video in link):

How time flies! It’s been over a year since Daya joined our orangutan whānau at Auckland Zoo.

In this video, we join primate keeper Grace as we follow Bornean orangutan Daya’s journey from Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands and how she has settled into life here in Auckland (including a special look into her positive reinforcement training sessions!).

We’re pleased to report that Daya has gone from strength to strength, building bonds with our keepers and orangutans Charlie, Melur and two-year-old Bahmi."

Log in or sign up to view
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I am just glad to somehow Auckland Zoo seems to have joined up with the EAZA ex situ program and might in time enable a regional connection with SEAZA (through EAZA and the Global Orang Utan program).
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I am just glad to somehow Auckland Zoo seems to have joined up with the EAZA ex situ program and might in time enable a regional connection with SEAZA (through EAZA and the Global Orang Utan program).
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I agree. It will hopefully provide an avenue for receiving more orangutans in the future. It would be equally nice to see other facilities in the region take up the Bornean species.

Auckland Zoo’s orangutan programme has undergone several revisions over the years. According to A Tiger by the Tail, they imported Bornean because other zoos in the region held Sumatran. They originally intended to build two exhibits and two night houses; but this was revised to one large exhibit (no dividing wall) and one night house with a day room, multiple dens and a separation annex.

In the mid-2000’s, Auckland Zoo made the decision to switch to Sumatran orangutans, exported six of their Borneans to the US; then reverted back to focussing on Borneans and built them a new exhibit.

As if that wasn’t enough, they then planned to import two females from Usti Zoo (which fell through); which was followed by the birth of Bahmi and the import of Daya.
 
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