OK, so time for a round-up of 2010's New Zealand zoo news. Most of these have been gleaned from the Zoochat forums because most of the zoos' own websites are just useless for getting information from -- just try to find out how many penguin chicks have been hatched this year at Kelly Tarlton's for instance (because I couldn't!) . A few items that I found on the internet while doing searches hadn't been reported on Zoochat, which is largely my fault I guess, such as the Galapagos tortoise moving from Auckland Zoo to Ti Point, or the brolga crane moving from Hamilton Zoo to Franklin Zoo. There has to be far more news than what I've gathered here so if anyone knows anything else news-worthy from the year -- births, deaths, transfers, new exhibits, anything at all that you think is important -- then feel free to add it to the thread.
ZION WILDLIFE PARK
*the court case over the 2009 death of keeper Dalu Mncube continued to be adjourned and adjourned and adjourned..... ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/zion-wildlife-gardens-case-adjourned-125568/ )
*three white tigers went to Pouakai on loan in April ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-tigers-now-pouakai-146448/ )
*a young female tiger called Sita was killed by a male tiger during a mating attempt in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tiger-killed-184953/ )
AUCKLAND ZOO
*opposition to Auckland's elephant herd plans continued from the usual sources (eg, SAFE) and from the completely unexpected (Peter Stroud) ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/elephant-herd-now-works-67120/ )
*in January a male Galapagos tortoise moved to the Ti Point Reptile Park to reduce aggression in the zoo's group ( Willy the tortoise makes way for randy brother - Story - Lifestyle - 3 News ).
*a male giraffe was born in March ( Auckland Zoo welcomes new giraffe - National - NZ Herald News )
*in March the 200th Operation Nest Egg kiwi chick reared at the zoo was released into the wild ( Auckland Zoo - 2010 MEDIA RELEASE - Auckland Zoo cracks it for 200th kiwi )
*in April five North Island brown kiwi from Auckland Zoo were sent overseas to the USA and Germany, the first time in nearly forty years that any kiwi have left the country ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kiwi-oe-147270/ )
*in May the zoo announced that the Te Wao Nui project had now received full funding, but this news was closely followed by media reports of a scandal that threatened the funding ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/te-wao-nui-now-fully-funded-147657/ )
*four female American alligators arrived from Australia Zoo in May to join the zoo's existing alligator Doris ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/5-new-alligators-australia-139895/ )
*important breeding female small-clawed otter Jade died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/jade-otter-161782/ )
*in August a male golden cat was exported to the RSCC in the UK ( http://www.zoochat.com/38/rscc-animal-transfers-general-news-167468/index3.html )
*a baby zebra was born in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/auckland-zoo-welcomes-new-baby-zebra-180300/ )
*female red panda Khosuva left New Zealand in September in a swap for a male red panda called Sagar from India ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/female-red-panda-coming-india-172839/ )
*a baby meerkat was born in October ( Auckland Zoo welcomes new meerkat | Stuff.co.nz )
*Sumatran tiger siblings Jalur and Cinta left the zoo in October for Symbio in Australia ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/bon-voyage-breakfast-auckland-zoos-tigers-184592/ )
*50-year-old female hippo Snorkel died in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/auckland-zoo-deeply-saddened-loss-hippo-182419/ )
KELLY TARLTON'S
*Kelly Tarlton's was named winner of the Tourism New Zealand 'Innovative Marketing Campaign' award at the 2010 Tourism Industry Awards in October ( Tourism Awards Finalist | Kelly Tarlton's )
*in December Kelly Tarlton's started legal proceedings over damages resulting from a sewage spill in 2006! ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kelly-tarltons-sues-over-sewage-spill-192213/ )
*five grey nurse sharks arrived from the USA in December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/grey-nurse-sharks-arrive-192721/ )
*after having been sold to Village Roadshow in 2008, Kelly Tarlton's was on-sold to Merlin this December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kelly-tarltons-underwater-world-13505/index2.html )
HAMILTON ZOO
*a baby white rhino was born in March. He was named Ubuntu. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kitos-baby-138065/ )
*in August an adult female white rhino left the zoo for Australia Zoo, and a new male spider monkey arrived from the Gorge Wildlife Park in Australia ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/hamilton-zoo-21108/ )
