Wellington Zoo Wellington Zoo News 2015

zooboy28

zooboy28

Well-Known Member
First news of 2015 is actually from 2014!

Story & Photos here: Twin pygmy marmosets born at Wellington Zoo | Stuff.co.nz

Wellington Zoo got a little cuter over the holiday break, with the birth of two new baby pygmy marmosets.

Two of the zoo's resident pygmy marmosets, Wicket and Cuzco, welcomed twins on Boxing Day.

The new additions come after the birth of three squirrel monkeys earlier in December.

The tiny, furry marmoset babies, gender unknown, have been spotted hitching a ride on their parents' backs.

The marmoset are the world's smallest monkey and are one of smallest primates on the planet, usually weighing just 130g when fully grown.

Wellington Zoo's marmosets can all be spotted in their enclosure from the zoo's Mojo cafe.
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Another Nyala has been born at Wellington Zoo, as reported on their Facebook page. :)

We're thrilled to welcome a baby Nyala to our Wellington Zoo herd! This little calf is just one week old and is yet to be named.

Nyala are medium-sized antelopes native to southern Africa. Females and young are distinctly red with white stripes, and males are a darker brown with spiral horns. The Nyala at Wellington Zoo are part of a regional breeding programme* for these beautiful animals.

Did you know: Nyala hide their young so that predators can't find them in the wild? The mother keeps her calf within view and returns to nurse it at regular intervals, until he or she is old enough to join the herd. See if you can spot this doe-eyed, large-eared youngster resting in foliage and branches at the bottom of the African Savannah!
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* despite being the only ones in Australasia... :p
 
An article on the newborn nyala, which also notes that Wellington will be recieving five otters from Perth this year - wonder where they will be displayed?

Story here: Baby antelope takes to Wellington zoo's savannah | Stuff.co.nz

Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and stripy - a beautiful baby nyala can now be seen at Wellington Zoo after being born on Valentines Day.

Keepers have not been able to check its sex yet as they need to let the mother bond.

Once the sex is determined, which could take up to a month, zoo staff will decide on a name.

Another of the zoo's young nyala, born just four months ago, was named Shani, meaning "adventurous" in Swahili.

Keepers reported the mother was very calm throughout her labour and wandered around quietly, away from the herd.

"A keeper stayed with her and observed for just over two hours and saw the head crowning," zoo spokeswoman Charlotte Whitelaw says. "This was late in the evening by that point and quite dark. In the morning there was a clean and healthy calf."

The calf is growing in confidence each day and has already been spotted running around the African Savannah enclosure, before heading back for a rest. In the next couple of weeks it will start following its mother around more.

The zoo has welcomed five other types of zoo babies in the past few months, including three kea chicks, two emu chicks, a chimpanzee, a pygmy marmoset and five squirrel monkeys.

All are an integral part of its conservation efforts. "Every animal at Wellington Zoo is here for a reason relating to conservation," Whitelaw says.

"Some species are part of regional or international breeding programmes to increase their numbers, and others are ambassador animals that play an important role in raising awareness of their wild cousins."

Newcomers due to arrive this year include five oriental small-clawed otters from Perth Zoo.

Other breeding programmes under way at the zoo include Sumatran tigers Senja and Bashii, critically endangered western grand and Otago skinks, and red pandas.
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Amy the Red Panda was euthanized today due to ongoing health problems. Amy produced two offspring Sir Ed and and Manasa. Son Manasa and mate Ishah still live at the Zoo.
Wellington Zoo saddened by passing of Amy the Red Panda | Scoop News
Wellington Zoo staff and volunteers were saddened today after the decision was made to euthanise the Zoo’s female Red Panda, Amy.

Amy had been diagnosed with arthritis and kidney problems in November last year and was being treated by the veterinary team at The Nest Te Kōhanga. During a health check today when it was found that her condition had worsened, and treatment was no longer effective, the decision was made to euthanise her.

“These decisions are always hard, and it comes down to the animal’s welfare and ensuring that we do what is in their best interests. Amy was old for a Red Panda, and her health was deteriorating quickly. After careful consideration of whether we could provide treatment to manage her pain and health issues, it was agreed that euthanising her was the most humane and respectful thing to do,” said Karen Fifield, Chief Executive.

