About the Memphis Zoo North Island Brown Kiwis
Only seven zoos in the United States house the birds. Memphis Zoo has housed kiwis off and on since 1991, when a female Brown Kiwi was received on loan from the San Diego Zoo to celebrate the annual Memphis in May festival (when New Zealand was the featured country). The Memphis Zoo imported four kiwis in the fall of 1991 from zoos in New Zealand. A male from the Auckland Zoo was kept at the Memphis Zoo, and the other three were sent to other zoos across the U.S. Memphis’ original kiwis were housed in the Kenyan building. This is now the Dragon’s Lair exhibit, which houses Komodo dragons. In 1995, our remaining male kiwi was sent to the San Diego Zoo on a breeding loan.
Justus, Aria’s half-uncle, was hatched in Frankfurt, Germany. Both Aria and Justus are on loan to the Memphis Zoo from the Frankfurt Zoo. Kiwis are unlike any other bird; they have several mammal-like features, including marrow-filled bones, two functioning ovaries and a low body temperature. They are native to New Zealand, and are known as the “panda of the bird world.” The small, flightless birds are nocturnal, and live in pairs in the wild. These pair bonds can be long-lasting, with some having been recorded of 20+ years.
therwise its likely the zoo would keep its male Le Le and receive another female.