*ring-tailed lemur twins born in September were the first at the zoo since 2002 ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/ring-tailed-lemur-babies-181996/ )
*a walk-through weka enclosure opened in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/walk-through-native-enclosure-186485/ )
*46-year-old Suzie the chimp died in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/suzie-chimp-dies-188325/ )
*the zoo's first ever meerkats arrived in December from Auckland Zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meerkats-194760/ )
WELLINGTON ZOO
*in July a new dingo was imported from Australia to join the other two imported in 2008. These three are the only dingos in NZ ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/wellington-now-has-dingoes-57113/ )
*the historic elephant house, lately used to display reptiles and bats, was demolished in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/historic-elephant-house-demolished-163403/ )
*Jin the infamous escaping otter died in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/jin-otter-dies-wellington-zoo-168628/ )
*preliminary construction of a major new area named Meet The Locals began work at the zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meet-locals-redevelopment-wellington-zoo-184234/ )
*a baby chimp was born in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/baby-chimp-186484/ ) and the zoo's pigmy marmosets which arrived in 2009 also bred for the first time in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/pygmy-marmosets-arrive-92401/ )
*the first tuatara eggs laid at the zoo in over twenty years hatched this October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tuatara-breeding-149626/ )
*the zoo's lions got a newly renovated enclosure in October and the two male lions that had been on breeding loan at Orana Park returned to Wellington at the start of December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/moving-lions-news-video-131858/ )
WILLOWBANK
*in one of the most exciting zoo developments this year, in September Willowbank received a pair of takahe from DoC for display purposes ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/willowbank-gets-takahe-180521/ )
*I'm pretty sure that the park's pair of blue and gold macaws arrived this year as well (one from Wellington and one from Timaru) but I'm not completely sure. Macaws are common overseas of course but very rare and expensive over in this part of the world.
ORANA PARK
*in February three male cheetahs escaped through a hole in their enclosure's perimeter fence and swam across a moat to enjoy a brief period of freedom in the park before being recaptured ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/cheetahs-swim-freedom-127629/ )
*a baby white rhino was born in April, the first in over a decade at the park. He was named Eco by public auction. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/first-rhino-calf-decade-152680/ )
*a zebra mare arrived in June from Werribee in Australia ( Orana Wildlife Park - Christchurch - New Zealand )
*a ruffed lemur drowned in the moat surrounding its island during the big earthquake in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/southern-encounter-ok-172615/ )
*in October Orana announced one of the biggest pieces of zoo news for NZ, that they would be getting the first gorillas in the country (ever). ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/gorillas-coming-nz-188392/ )
*the two male lions on loan to Orana moved back to Wellington Zoo in Decemebr ( ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/moving-lions-news-video-131858/ ) )
SOUTHERN ENCOUNTER AQUARIUM
*the Aquarium's kiwi pair Tu and Ana produced a fertile egg which was hatched in an incubator at Orana Park ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kiwi-chick-146462/ ). The pair was then removed to Orana and placed in a breeding enclosure. The replacement pair Nati and Ponga never settled down in the Aquarium's kiwi house so after a few months were replaced with another pair Geyser and Rata who are displaying well.
*ninety endangered Canterbury mudfish kept temporarily at the Aquarium were successfully released into a protected wetland area in May ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/canterbury-mudfish-relocation-148852/ ). There will be another lot kept at the Aquarium in 2011
*the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch in September resulted in the Aquarium closing temporarily and meant the loss of some fish that were swept from their tanks. Another large quake in December damaged the building frontage further, resulting in another temporary closure. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/southern-encounter-ok-172615/ )
OTHER
*a new kiwi house opened at Franz Josef in November, and a new specialty aquarium (Salmon World) also opened earlier this year at Rakaia south of Christchurch.
