There comes a time in every young zoo nerd's life where he must leave the comforts of his home country in pursuit of wildlife abroad. For me that time has finally come. Tomorrow I will board a plane and spend the next two weeks in New Zealand’s Northern Island; Te Ika-a-Māui. Along the way, stops at roughly a dozen zoological facilities, museums, and wild areas, all filled with rare birds whose names I can’t pronounce yet. To be honest, I never anticipated that middle-earth would be the location of my first international zoo trip – it’s certainly not anywhere near the premier zoo destinations of Germany, The Netherlands, Singapore, etc. However, sometimes in life unexpected opportunities arise that you just can’t pass up. I suppose some background is in order.
Members of this site range from casual zoo hobbyists, current/former keepers, and a small number of young aspiring zoo professionals. I fall into the latter category. I’m currently pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences with a double minor in wildlife and business. This is the beginning stage of pursuing a career in the zoo field and realizing my life long ambition of working with animals. Yep, no joke. Turns out nine years of involvement on a zoo forum has started to pay off! Anyway, thanks to a generous scholarship and well written admissions essay, I will be participating in a short-term study abroad program centered around avian care and conservation management. Through this course I’ll experience an intensive series of lectures, workshops, and hands-on work with numerous species alongside experienced keepers and veterinarians. Given the idiosyncrasies of New Zealand’s endemic birds, most of which I’ll never be able to see anywhere else, it was a no-brainer.
It’s especially exciting because I realized not too long ago that I haven’t seen any of New Zealand’s endemic wildlife. Even the ones that are present in the U.S. in smallish numbers (kiwi, kea, black teal, tuatara) have evaded me for years. No matter, I’ll be getting them all in spades shortly. The fact that I’m getting the chance to see dozens of species that even a majority of dedicated zoo enthusiasts may never see in their lifetimes is a blessing that I won't take for granted.
I have a hectic few days of travel ahead of me. We will be starting up North in Auckland and heading all the way down to Wellington over the course of the next two weeks, with most of that time in between being spent in Palmerston North. Before that however, I have 18 hours worth of flying from Chicago to Auckland to look forward to… keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
Members of this site range from casual zoo hobbyists, current/former keepers, and a small number of young aspiring zoo professionals. I fall into the latter category. I’m currently pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences with a double minor in wildlife and business. This is the beginning stage of pursuing a career in the zoo field and realizing my life long ambition of working with animals. Yep, no joke. Turns out nine years of involvement on a zoo forum has started to pay off! Anyway, thanks to a generous scholarship and well written admissions essay, I will be participating in a short-term study abroad program centered around avian care and conservation management. Through this course I’ll experience an intensive series of lectures, workshops, and hands-on work with numerous species alongside experienced keepers and veterinarians. Given the idiosyncrasies of New Zealand’s endemic birds, most of which I’ll never be able to see anywhere else, it was a no-brainer.
It’s especially exciting because I realized not too long ago that I haven’t seen any of New Zealand’s endemic wildlife. Even the ones that are present in the U.S. in smallish numbers (kiwi, kea, black teal, tuatara) have evaded me for years. No matter, I’ll be getting them all in spades shortly. The fact that I’m getting the chance to see dozens of species that even a majority of dedicated zoo enthusiasts may never see in their lifetimes is a blessing that I won't take for granted.
I have a hectic few days of travel ahead of me. We will be starting up North in Auckland and heading all the way down to Wellington over the course of the next two weeks, with most of that time in between being spent in Palmerston North. Before that however, I have 18 hours worth of flying from Chicago to Auckland to look forward to… keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
It's just one of those things where I'd feel a little guilty enjoying seeing them where they shouldn't be. Regardless, they aren't disappearing overnight whether I see one or not, so if/when do I will cherish it as they are indeed a fascinating species.
