Trust Chair reportOur animals
The Zoo, and our collection, is constantly evolving and growing. It has been a busy year at Wellington Zoo. We’ve had animals move into new homes (and some move back out again), animals that have had their homes renovated and some animals that have left the Zoo for good.
African Savannah
The biggest move this year involved shifting three giraffes from their old home into the new African Savannah. Months of training and preparation came to fruition in November when Tisa, Ricky and Zahara were transported up the hill into their new exhibit. All went according to plan, and Zoo staff did a fantastic job in preparing the animals (and themselves) for the big move.
Unfortunately not long after moving into the African Savannah, old age caught up with Ricky, our male giraffe. His death meant the planning and implementation of another big move, bringing 18 month old male giraffe Seun to Wellington from Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch. To arrive at the Zoo Seun survived an overnight voyage on a container ship and a drive through Wellington city’s rush hour traffic (including dealing with some low lying trolley wires). He arrived safe and sound and has now settled in well with our two females. We hope to breed him with our youngest female, Zahara, in the future.
The ostriches and zebras also moved into the African Savannah, the ostriches were walked up, while the zebras were anaesthetised for a hoof trim and then transported up on the back of the Zoo van. The zebra did not take to well to their new living arrangements and tried to assert their dominance over the giraffe, so to promote group harmony, they were relocated back to their existing home for the meantime.
Six guinea fowl from a private breeder and three blackbuck from Hamilton Zoo joined the giraffe and ostrich in the African Savannah, all were successfully introduced and are living together in harmony.
Native species
Fifty-three Brothers Island tuatara that had lived, and been cared for, for six years at Wellington Zoo were released onto Long Island in Cook Strait, making room for the next lot of precious native reptiles to be cared for at the Zoo – three breeding pairs each of Otago and grand skinks.
This year has seen Wellington Zoo’s reintroduction to the national kiwi breeding programme. A female kiwi came to us from Otorohanga Kiwi House and has been paired with one of our males, off display in our conservation aviaries, to hopefully establish a breeding pair. Wellington Zoo has had great success breeding kiwi in the past.
Te Ao Mähina – The Twilight, the Zoo’s nocturnal house underwent extensive renovations this year. The kiwi area was refurbished to improve living conditions for kiwi, as well as viewing conditions for Zoo visitors. Improvements made include re-profiling of the soil, a new manuka fence containment system, new path surfacing to reduce noise and a switch from blue to red lighting – as kiwi cannot see in the red spectrum. Tahi the one legged kiwi also now has a permanent home in the Twilight as do three juvenile tuatara in a specially built enclosure. Over 50% of the materials used in the refurbishment of the Twilight were recycled.
Other native species to arrive at, or leave, the Zoo include:
- a kererü and three little owls, these are advocacy birds and will be used in conservation presentations in the Wild Theatre;
- three kaka bred at the Zoo were sent to Maungatautari Mainland Island Sanctuary as part of their repopulation programme;
- a male kea from Nelson’s Natureland to hopefully establish a breeding pair with our female kea.
Breeding and growing
To tell diverse and interesting conservation stories and to play our part in local and international breeding programmes, we need to manage a healthy collection of both New Zealand and exotic species.
The past year has seen additions to two of our most popular families at the Zoo with a male chimpanzee, Beni, and red panda, Sir Ed, born. Beni was born to Sally, in October and brings the number of chimps in our troop to 13. Sir Ed was the result of the successful introduction last year of our two new red pandas, Amy and Isha.
Along with our babies, we welcomed other exciting new additions to our collection including Seun, the juvenile male giraffe who came to us from Orana Wildlife Park and two emperor tamarins from Melbourne Zoo – the only representatives of this fascinating species in New Zealand. Jin, Auckland Zoo’s famous escapee otter also came to live at Wellington Zoo with her partner, Jala.
We sent three of our female red pandas to Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee as part of the international breeding programme for these endangered animals; one of these pandas has already successfully bred producing a red panda cub of her own.
Several of our other animals were sent to other zoos and wildlife parks to participate in both regional and international breeding programmes including meerkats to Auckland; they have also recently given birth to meerkat pups and a female porcupine to Orana Park in Christchurch, she has also been successfully introduced to a male partner producing porcupine babies. Aide, the golden lion tamarin went to Auckland Zoo for companionship with their remaining golden lion tamarin. Twenty-five tarantulas imported by Wellington Zoo last year were sent to various organisations including: Auckland Zoo, Canterbury Museum and Auckland Museum.
Animal hospital
Wellington Zoo’s veterinary team saw 1,025 cases of ill or injured animals, or problems that needed research in the laboratory. The vet team expanded this year with the addition of the postgraduate resident vets from Massey University. Four resident students have already enjoyed hands-on wildlife care at Wellington Zoo.
Some of the cases treated this year include:
- Female chimpanzee Sally had us worried during her pregnancy as she showed symptoms of gestational diabetes. With the help of her keepers we managed to get a finger prick test from her, which showed elevated blood sugar levels. Luckily she recovered well after the successful delivery of her male baby ‘Beni’ in October.
- Several kaka and cockatoos were successfully treated for heavy metal intoxication. They ingested small bits of metal by chewing the fences in their enclosures. Luckily all birds were diagnosed before the intoxication showed up clinically and all were 100% cured. These enclosures are no longer used to house parrots.
- Chima the chimpanzee has responded well to a trial inhalation treatment for a respiratory allergy. After months of dry coughing she is now much improved on the inhaler and actually waits for the keepers to give her a spray up the nose each morning.
- Sean the sun bear underwent a special teeth cleaning and mouth check as he was suffering discomfort from ulcers in his mouth. Having bad teeth is common in bears, as it is in dogs, and the bears’ teeth need to be checked every now and then to make sure they stay in good condition.