*the Eco-World Aquarium in Picton got in a whole range of new species in 2010, including red-crowned kakariki, blue-tongue skinks and common tuatara; babies bred there this year included Cook Strait giant weta and green tree geckos ( ECOWORLD - Aquarium & Terrarium )
*in July news/rumours/wishful thinking started flying everywhere about giant pandas coming to NZ - at Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Orana, Napier..... ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/pandas-new-zealand-157277/ )
*in January a male Galapagos tortoise moved to the Ti Point Reptile Park from Auckland Zoo ( Willy the tortoise makes way for randy brother - Story - Lifestyle - 3 News ). In June 16 green tree geckos were stolen from Ti Point (along with 7 forest geckos from the Whangarei Museum), although fortunately all were recovered safely less than a fortnight later ( Gecko theft arrest in Northland - environment | Stuff.co.nz )
*a male lion cub was born at Paradise Valley Springs in February ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/paradise-valley-springs-new-lion-cub-146223/ ) and a female cub was born in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/another-lion-cub-rotorua-168043/ )
*the Mapua Aquarium in Nelson received a white stingray in February, which is quite cool ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-stingray-131859/ )
*Natureland in Nelson produced its first ever tuatara hatchling in February. In March the zoo's two small-clawed otters died of old age ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/zoos-elderly-otters-pass-140034/ ); also passing away was Ricky the special-needs capuchin monkey in May ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/rip-ricky-148057/ ). In good news, they will be receiving some crested porcupines from Orana Park ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/porcupines-169453/ )
*Franklin Zoo received a new male cottontop tamarin in May from Auckland Zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/new-cottontop-tamarin-franklin-zoo-151257/ ). Tony the chacma baoon also returned to Franklin from Auckland this year ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tony-chacma-baboon-151256/ ). A brolga crane arrived from Hamilton Zoo in September ( New Arrival, Bingarra, Brolga Crane )
*Pouakai got three white tigers on loan from Zion in April ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-tigers-now-pouakai-146448/ ). Sadly they also lost their elderly zebra Rafiki in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/rafiki-179976/ )
*Brooklands' only red panda died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/red-panda-dies-160943/ ). A new cottontop tamarin came from Hamilton and one went to Wellington, and two small-clawed otters moved to Wellington to pair up with new mates ( Zoo gets back to normal - cutestuff - life-style | Stuff.co.nz ). Five meerkats arrived from Wellington in December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meerkats-195799/#post399971 )
*Izzy the saltwater crocodile at the Napier Aquarium also died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/izzy-crocodile-dies-164167/ )
AND FINALLY FOR THE YEAR
Maria Sharapova came to NZ in December for the ASB Tennis Classic ( Maria Sharapova arrives in Auckland | Stuff.co.nz ). Nothing to do with zoos at all, but its Maria Sharapova and you can't argue with that.
ZION WILDLIFE PARK
*the court case over the 2009 death of keeper Dalu Mncube continued to be adjourned and adjourned and adjourned..... ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/zion-wildlife-gardens-case-adjourned-125568/ )
*three white tigers went to Pouakai on loan in April ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-tigers-now-pouakai-146448/ )
*a young female tiger called Sita was killed by a male tiger during a mating attempt in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tiger-killed-184953/ )
AUCKLAND ZOO
*opposition to Auckland's elephant herd plans continued from the usual sources (eg, SAFE) and from the completely unexpected (Peter Stroud) ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/elephant-herd-now-works-67120/ )
*in January a male Galapagos tortoise moved to the Ti Point Reptile Park to reduce aggression in the zoo's group ( Willy the tortoise makes way for randy brother - Story - Lifestyle - 3 News ).
