Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo news

Arrival of giraffe Kiraka's first calf

We are delighted to announce the arrival of giraffe Kiraka's first calf! The female calf arrived around 2am Friday morning. Team Leader of Pridelands, Nat Sullivan says both mother and the yet-to-be-named calf are doing well, and hopes they will be out in time for Christmas. "Kiraka is a great mum, very attentive and probably the most protective mother I've seen."
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151782041686984&set=a.10151782041381984.1073741907.57062666983&type=1
 
Female Giraffe Calf Born

From Auckland Zoo's Facebook page this morning:

We are delighted to announce the arrival of giraffe Kiraka's first calf! The female calf arrived around 2am Friday morning. Team Leader of Pridelands, Nat Sullivan says both mother and the yet-to-be-named calf are doing well, and hopes they will be out in time for Christmas. "Kiraka is a great mum, very attentive and probably the most protective mother I've seen."
Click to expand...
 
Tygo said:
Both Oz and Jaka have arrived at their new homes.
Click to expand...

Indeed they have. It appears that Oz has moved into the new secondary exhibit that Sali was in, with Sali now in the main exhibit (with the other female who's name currently escapes me). Here's an article about the move, with a great little video: Zoos change their stripes - national | Stuff.co.nz

The great tiger switcheroo has been pulled off.

Nine-year-old Sumatran tiger Oz made a grand growling entrance to Hamilton Zoo today after being transported down from Auckland alongside his favourite tyre, while Jaka was shipped off to Auckland to take his place.

Oz relocated from Tel Aviv to Auckland in 2006 and fathered Auckland Zoo's first tiger cubs with Jaka's sister Molek in 2008, and zookeepers hope he will begin a new romance with five-year-old tiger Sali.

Oz was caged up in a crate and transported into the tiger enclosure by forklift, as Jaka, who was calmly resting in his own crate, was shipped out.

Oz will remain in his crate until zookeepers are happy that he is calm enough to roam in the caged den, then will remain in there until he is comfortable enough to stretch his legs in the larger safari like enclosure.

There would be a period of separation before Oz was allowed in to Sali's territory.

Hamilton Zoo curator Samantha Kudaweh believed the pair would get on like a house on fire.

"Sali is probably more goofy than she is feisty... I think they're quite similar in their personalities from what I understand they're both pretty easygoing goofy personalities," she said.

The zoo was very excited to get their first opportunity to breed Sumatran tigers and contribute to the conservation of the species - which has fewer than 400 tigers living in the wild.

"Sali is a very popular tiger with all who get to known her. She is a lovely playful young female and we're very hopeful she'll prove to be a good mother," Kudaweh said.

Auckland Zoo carnivore team leader, Bruce Murdoch, said it was a "bittersweet" occasion as they were sad to see Oz go but excited to have Jaka joining their family.

Murdoch said Oz's growling was anticipated and they had taken steps to calm him, even bringing along his favourite tyre, which he said was like a "dummy" to Oz.

"Whenever you move tigers, they're not gunna be happy being in a box for very long, but this is a nice easy move, it's just down the road."

It is unknown when Oz will be on display for the public, and Kudaweh said it was all up to his behaviour.
Click to expand...
 
Disappointment as Auckland Zoo plans to remove Japanese Garden - Yahoo! New Zealand
There's disappointment over plans by Auckland Zoo to remove its Japanese Garden - a feature gifted by sister city Fukuoka nearly 25 years ago.

The zoo has confirmed parts of the garden will be put into storage while a decision on its future location is made.

Its current location within the zoo will be used to expand its wildlife conservation programme.

Stephanie Hay,who was head gardener at Auckland Zoo when the Japanese Garden opened in 1989, says it's not just any old garden.

"They talk about moving the garden, when really what they're talking about is taking these key elements, storing them somewhere, and building another garden.

"And I feel that that garden's taken 25 ears to get where it is."

Ms Hay says the garden should stay put.

"When I've spoken briefly to some of the volunteers they tell me that people love the garden.

"And the people that I've spoken to when I've been in there have sort of echoed that same thing, and they've all actually sounded quite shocked."
Auckland Council has been talking with the Japanese city about what should happen to the garden.
Click to expand...
 
Chlidonias said:
Disappointment as Auckland Zoo plans to remove Japanese Garden - Yahoo! New Zealand
Click to expand...

It would be sad in some ways to lose the Japanese Garden, but it never really fitted in at Auckland Zoo anyway. It was basically chucked in that old part of the zoo and forgotten about, when it really belonged somewhere else entirely, like the Domain, or Botanical Gardens. I doubt very much that the Zoo would resurrect it once it is removed, there just isn't anywhere suitable and it wouldn't make sense.

Will be interesting to see how that part of the zoo looks once it re-opens with Tasmanian Devils. I've got my fingers very tightly crossed that none of the aviaries are lost, and that the Chimpanzee cage remains for historical purposes. But I feel that may be hoping too much.

Would be awesome if the non-Australian birds were re-homed in appropriate parts of the zoo, there is plenty of room for a lovebird aviary in the Pridelands for example, and an Asian bird aviary (bleeding-heart doves being basically all that's left) could be built elsewhere (but almost certainly won't). Maybe they could just move all the Australian birds in the old native aviaries back into this section, and move the non-Australians up there. That would be a start. Sorry for rambling.
 
zooboy28 said:
It would be sad in some ways to lose the Japanese Garden, but it never really fitted in at Auckland Zoo anyway. It was basically chucked in that old part of the zoo and forgotten about, when it really belonged somewhere else entirely, like the Domain, or Botanical Gardens. I doubt very much that the Zoo would resurrect it once it is removed, there just isn't anywhere suitable and it wouldn't make sense.

Will be interesting to see how that part of the zoo looks once it re-opens with Tasmanian Devils. I've got my fingers very tightly crossed that none of the aviaries are lost, and that the Chimpanzee cage remains for historical purposes. But I feel that may be hoping too much.

Would be awesome if the non-Australian birds were re-homed in appropriate parts of the zoo, there is plenty of room for a lovebird aviary in the Pridelands for example, and an Asian bird aviary (bleeding-heart doves being basically all that's left) could be built elsewhere (but almost certainly won't). Maybe they could just move all the Australian birds in the old native aviaries back into this section, and move the non-Australians up there. That would be a start. Sorry for rambling.
Click to expand...

I'm glad I photographed the garden earlier this year. Unfortunately there are all indications that the old chimpanzee enclosure will vanish. The zoo is constantly redeveloping old habitats to accommodate its changing role.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top