Kiwi in Zoos

Maybe a decent investment if somebody was to buy the Borth Animalarium? It may not attract to many regular visitors and costs may be a little high to start with. However, hardcore animal fanatics like ourselves would pile up at the gates to see something that can't be seen elsewhere in the UK (and even rare in Europe). Also, like has been mentioned they may not be too difficult to get hold of.
If more species of a similar uniqueness were added, it could bring a positive reputation for exhibiting some unusual species?
 
Actually in general a lot of zoos are lacking in New Zealand wildlife...I can only think of a few animals that are in a good number of zoos outside of New Zealand.

Also as already mentioned Kiwi are very secretive and if there are lots of visitors around or kids screaming they are not going to show themselves. Same would go for using the flash on your camera, there is just no way of seeing them after something like that.

There are lots of other bird groups too that are rarely exhibited in zoos, like tinamous, lyrebirds, rails, most of the cotinga family...
The reason for some of these, like most of the rails is probably the same as the kiwi, they're rarely seen by most people.
 
Unfortunately you're right. It is a shame that many zoos see this as a reason not to get certain animals (not worth the costs). For housing kiwi, is it possible that the exhibit could be sound-proofed? If so, I would use a wooden perimiter with this, and using one-way glass for viewing (similar to Chester's indoor flamingo 'shed'). That way, the kiwis will not be disturbed whilst they are observed. Tricky for photos maybe, but it could be considered?
 
Blackduiker

siamang27 said:
Actually in general a lot of zoos are lacking in New Zealand wildlife...I can only think of a few animals that are in a good number of zoos outside of New Zealand.

Also as already mentioned Kiwi are very secretive and if there are lots of visitors around or kids screaming they are not going to show themselves. Same would go for using the flash on your camera, there is just no way of seeing them after something like that.

There are lots of other bird groups too that are rarely exhibited in zoos, like tinamous, lyrebirds, rails, most of the cotinga family...
The reason for some of these, like most of the rails is probably the same as the kiwi, they're rarely seen by most people.
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I remember reading an article from a former L.A. Zoo director(probably Dr. Warren Thomas) back in the 1970s, concerning a short lived interest in exhibiting Lyre Birds here. The idea was dropped, however, when it came to the realization that male Lyre Birds become quite normal and boring looking after the courtship of breeding season is over, and they've lost their intricate lyre like tail feathers. But just the breeding season plumage, and their incredible ability to make mock imitations of so many other sounds, I thought was reason enough to display them. L.A. also once had a pretty impressive list of tinamous several decades ago.
 
Antwerp Zoo no longer holds this species as their aviary is now under construction.

All european institutes keeps this species in day light open air aviaries behind the scenes; the one you can see on display in Frankfurt and Avifauna are non breeding specimens. I do not know exactly why this is, probably the lack of space in the nocturamas, or the noice, or another reason.
 
Yes, very puzzling. I'm not sure who compiles Zootiereliste and I wonder if Brandywine ever did have a kiwi. But it's definitely not a UK zoo – past or present.
 
Sorry, I was unclear. I meant is there a now closed zoo in the UK that was called Wilmington Zoo?
 
I realise that there is a zoo in a place called Wilmington in the US but there is also a village called Wilmington in Kent, UK and I'm wondering if that this entry on Zootierliste refers to a zoo that was at one point in Kent. Am I missing something?
 
Not at all, I was puzzled too. The Zootierliste holdings has similarities to the Brandywine list. I concluded (possibly incorrectly) that as the list includes Canadian otter, Bobcat, American foxes, Brazilian porcupine etc that there has been another error on Zootierliste – quite a big one.

I'm sure that there has never been a zoo in or near Wilmington in Kent.
 
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