*a male giraffe was born in March ( Auckland Zoo welcomes new giraffe - National - NZ Herald News )
*in March the 200th Operation Nest Egg kiwi chick reared at the zoo was released into the wild ( Auckland Zoo - 2010 MEDIA RELEASE - Auckland Zoo cracks it for 200th kiwi )
*in April five North Island brown kiwi from Auckland Zoo were sent overseas to the USA and Germany, the first time in nearly forty years that any kiwi have left the country ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kiwi-oe-147270/ )
*in May the zoo announced that the Te Wao Nui project had now received full funding, but this news was closely followed by media reports of a scandal that threatened the funding ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/te-wao-nui-now-fully-funded-147657/ )
*four female American alligators arrived from Australia Zoo in May to join the zoo's existing alligator Doris ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/5-new-alligators-australia-139895/ )
*important breeding female small-clawed otter Jade died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/jade-otter-161782/ )
*in August a male golden cat was exported to the RSCC in the UK ( http://www.zoochat.com/38/rscc-animal-transfers-general-news-167468/index3.html )
*a baby zebra was born in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/auckland-zoo-welcomes-new-baby-zebra-180300/ )
*female red panda Khosuva left New Zealand in September in a swap for a male red panda called Sagar from India ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/female-red-panda-coming-india-172839/ )
*a baby meerkat was born in October ( Auckland Zoo welcomes new meerkat | Stuff.co.nz )
*Sumatran tiger siblings Jalur and Cinta left the zoo in October for Symbio in Australia ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/bon-voyage-breakfast-auckland-zoos-tigers-184592/ )
*50-year-old female hippo Snorkel died in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/auckland-zoo-deeply-saddened-loss-hippo-182419/ )
KELLY TARLTON'S
*Kelly Tarlton's was named winner of the Tourism New Zealand 'Innovative Marketing Campaign' award at the 2010 Tourism Industry Awards in October ( Tourism Awards Finalist | Kelly Tarlton's )
*in December Kelly Tarlton's started legal proceedings over damages resulting from a sewage spill in 2006! ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kelly-tarltons-sues-over-sewage-spill-192213/ )
*five grey nurse sharks arrived from the USA in December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/grey-nurse-sharks-arrive-192721/ )
*after having been sold to Village Roadshow in 2008, Kelly Tarlton's was on-sold to Merlin this December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kelly-tarltons-underwater-world-13505/index2.html )
HAMILTON ZOO
*a baby white rhino was born in March. He was named Ubuntu. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kitos-baby-138065/ )
*in August an adult female white rhino left the zoo for Australia Zoo, and a new male spider monkey arrived from the Gorge Wildlife Park in Australia ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/hamilton-zoo-21108/ )
*ring-tailed lemur twins born in September were the first at the zoo since 2002 ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/ring-tailed-lemur-babies-181996/ )
*a walk-through weka enclosure opened in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/walk-through-native-enclosure-186485/ )
*46-year-old Suzie the chimp died in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/suzie-chimp-dies-188325/ )
*the zoo's first ever meerkats arrived in December from Auckland Zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meerkats-194760/ )
WELLINGTON ZOO
*in July a new dingo was imported from Australia to join the other two imported in 2008. These three are the only dingos in NZ ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/wellington-now-has-dingoes-57113/ )
*the historic elephant house, lately used to display reptiles and bats, was demolished in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/historic-elephant-house-demolished-163403/ )
*Jin the infamous escaping otter died in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/jin-otter-dies-wellington-zoo-168628/ )
*preliminary construction of a major new area named Meet The Locals began work at the zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meet-locals-redevelopment-wellington-zoo-184234/ )
*a baby chimp was born in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/baby-chimp-186484/ ) and the zoo's pigmy marmosets which arrived in 2009 also bred for the first time in October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/pygmy-marmosets-arrive-92401/ )
*the first tuatara eggs laid at the zoo in over twenty years hatched this October ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tuatara-breeding-149626/ )
*the zoo's lions got a newly renovated enclosure in October and the two male lions that had been on breeding loan at Orana Park returned to Wellington at the start of December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/moving-lions-news-video-131858/ )
WILLOWBANK
*in one of the most exciting zoo developments this year, in September Willowbank received a pair of takahe from DoC for display purposes ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/willowbank-gets-takahe-180521/ )
*I'm pretty sure that the park's pair of blue and gold macaws arrived this year as well (one from Wellington and one from Timaru) but I'm not completely sure. Macaws are common overseas of course but very rare and expensive over in this part of the world.