Amy was 15 years old. Red Pandas in the wild have an average life span of 8 years.

Amy was part of the International Breeding Programme for Red Pandas, and produced two offspring while at Wellington Zoo; Sir Ed, born in 2007, who lives at Bristol Zoo, and Manasa, born in 2009, who still lives at Wellington Zoo. Red Pandas are listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN.

Amy was popular with visitors, many of whom have met her up close during Close Encounters.
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Tygo said:
Amy the Red Panda was euthanized today due to ongoing health problems. Amy produced two offspring Sir Ed and and Manasa. Son Manasa and mate Ishah still live at the Zoo.
Wellington Zoo saddened by passing of Amy the Red Panda | Scoop News
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I never realised Amy (1999) was as old as that. She was only slightly younger than the previous breeding pair, Jay and Reka, who were born in 1995 and euthanised in 2014.

Amy's age could explain her limited breeding success (two cubs) in comparison to the success of the younger females: Maya (Auckland), Reka (Wellington), Tayla (Hamilton) and Bo (Auckland).

Perhaps Wellington will import one of Hamilton Zoo's female twins (2014) to breed with Ishah (2002) or Manasa (2010)?
 
Comings and goings:

Just posted onto the Hamilton Zoo Facebook page: One Red Panda in, one Chimpanzee out!

Moves and grooves: Today we say farewell to red panda Khusi who travels to her new home at Wellington Zoo. On the return journey however will be Chima the chimpanzee to join our troop! Chimps and keepers very excited!
 
I was just having a look on the zoo's Facebook page, and they have (the post was from 30th March) two Fiordland Crested Penguins and six Yellow-eyed Penguins in for treatment. The Fiordlands were viewable to visitors as they were in the hospital's saltwater pool; the Yellow-eyeds were not viewable.

The female one named Gari is the same one reported by zooboy28 in last year's news thread (in December), although at that time she was thought to be male and had the name Gary.

Our vet team currently have their hands full caring for eight penguins in The Nest Te Kōhanga!

Gari the Fiordland Crested Penguin (tawaki) is enjoying the salt water pool now that her injured foot is healed. She's doing a great job preening, which will help her feathers become waterproofed.

Gari also has a new friend in Henry, an adult FCP who we're treating for respiratory issues. He's responding well to treatment, and relations between Gari and Henry got off to a good start – although Henry definitely likes to assert his dominance around young Gari!

We're also caring for six Yellow-Eyed Penguins (hoiho) for foot and flipper wounds, due to a series of barracuda attacks on breeding adults off the Otago coast. Unique to New Zealand, these birds are thought to be the world's rarest penguins. Over 40 have been removed from the wild for veterinary care, and our dedicated team are working tirelessly to treat these six individuals.
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The perils of modern technology - mobile phones disturb kiwi.

Full story here: Nocturnal Kiwis at Wellington Zoo scared by flashlight | Stuff.co.nz

Wellington Zoo is asking visitors to turn off the lights, after its Kiwis were scared off by flashlights.

Marketing and communications manager Libby Callander said a group of people had been using their cellphone torches in the Kiwi enclosure, The Twilight Te Ao Mahina, on Monday morning and it was scaring the flightless birds away.

"Bright lights would appear like lightning to Kiwi, and they would be likely to return to their dens."

Three Kiwis occupied the enclosure, which is open to the public, but is kept permanently dark, with only dull red lights. This allows visitors to see the birds without disturbing their natural behaviour, Callander said.

"As nocturnal animals, they enjoy a dark environment ... [so] for visitors who are keen to see Kiwi, we recommend letting your eyes adjust to the lights and using your ears."

The Kiwis had been checked on after the incident and did not appear to be badly affected, she said.
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Chimpanzee Cara had an ear operation.
Chimp ear op leaves Wellington Zoo vets hopeful | Stuff.co.nz
Surgeons hope Cara the chimp's hearing has been saved through a bit of improvisation during her operation at Wellington Zoo.

The procedure, done by human ear, nose and throat surgeon Rebecca Garland, was a world first to address the chronic infection in the right ear of the 33-year-old chimpanzee, who was under general anaesthetic.

Cara's hearing was already compromised, after her left ear developed a life-threatening infection four years ago and had to be surgically sealed up, Garland said. She and the zoo vet team had one last idea to stop the chimp's infected right ear going the same way as her left: a special earplug.

The plug was supposed to be a perfect match for Cara's ear, specially designed and donated by Auckland audiology company Phonak. But as Garland discovered during the surgery on Tuesday at Wellington Zoo's Nest hospital, Cara's ear had swelled significantly since the mould was taken a few weeks ago and it no longer fitted.

"The inflammation causes chronic scarring and one of the problems is it's getting smaller and smaller.

"With her other side it eventually completely shut, and the infection then burst out the back of her ear. We're trying to avoid it getting to that point ... It would mean she was largely deaf."

But Garland improvised, using a small drill to buff down the plug until it fitted. It was inserted after Cara's ear was cleaned out and medicated.

Now held in with temporary glue, the special ear plug would hopefully keep the infection treatment in and debris out, while still letting the ear canal breathe. It would also prevent Cara from inserting bits of straw to try to scratch her itchy and painfully infected ear, which just made things worse, Garland said.

"I know from humans when that itch is there it's really hard to stop, even when you can rationalise with them," she said.

"Apes are one of the few animals able to use tools. They sharpen sticks and put them into anthills to get ants out. She's showing ingenuity."

Unfortunately for Cara, the drama would not quite end when she woke up back in the chimp enclosure, zoo life sciences manager Paul Horton said.

"With such social creatures, relationships are important ... When an animal comes out of a social group, they can be quite rough with each other, so we do every introduction slowly and carefully."
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in the latest email newsletter there is a bit which says that Meet The Locals (the new New Zealand area) will be opening on 24 October, so not long now.
 
Chlidonias said:
in the latest email newsletter there is a bit which says that Meet The Locals (the new New Zealand area) will be opening on 24 October, so not long now.
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That will be good, it has been a long time coming. The newsletter showed a photo of penguins, indicating that they are probably moving up there, leaving their exhibit empty, I think Kea were moving up there too, leaving an empty aviary. Wonder what they will do with those?

Thinking back to the original plan which I vaguely remember, MtL was to include just a standard walkthrough forest aviary, a kea aviary, penguin exhibit, some lizards and some farm animals or deer (in addition to the pre-existing Roost). Has that changed at all? Rehab fur seals would be an exciting addition, but expensive and unlikely.

I'll be in Wellington in late November so will be very keen to check out this development (and Neighbours) when I'm there.
 
zooboy28 said:
That will be good, it has been a long time coming. The newsletter showed a photo of penguins, indicating that they are probably moving up there, leaving their exhibit empty, I think Kea were moving up there too, leaving an empty aviary. Wonder what they will do with those?
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the kune kune in the old peccary enclosure were supposed to be going over there as well, so the only animals left at the entrance will be the otters. Will be interesting to see what will happen there now.
 
The Black and White sleepy bears ;) are back on the agenda again:

Wellington City Council is trying to move along the idea of acquiring giant pandas for the city's zoo.

Deputy Mayor Justin Lester says the Government has driven the panda initiative in the past and wrote to the council in 2011 to seek their interest.

"The Christchurch earthquakes stalled further traction at the time, but it's worthwhile looking at it again now," he said.

Mr Lester, who chairs the governance, finance and planning committee, says he's putting forward a proposal for the council to invest in a business case, as part of the annual plan, to investigate the financial viability of the project.

"I think Wellingtonians would love to have pandas at the zoo. There would be considerable conservation and economic benefits to Wellington," he said.

"We do know that Wellington has a suitable climate for pandas and also for growing their food source, bamboo.
"Wellington Zoo also has the staff knowledge to manage giant pandas."
There are about 1600 giant pandas left in the wild and 300 in zoos and breeding centres, mostly in China.

It would cost $10 million to create a home for the pandas at the zoo and $1.3 million a year to lease a pair from China, stuff.co.nz reports.
A pair of giant pandas at Adelaide Zoo increased visitor numbers by 70 percent but reportedly left the zoo with debt to manage.

Wellington City Council pushes for pandas at the zoo | NZNews | 3 News
 
another set of pigmy marmoset twins were born just over a week ago.
 
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