ORANA PARK
*in February three male cheetahs escaped through a hole in their enclosure's perimeter fence and swam across a moat to enjoy a brief period of freedom in the park before being recaptured ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/cheetahs-swim-freedom-127629/ )
*a baby white rhino was born in April, the first in over a decade at the park. He was named Eco by public auction. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/first-rhino-calf-decade-152680/ )
*a zebra mare arrived in June from Werribee in Australia ( Orana Wildlife Park - Christchurch - New Zealand )
*a ruffed lemur drowned in the moat surrounding its island during the big earthquake in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/southern-encounter-ok-172615/ )
*in October Orana announced one of the biggest pieces of zoo news for NZ, that they would be getting the first gorillas in the country (ever). ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/gorillas-coming-nz-188392/ )
*the two male lions on loan to Orana moved back to Wellington Zoo in Decemebr ( ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/moving-lions-news-video-131858/ ) )
SOUTHERN ENCOUNTER AQUARIUM
*the Aquarium's kiwi pair Tu and Ana produced a fertile egg which was hatched in an incubator at Orana Park ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/kiwi-chick-146462/ ). The pair was then removed to Orana and placed in a breeding enclosure. The replacement pair Nati and Ponga never settled down in the Aquarium's kiwi house so after a few months were replaced with another pair Geyser and Rata who are displaying well.
*ninety endangered Canterbury mudfish kept temporarily at the Aquarium were successfully released into a protected wetland area in May ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/canterbury-mudfish-relocation-148852/ ). There will be another lot kept at the Aquarium in 2011
*the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch in September resulted in the Aquarium closing temporarily and meant the loss of some fish that were swept from their tanks. Another large quake in December damaged the building frontage further, resulting in another temporary closure. ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/southern-encounter-ok-172615/ )
OTHER
*a new kiwi house opened at Franz Josef in November, and a new specialty aquarium (Salmon World) also opened earlier this year at Rakaia south of Christchurch.
*the Eco-World Aquarium in Picton got in a whole range of new species in 2010, including red-crowned kakariki, blue-tongue skinks and common tuatara; babies bred there this year included Cook Strait giant weta and green tree geckos ( ECOWORLD - Aquarium & Terrarium )
*in July news/rumours/wishful thinking started flying everywhere about giant pandas coming to NZ - at Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Orana, Napier..... ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/pandas-new-zealand-157277/ )
*in January a male Galapagos tortoise moved to the Ti Point Reptile Park from Auckland Zoo ( Willy the tortoise makes way for randy brother - Story - Lifestyle - 3 News ). In June 16 green tree geckos were stolen from Ti Point (along with 7 forest geckos from the Whangarei Museum), although fortunately all were recovered safely less than a fortnight later ( Gecko theft arrest in Northland - environment | Stuff.co.nz )
*a male lion cub was born at Paradise Valley Springs in February ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/paradise-valley-springs-new-lion-cub-146223/ ) and a female cub was born in August ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/another-lion-cub-rotorua-168043/ )
*the Mapua Aquarium in Nelson received a white stingray in February, which is quite cool ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-stingray-131859/ )
*Natureland in Nelson produced its first ever tuatara hatchling in February. In March the zoo's two small-clawed otters died of old age ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/zoos-elderly-otters-pass-140034/ ); also passing away was Ricky the special-needs capuchin monkey in May ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/rip-ricky-148057/ ). In good news, they will be receiving some crested porcupines from Orana Park ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/porcupines-169453/ )
*Franklin Zoo received a new male cottontop tamarin in May from Auckland Zoo ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/new-cottontop-tamarin-franklin-zoo-151257/ ). Tony the chacma baoon also returned to Franklin from Auckland this year ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/tony-chacma-baboon-151256/ ). A brolga crane arrived from Hamilton Zoo in September ( New Arrival, Bingarra, Brolga Crane )
*Pouakai got three white tigers on loan from Zion in April ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/white-tigers-now-pouakai-146448/ ). Sadly they also lost their elderly zebra Rafiki in September ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/rafiki-179976/ )
*Brooklands' only red panda died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/red-panda-dies-160943/ ). A new cottontop tamarin came from Hamilton and one went to Wellington, and two small-clawed otters moved to Wellington to pair up with new mates ( Zoo gets back to normal - cutestuff - life-style | Stuff.co.nz ). Five meerkats arrived from Wellington in December ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/meerkats-195799/#post399971 )
*Izzy the saltwater crocodile at the Napier Aquarium also died in July ( http://www.zoochat.com/17/izzy-crocodile-dies-164167/ )
AND FINALLY FOR THE YEAR
Maria Sharapova came to NZ in December for the ASB Tennis Classic ( Maria Sharapova arrives in Auckland | Stuff.co.nz ). Nothing to do with zoos at all, but its Maria Sharapova and you can't argue with that.
Last edited:
