Reviews - Zoos outside Europe

The first zoo in Auckland opened its gates to the public on 2 November 1911 in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga. The Royal Oak Zoo as it was called was established on about 2.5 hectare of land that entrepreneur John James Boyd purchased in February that year - land that was still totally bare at the time. It was the purpose of Boyd to establish Auckland's first zoological facility. Such an effort he had accomplished earlier, in 1910, at Upper Aramoho near Wanganui, also on New Zealand's North Island.

Boyd set up a private menagerie on the acquired grounds, which at its heydays added up to more than 2000 birds and other animals. The Royal Oak Zoo was a constant source of aggravation, because the local residents were upset and complained about the noise, the smell, the crowds, and the ever-present threat of having wild and dangerous animals on the loose in their neighbourhood. So Boyd's Zoo became controversial, with the local Onehunga Borough Council trying to close it, but counteracted with a successful run for mayor of Onehunga by Boyd himself. Nevertheless, in the end the local Council forced Boyd to close the zoo in 1922. In June of 1922 the Auckland City Council purchased the remainder of the animals, the six lions, a tiger, a panther, one hyena, two dogs, vultures, an emu and several monkeys, that Boyd had not already sold to other individuals. And with that group of animals the early seeds of Auckland Zoo were sown. There is still a Boyd Street in Onehunga today.

Six months after the City Council bought the animals, on Saturday 16 December 1922, Auckland Zoo was opened to the public, at the current Western Springs location, then a semi rural area about 6km from town hall. The Zoo staff, at its opening, comprised one zookeeper, an assistant keeper, a turnstile attendant and a night watchman, all of them enjoying a seven-day working week. After only 6 months of construction work being done the new Zoo of just over 11 hectares was still an uninspiring place, but this didn't last long. Soon, many trees were planted and in July 1923 the City Council decided on developing a bandstand, next to better enclosures for polar bear, hippopotamus, bison, elephant, tiger and other species. Many of these original zoo structures became and still are Zoo landmarks. Also in 1923 the Zoo's first director, L.T. Griffin, went to Africa to source species from the wild. These trips to other continents were part of the aggressive Zoo policy of expansion over the next few years. But besides these trips, animals could be purchased due to donations, such as Jamuna the female Asian elephant, Auckland Zoo's first star who arrived on June 1923 (see Auckland Zoo's first elephants).

In these early years the Zoo expanded rapidly, new enclosures were built and new species arrived, also because businessmen donated animals which they had acquired on trips abroad. The Zoo's developments were topped by the birth of 25 mammals and 62 birds at the zoo in 1928. Further to this, the Zoo's mission was extended by the inauguration of the Auckland Zoological Society on 17 July 1929. Although its main purpose was to encourage scientific study, it became merely an interest and support group for the Zoo.

When in 1935 Lt. Col. E.R. Sawer was approached to report on where the zoo should be headed, the result impressed the City Council. They appointed Sawer as director/curator on 1 April 1936, after which he introduced the novel notion that zoological parks should focus on education, science and conservation.

In his report Sawer had called for animals to be paired or grouped, which is exactly what he did as well as introducing order and coordination. The changes that Sawer made reduced the enormously high mortality rates, that were normal in zoos at the time, from a whopping 35 percent in 1930 to about 10 percent in 1937. This even went as far as that in 1939 for the first time the number of births surpassed mortality in Zoo mammals. Especially, better animal diets including the provision of additional vitamins and other supplements led to noticeable improvements such as better fertility and reduced disease rates. Sawer's good sense of marketing and the end of the economic depression helped the Zoo transform from a terrain with a group of emptying cages to a zoological park with a 'full house of exhibits,' including the accompanying exotic species - native fauna was not yet allowed.

Despite lower turnstile numbers and low priority for animal importation and food supply for the zoo animals during WWII, the war period was not quite as eventful as for zoos in countries in western Europe. Nonetheless, at the end of the war the Zoo was in a state of slight disrepair and depletion of stocks. The problem of building up a new animal collection was not easily solved after the war. Many zoos all over the world were looking to improve their collections, and New Zealand's geographical isolation was more or less out of scope for the animal collectors and exporters. Moreover, Auckland Zoo was surpassed by Wellington Zoo on the list of politician's favourites, and the Zoo was still not allowed to exhibit native fauna.

In 1948 the dark shadow of war disappeared with the approval of the construction of new facilities such as an aquarium, while in 1949 the Zoo was officially allowed to exhibit kiwi. But the postwar baby boom among New Zealand's population led to a Council decision to create more entertainment activities in the Zoo, to satisfy the people with children. Sawer had always strongly resisted the introduction of animal entertainment as it had nothing to do with the Zoo being an educational institution, which it should be in his view. With Sawer retiring in 1949 he lost that battle, but he had another clear message for the Council - the Zoo needed a full-time on-site curator and veterinarian.

The next five years the Council's commitment to further improve the Zoo showed when existing enclosures were renovated and new enclosures were built for sun bears, wombats, echidnas, monkeys, tigers and birds. At the same time progress was made by developing basic hospital facilities, a quarantine area, better equipment, and service areas. Visitor numbers increased, because Auckland citizens had more money and time to spend and other attractions were closed on Sundays and public holidays. This also led to the decision to introduce even more entertainment, especially animal entertainment. Following the popular chimpanzee tea parties at London Zoo, four chimps, who learned the ropes of performing a good tea party in London, arrived in October 1956 to perform for the Auckland community. After eight years of entertaining the crowds the chimps were relieved from their task when attitudes towards treatment of animals in captivity were beginning to change. During these rather prosperous 1950s other entertainment attractions were introduced such as a miniature train and the children's zoo in 1958. A highlight in the animal collection could have been the birth of twin polar bears in June 1957. Unfortunately, one of the cubs died shortly after birth, while the other one drowned when 11 weeks old during the swimming lessons given by its mother. In the years between 1923 and 1995 Auckland Zoo exhibited several polar bears, and although some lived to an old age, they all developed skin lesions. Additionally, they had a bad track record regarding breeding polar bears, because only one cub was ever raised to adulthood at the Zoo.

The 1960s started with a new Zoo director (supervisor), Derek Wood, who was trained in the United Kingdom at Chester Zoo and he brought with him the first giraffe ever to set foot on New Zealand, John from London Zoo. As said the chimpanzee tea parties were terminated in 1964, in May to be exact, but the tea-party chimps remained at the zoo until their deaths. The tea-party chimps displayed abnormal, anti-social behaviour for the rest of their lives. Hence, none of them - except two chimps born in the Zoo that never participated in the tea-parties - could be introduced into the natural social group of chimpanzees that was established later in the 1980s. When in 2004 was decided to focus on just one great ape species - the orangutan, and the troop of six chimpanzees were relocated to Hamilton Zoo, Bobbie and Janie were the two surviving 'tea party' chimps that remained in Auckland. Bobbie died in November 2004 and Janie passed away in October 2013 at the age of 60, having lived at Auckland Zoo for 57 years.

Building activities continued in the 1960s and besides other considerable improvements a nocturnal house for New Zealand's national icon, the kiwi, was erected. This period also saw the arrival of many new animals, including a female elephant from Singapore as the long-awaited companion for Jamuna the Asian elephant, to succeed the bull that was killed in 1936. But star elephant Jamuna died in September 1965, and replaced by Ma Schwe, a female Asian elephant, in 1968. Other new animals arrived, such as a female giraffe, a pair of Bengal tigers, two young polar bears, a giant anteater, two capuchin monkeys, white-tailed deer, 23 keas and four spider monkeys. The giraffe herd and spider monkey troop at the zoo today are descendants of these first imports.

Despite old enclosures being demolished and replaced by new ones the Zoo still suffered from the everlasting problems with flooding. As a matter of fact, even in June 1977 it was still possible that a hippo floated out of its enclosure into Western Springs during a flood. So, it should be no surprise that already in the 1960s the first serious calls for expansion arose and a major overhaul began. This led eventually to a long-term plan of the Council to modernise the Zoo with natural, moated, bar-less enclosures and an extension of the grounds into Western Springs park with approximately 5 hectares in 1973. For starters they closed the original entrance on Old Mill Road and opened a new entrance on Motions Road.

The 1970s saw enormous improvements, including those of the veterinary support, the stopping of public feeding, development of more naturalistic enclosures and introduction of behavioural enrichments. Subsequently the breeding successes increased. Animals deemed unsuitable for Auckland Zoo were transferred or phased out of the zoo's collection, although it took another 20 years before the last polar bear died. During the late 1970s the Zoo was one enormous construction site with a new souvenir shop, cafeteria and enclosures for the giraffe, zebra and antelope to be completed. The overall professionalism increased with the employment of a full-time education officer as of 1975, and in 1976 the first comprehensive course for zookeepers started at the Auckland Technical Institute. Besides those developments new species arrived as well. People could come and watch white rhinoceroses and tamarins in the 1970s.

New enclosure development continued in the 1980s with a new hippopotamus exhibit and a new moated and bar-less orangutan exhibit opened, the latter is currently part of the Orangutan Trail. But probably the highlight of those days was the three-month stay of a pair of giant pandas. These pandas were part of an offer that the Chinese government made to the Australian Prime Minister for Australia's bi-centennial celebrations. A three-month stay in Melbourne Zoo and a three-month stay in Taronga Zoo, Sydney, was organised, and Auckland Zoo quickly investigated the feasibility of a third stop in Auckland. Well, these became a popular three months in 1988, and all revenues were donated to giant panda research and conservation in China as well as to conservation projects in New Zealand. Not sure if this was the trigger that visitor numbers rose again after a decline in the early 80s when competition appeared due to the opening of the Rainbow's End theme park and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in the Auckland area, but the giant pandas alone were seen by about 300,000 visitors.

In 1989, Auckland as a city expanded when 11 territorial authorities merged into the large city of Auckland. A new Zoo Enterprise Board was established which became the legal entity responsible for the Zoo.

After WWII there had been a continuous flow of construction work ongoing at Auckland Zoo, either new construction or refurbishment. But this last decade of the twentieth century was a time of extreme change at Auckland Zoo, with almost half the zoo's enclosures being renovated or replaced. As of 1990 the design focussed more and more on creating naturalistic habitats, which shows for instance in the Elephant Clearing. The construction of this exhibit began in 1990 and delivered a large moated outdoor enclosure with a modern elephant house and pool, in which the pachyderms could completely submerge. Another example of this type of exhibit design that is part of the 1991 Zoo development plan, is Pridelands. This large area, including the new savannah exhibit for giraffe, springbok, zebra and ostrich, flamingo, the rhino exhibit and Lion Hill, opened in 1997. For the lions it meant that they could leave the historic lion pit. Soon the area was extended with the Hippo River, a riverine forest area that encompassed a new hippopotamus exhibit and an enclosure for chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). A huge improvement for the baboons that had previously lived in a cage dating from 1926.

Despite the new exhibit and the Zoo's good track record for breeding hippos a decision was made to phase out hippopotamuses (stop breeding). Due to the average life expectancy of the hippopotamus of 45-50 years, however, it would take a long time before all the hippos would die of old age they reckoned. The last two remaining hippos died in 2016, in March and August to be exact. Other species had to be phased out as well, it was decided. This included the wombat, puma, jaguar and leopard. While the genetic base for other species was strengthened, for instance by importing three southern white rhinoceroses from South Africa. One of the two female rhinos appeared 10 months pregnant on arrival from South Africa, so, in effect they had imported four specimens.

The chacma baboons were phased out starting around 2009 when the Zoo's management decided to focus on the hamadryas baboon species, which is housed in zoos throughout the region.

Besides many smaller developments such as the new ring-tailed lemur enclosure and the new Wallaby walk-through, two other landmark exhibits were built in the 1990s, the New Zealand Aviary (1992) and The Rainforest (1996), a forested area that provides a natural environment for different primate species, including cotton-top tamarins. The New Zealand Aviary is a free-flight aviary and bush walk featuring NZ native species.

Another major development at the turn of the century was the Sea Lion and Penguin Shores, opened in 2001, which replaced the old Wallaby walk-through and small mammal enclosures. This exhibit was designed to recreate a New Zealand Coastal ecosystem featuring a beach and a large pool.

Then a period of relative calm started with regard to construction work, except for the building of the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM) in 2007. But in 2010 with the opening of the Tropics exhibit, focussing on the hot and tropical Americas, things were fired up again. The New Zealand Aviary, originating from 1992, was redeveloped into 'The Forest' in 2011 and to be included in Te Wao Nui - the Zoo's largest ever project development which is dedicated to New Zealand's unique fauna and flora. Te Wao Nui (The Living Realm) opened on 11 September 2011 and covers about 4 hectare of the zoo grounds and comprises 6 habitats: The Coast, The Islands, The Wetlands, The Night, The Forest and The High Country. Another existing exhibit that was incorporated in Te Wao Nui is the Sea Lion and Penguin Shores renamed in the process as The Coast.

Then in May 2014, a new giraffe house was completed and in 2016 Auckland Zoo started their transformation into a 21st-century-zoo. In December 2016 'Strangely Beautiful Australia' opened, which draws on the Murray-Darling region of Southeast Australia. The area is home to giant stick insects, Eastern snake-necked turtles, redback spiders, lace monitors and vibrant Australian birds who join the Tasmanian devils, red-necked wallabies and emu to create a bio-diverse Australian section. The development is the second part of the Zoo's $120 million 10-year-development plan 'Nearer to Nature' 2016-2026.

Conservation

Auckland Zoo became involved in many conservation projects over the years, but they made the headlines when they achieved a 'world's first' in 1992 when 'Hoki', a kakapo - a native rare flightless parrot, was successfully artificially hatched and reared. It was returned in the wild to Maud Island, one of New Zealand's offshore islands (see Kakapo recovery).

In addition to the Zoo's existing conservation efforts the Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund was established in 2000 to support the conservation of endangered animals in the wild in both New Zealand and overseas.

Auckland Zoo veterinarians became renown for their knowledge, hands-on experience, and contribution to conservation projects including kakapo recovery. Hence, they were appointed supplier of veterinary services for the Department of Conservation's Kakapo Recovery Programme in 2006.

In 2007 the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM) opened - the first national centre for conservation medicine in the world - replacing the Zoo's old veterinary centre.

The Zoo not only contributed to conservation of New Zealand's indigenous species, because in 2008 three Sumatran tiger cubs were bred as part of the international captive breeding programme for this Critically Endangered tiger subspecies.

As part of the grand tour of kakapo Sirocco (see Kakapo recovery) Auckland Zoo hosted this ambassador for New Zealand conservation during Conservation Week 2009, in partnership with the Department of Conservation. Due to this event the Zoo became the first zoo ever to host a kakapo. Also in 2009 the Zoo released 12 Northern tuatara (descendants of the rare Cuvier Island population) onto Cuvier Island, boosting this island's known tuatara population by over a third.

A milestone is achieved when 200 North Island brown kiwi chicks are successfully incubated, hatched, reared and released as part of the Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E.) programme (2010). O.N.E. is a Department of Conservation kiwi recovery programme where kiwi eggs are taken from the wild, hatched at the Zoo, and the chicks are kept on predator-free islands until they are grown, before releasing them into the wild.

Having successfully bred and raised several endangered species in the twentieth century, the start of the next century showed a continuation of such highlights that extended the Zoo's breeding track record. In June 2000 the Zoo's first white rhino calf was born, which was the first female white rhino born in New Zealand. The first ever successfully hatched greater flamingo chicks in Australasia, marked a world's first for Auckland Zoo in January 2014. It was the first time a zoo had successfully bred from an entirely hand-reared flock in the world. Another world's first was the successful breeding and (partly hand-)rearing in captivity of twin lesser short-tailed bats in 2014, a species endemic to New Zealand. Also in 2014 one female and three male Tasmanian devils move to Auckland Zoo from Australia's Healesville Zoo to be part of an insurance population for this species and to raise awareness about the plight of this Endangered marsupial. Even more impressive was the first ever breeding and rearing success of the world's most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) amphibian, New Zealand's rare and unique Archey's frog, a 'living fossil'. This boosted the Zoo's Archey's frog population to 25 in February 2016.

Unfortunately, not everything the Zoo accomplished received positive appraisal. When in 2015 and 2016 Auckland Zoo acquired two Asian elephants from Sri Lanka to enlarge the Zoo's elephant number, it was reported by Born Free that both elephants were residents of a controversial Government-owned facility in Sri Lanka. Conditions at Pinnewala Elephant 'Orphanage' raised concern with the Born Free Foundation, as did the practice of exporting elephants from Sri Lanka to captive facilities such as zoos overseas. They firmly believe that such export to New Zealand will result in little or no conservation benefit to wild elephants.

(Source: Zoochat, Auckland Zoo website (accessed in January 2016), Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos)

Jamuna, thought to be six years old, came from the Zoological Gardens of Calcutta, accompanied by her mahout Ater Ali. Her purchase was funded by a donation from businessman, Auckland City Counsellor and first life member of the Auckland Zoological Society: John Court.

As the Elephant House was not yet completed when Jamuna arrived in June 1923, she was first housed in the council works depot. This proved to be less than ideal with Jamuna breaking out when left alone one evening and causing quite a bit of destruction. As Jamuna had been familiar with giving rides to children in Calcutta, she started giving rides to children at the Auckland Zoo on 10th November 1923 - for free. This was stipulated by John Court - rides on Jamuna would be free for the first year.

Elephant ride on Jamuna, February 1956.
Permission granted for publication on aboutzoos.info by Auckland Libraries.
Image credit: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, ID 1207-783; photographer Ron Clark.

In 1930, following an offer from the Hobart City Council, a bull elephant, Rajah, was purchased as a companion for Jamuna. Rajah had spent his early days at Hobart Zoo (Beaumaris Zoo) where he was used for giving rides to children from 1927 until 1930 when economic factors forced Hobart City Council to sell Rajah. He had probably been taken from the wild in Burma and has been exhibited with a group of elephants at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, London, before being swapped for a Bennets Wallaby and a Tasmanian tiger arriving in 1925 and travelling to Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart.

Some said that Rajah quickly proved to be of a highly disagreeable disposition, was unable to be used for elephant rides, and after a string of incidents was finally shot by his keeper in 1936. But this seems to be highly unlikely, as he did a good job carrying children on his back in Hobart Zoo. In fact there is very little mention of Rajah and any issues in the zoo archives until the appointment of Col. Sawer who decided that Rajah should be destroyed. It had nothing to do with temper rather that Col. Sawer considered the elephant to be a liability. He asked permission to have Rajah destroyed and the bones and skin offered to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. it was granted with a note attached "No publicity".

Jamuna's mahout Ater Ali had a somewhat troubled relationship with his employers. There were disputes over pay and working conditions, which led to Ali leaving the Zoo in 1925. Unfortunately for Ali there were issues with his residency permits as well. As a result of these, being an overstayer, Ali was ordered to leave New Zealand.

Jamuna remained highly popular with children and other visitors. Tragically, in 1954, 65-year-old keeper Frank Lane died when the Jamuna swung her trunk, knocking him into a wall. The coroner judged the death to have been accidental rather than from a deliberate attack. Hence, Jamuna was not sentenced to death, but was allowed to continue giving rides to successive generations of children.

Jamuna passed away on 2 September 1965, and her 42 years of service was memorialised in a plaque placed on the wall of the elephant house. Jamuna's influence is still seen today as the area outside the Old Elephant House function centre is now named Jamuna Plaza after her. The tradition of giving elephant rides died with Jamuna, because zoo practice had changed much over the years. As a replacement for Jamuna, in 1968 Ma Schwe was donated to the zoo by the son of John Court, the one who made it possible for the Zoo to acquire Jamuna. Ma Schwe died in 1982 of acute heart failure.

(Source: Wikipedia; Heritage et AL; Auckland War Memorial Museum)

After a refreshing morning rain I arrive at the Zoo entrance when the sky is clearing and the temperature reaches a nice 25°C.

I decide to go left after I entered the Zoo grounds and leave the giraffe, zebra and ostrich be in their impressively large Pridelands area, in particular because the passageway is closed due to ongoing construction work. Therefore I plan to approach this area from the other direction, probably just after lunch. On the left the first enclosure houses Asian small-clawed otter in a multilevel rocky environment with a creek that forms small ponds on various levels. The small waterfall, the bamboo shrubs and a few trees complete the imitation of the natural surroundings of the smallest of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae).

In the next-door exhibit, the red panda occupy not the obvious circular exhibit as you see in so many zoos nowadays, but a more elongated enclosure this time. A small stream partly surrounds an area with large shrubs and shelters where the three red pandas can sleep and hide, while a high wall prevents too much exposure of these Endangered red furry carnivores whose diet consists of 98% bamboo.

Signage and information

The information panels do not comprise a lot of graphics to explain species' habitat, feeding behaviour or other peculiarities. Only a few contain geographical depiction of the species' origin. The conservation status is not always mentioned, and when it is, the source is obviously the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, but not stated as such.

 

Apart from the panels at the enclosures, several other types of info panels can be found when touring the premises. There are panels that besides overall conservation information give tips on what you can do yourself to reduce threats to nature.

Auckland Zoo has three Sumatran tigers that swap between enclosures so they can smell where the others have been marking, eating and sleeping. There are two enclosures; one of them is a deep pit with a really large and high rear wall. Both enclosures have jungle-like features with ponds and lots of vegetation. In one of them there's a scratching pole - just as they sell them for domestic cats, only larger and more sturdy and solid I assume.

Instead of continuing towards the Aussie Walkabout I retrace my steps from the Tiger Territory to the otters and move on along Darwin's eatery on the upward path to another combo of red panda and Asian small-clawed otters, who enjoy a healthy meal of fish-heads (see video).

Then I reach The Coast, which is one of the six habitats of Te Wao Nui (The Living Realm) that covers about 4 hectare of the zoo grounds. It's a total concept that takes the visitor on a journey along New Zealand's variety of fauna and flora. The artworks underpin the storyline and contribute to the experience. The journey starts at The Coast and winds through a number of enclosures including The Islands, The High Country, The Forest, The Night and The Wetlands, that all feature indigenous species.

The Coast was designed to recreate a New Zealand Coastal ecosystem featuring a beach and a large pool for California sea lion and native Fur Seal (kekeno in Maori language; Arctocephalus forsteri), featuring an enormous underwater viewing window, and an aviary for little blue penguins and other native shorebirds. The California sea lions on display were born at Auckland Zoo in the 1990s and will be taken care of for the rest of their lives. And although not found in New Zealand waters, they face many of the same threats as their New Zealand cousins and therefore are as good an ambassador for biodiversity and ecosystem health as a native marine mammal. See one such ambassador fly through the filtered salt water tank with a circulating supply:

The walk-through aviary for little blue penguins (Eudyptula minor), the world's smallest penguins, comprises other shorebirds as well. That explains the wire mesh roof - to keep the spotted shag (Phalacrocorax punctatus) inside for instance. Austin, as the spotted shag of the Zoo is called, seems to be quite a character according the Zoo's website, but I don't spot him nor any other shorebird - if any.

I postpone my visit to the other New Zealand habitats of Te Wao Nui and turn right when I leave The Coast to go and have a look at the Africa section. This consists of the Hippo River and Pridelands. The name hippo river is easy to understand when I see an enclosure with two hippopotamuses in a pool from where a rivulet flows along other enclosures, providing an adequate environment for greater flamingos - supposedly the only flock in Australasia. But the name Pridelands doesn't ring a bell, at least with me. It is a savannah like area that provides a home for cheetah, white rhinoceros, springbok, giraffe, zebra and ostrich. Pridelands is temporarily closed due to the reconstruction that is about to be completed at Easter. So, also the approach from this direction doesn't deliver any views on the section where the giraffe, zebra and ostrich live together.

But first back to the entrance of the Africa section. That is the place where you can see the serval, while on the other side of the footpath two hippopotamuses enjoy their rather large pool that allows them to submerge and swim around. Despite quite good breeding results it has been decided to phase out the hippos. So for how long these pachyderms can be seen here in Auckland is uncertain (see also the video). The hippo pool can be considered either the beginning or the end of a rivulet which I cross several times progressing through 'Africa'.

Before I reach the Asian elephant enclosure and the nearby Watering Hole where I have a quick lunch, I first pass the hamadryas baboon exhibit with a 'baboon hill' instead of the 'baboon rock' you'll see in many other zoos. The grassy paddock and the small hill would suit many other ground-dwelling species, also primates such as geladas, also called bleeding heart monkeys. The latter you see less often in zoos, but both species are considered Least Concern according the IUCN Red List. This means that even when they switch to keeping geladas (as they have done years earlier from chacma baboons to hamadryas baboons) the primates are there just to represent the order of primates in the Africa section instead of providing a real contribution to ex-situ species conservation. Because then they should have chosen a more endangered species, in my opinion. The cheetahs inhabit a not so large enclosure with indeed a savannah-like look. The slightly undulating grounds provides plenty of shelters but not a good observation/resting post. Although there's a pole with two high level platforms I doubt if a cheetah will be able to reach those platforms, because the pole has a smooth metal surface and the first platform is at least 5 metres above ground.

The two female Asian elephants, of which one is a resident since 1990, have their enclosures situated in the corner of the grounds tucked away as a surprise behind the Africa section. The outdoor exhibit is spacious and includes a nice pool with a large canvas as sunshade close to one of the viewing terraces. More distant from the public there's a large paddock where I see both the elephants wander, enjoying the peace and quiet atmosphere over there. The elephant house is nothing more than a stable that provides neither sufficient space for the pachyderms nor any enrichment. Visitors are not allowed to enter the elephant house, but have viewing access via a large window. It's no wonder that the latest Zoo development plan 'Nearer to Nature, 2016-2026' anticipates improvement of these indoor facilities.

From the local Watering Hole, as the cafe is called, where I revitalise myself I cross again the hippo rivulet and arrive at the enclosure that houses two female lionesses. It is a vegetation-rich exhibit with a hill that can be considered a high level observation post, while it creates a sheltered rear side where the lionesses can easily hide from the public. The water-filled moat on the visitor's side makes this another good example of the Hagenbeck principle of enclosure design - bar-less and naturalistic. Two lionesses do not form a pride, and to be honest the size of the enclosure doesn't give me the idea that more than two can be hosted, but for the animal's sake a more robust social structure including a male would perhaps be better. On the other hand, the enrichment and excitement provided by the mixed-species exhibit with white rhino and especially springbok within sight of the lionesses makes it a bit more natural again. The white rhino and springbok are the last species of the Pridelands I can observe, because the footpath terminates at this point due to the construction work that will be ready in a few weeks time. A good moment for me to return to the native fauna and flora section, Te Wao Nui.

New Zealanders are or should be proud of their native species, that all have basically only a limited geographical distribution and therefore are easily prone to a reduction of their population size. Having such species on display and telling the visitors about the plight of some of them and the necessity of conservation cannot be applauded enough. They did a marvellous job in achieving this here at Auckland Zoo. The several walk-through exhibits, including a never seen before [by me] kea walk-through aviary, with information panels makes this place a wonderful educational facility. And it's not just about the well-known and inevitable NZ species such as the kiwi, kea or tuatara. The Forest for instance is an absolute great enclosure situated on a densely forested hillside with birds such as the tui, New Zealand pigeon (kereru or kukupa in Maori language), North Island kaka and Reischek's parakeet (Cyanoramphus hochstetteri) which is nesting underground in burrows. The nocturnal house called The Night with brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) on display is more or less part of The Wetlands where other habitat specific species can be found. The Zoo takes part in the Department of Conservation's kiwi recovery programme called Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E). This programme involves taking kiwi eggs from the wild, hatching them at the Zoo, and then keeping them on predator-free islands until they are grown, before releasing them into the wild (more on kiwi conservation). Other bird species to be spotted in Te Wao Nui are the bellbird (korimako), blue duck (whio), takahe, and red-crowned parakeet (kakariki).

Having learnt quite a lot about New Zealand's native fauna I continue to the Orangutan Trail that guides me along two grassy outdoor enclosures with artificial enrichment features such a wooden climbing frames, platforms, ropes and hard to reach feeding boxes. Three of the six Bornean orangutans are currently on tour to zoos in the United States of America (L.A. Zoo and Busch Gardens in Florida) as part of an international breeding programme schedule. Considering the very small indoor enclosure the three orangutans that are left will not complain I suppose. But redevelopment of the orangutan enclosures is scheduled as part of the 'Nearer to Nature' plan. During the second phase (2018-2020) of this 10-year plan they will develop Wild Asia, bringing together their species of the south-east Asian rainforests: small-clawed otter, siamang, tiger and Bornean orangutan. Those species are now somewhat scattered over the premises. I guess they will give the red panda a place as well in this new Asia section. Wild Asia will create more immersion exhibits - that is the current state-of-the-art for zoo enclosures - to provide the visitor with a better experience.

From the orangutan to the species of South America I pass along the ring-tailed lemurs that have a small patch of land at their disposal with plenty of vegetation and some additional enrichment. In the South America section they have macaws, Galapagos tortoises, cotton-top tamarins, pygmy marmosets and quite a few other tropical species on display, but the absolute highlight here is the elevated wooden boardwalk that guides you through a forested area. There I hear on my right Bolivian squirrel monkeys, but due to the dense vegetation I have trouble spotting them. On the left golden lion tamarin share their nice bushy, bar-less and open top outdoor exhibit with agouti. A bit further along the boardwalk I have an excellent view on the marvellous island for the black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) from one of the shelters near the boardwalk. The spider monkeys seem to enjoy their moated exhibit as they are exploring the many trees and shrubs to their heart's content (see video). Compared to this, the siamang enclosure on the other side of the boardwalk is less impressive. It is surrounded on all sides, including the roof, by wire mesh netting and for this gibbon species that lives in the forest canopy in the wild the height of the enclosure will be disappointing.

The final section of my visit is the one for species of New Zealand's big neighbour, Australia. The Aussie Walkabout is all walk-through, with emu and wallaby in a mixed-species exhibit and rainbow lorikeet in their own aviary. In New Zealand the rainbow lorikeet are considered a pest, because they compete with native NZ bird species for food and habitat. Quite understandable, the Tasmanian devils, with their reputation of being fierce and violent, are not to be visited in their enclosure. These Critically Endangered animals have several nice outdoor exhibits at their disposal though. I've seen quite a few of them as road kill in Tasmania, but luckily the one I see lying here is well-protected and fast asleep.

Auckland Zoo has gone to great lengths to present New Zealand's native fauna and flora in the best way. They understand the real value of zoological facility and appreciation cannot be big enough for their approach. The New Zealand section fits in nicely with the grouping of the animal collection, which is basically geographically. Of course at a place like Auckland Zoo dating back from the early twentieth century you'll still find the odd one out: the Asian elephants behind the Africa section; the siamang near the South American primate species; and the ring-tailed lemur, meerkat and porcupine separated from the huge Africa section by several Asia enclosures. But as construction work and improvement are both inextricably linked with Auckland Zoo, these minor flaws in the grouping of their collection will be solved. If not with the current development plan, than with the next one.

The fight to save the kiwi

New Zealand's forest used to be home to millions of kiwi. Now there are only 68,000 left.

Natalie Clark, kiwi keeper at Auckland Zoo, and Ray Walters, former ranger at Tiritiri Matangi island, have been fighting to save their national bird from extinction in the wild.

Should We Kill One Species to Save Another?

Is it fair to kill invasive species which humans have introduced? When people move around the world, many of their favourite - and not so favourite - animals tag along for the ride. From cane toads through to rats, cats and crayfish, so-called 'invasive species' can destroy ecosystems and kill off native wildlife. CrowdScience listener Jude Kirkham wants to know if eradicating these invaders is justified.

Make New Zealand predator free by 2050

One country determined to do something about invasive species is New Zealand, where rats, stoats and possums are causing irreparable damage to the country's unique bird life. If nothing is done, the iconic Kiwi could be extinct within 50 years. The government and volunteer groups across the country have responded with a plan to eradicate predatory mammals from New Zealand by 2050. But is all the time, energy and money needed to do this really justified? And is it morally right to kill off an animal species that humans introduced in the first place?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Anna Lacey

(Source: BBC World Service Crowd Science)

The kakapo (Strigops habroptila) is a large flightless parrot native to New Zealand. This ground-dwelling bird lived on the isolated islands of New Zealand for thousands of years and evolved into a very remarkable bird. Human colonisation, however, together with the predators which the settlers introduced drove the kakapo towards extinction. The kakapo were hunted for its plumage and meat by Polynesian settlers, while European settlers cleared the land and destroyed its habitat too. The parrot had never seen a stoat, rat, cat or dog, and more importantly it had no ability to fly away when they were hunted as prey by those invasive predator species. By 1995, only 51 known kakapo survived on just a handful of small island sanctuaries.

Today, thanks to a kakapo recovery plan, the world (= NZ) population of kakapo comprises 154 individuals (census of 2017). With a comprehensive Kakapo Recovery Programme underway, the kakapo seems on its first tentative steps to recovery. Still, it is classified as Critically Endangered according the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.

The kakapo is not just a large and flightless parrot, it is the world's heaviest as well, which makes tree climbing a tricky thing for the kakapo:

Every known living kakapo, except some young chicks, has been given a name by Kakapo Recovery Programme officials. Many of the older birds were given English names, but more recent chicks have been given Māori names.

A good overview of what is important for kakapo recovery is depicted in this infographic, of which a better view is available at the kakapo recovery pages of the Department of Conservation website:

Kakapo recovery infographic.
Source: Department of Conservation - Kakapo Recovery.

A recent (2022) announcement of the team that runs the Kakapo Recovery conservation programme provides hope for the long-term survival of the kakapo! A blog on EDGE of Extinction (a website about Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species) not only gives a good description of the Kakapo and its peculiarities, but also says that the kakapo’s population soared to its highest number in almost 50 years, reaching 216 birds after 55 chicks survived to become juveniles this year.

Hoki

Kakapo Hoki is an extraordinary specimen considering the role of Auckland Zoo in raising her. She hatched on Codfish Island (Whenua Hou) in 1992. When, at the age of five weeks, natural food supplies failed and Hoki would have starved to death, she was taken from a nest and hand-raised at Auckland Zoo, a 'world's first'. Hoki became the first kakapo to be partially raised in captivity and provided conservationists with a special opportunity to get to know the habits and behaviour of the species.

After about five years Hoki was returned in the wild to Maud Island in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand's North Island, which was an unlikely haven for the kakapo. This small 320ha island is a patchwork of pasture, native forest and exotic pines. By watching her grow up on Maud Island, staff soon learnt just how intelligent and entertaining kakapo can be. She used to create her own amusements, such as springing up and down on branches, and would often play with the zippers and buttons of human clothing. Not unlike what kea, another parrot-like species of New Zealand, do in the wild - though less playful and more destructive. She also gave a good introduction to kakapo biology and development, as staff watched her during her years in captivity, learning to call and display as she would do in the wild.

Hoki now lives on Codfish Island where she has a reputation as being a bit bad-tempered with humans - perhaps because she got used to having things her own way for so long while in captivity.

Hoki has bred two times now, in 2002 and 2009. Unfortunately in 2002 the embryo died during incubation, while the second egg in 2009 proved infertile. However, both times she was given a fostered egg to care for and became a successful foster parent.

Sirocco

Another extraordinary kakapo is Sirocco. He is the ambassador for the Kakapo Recovery Programme, in other words he is New Zealand's ambassador for conservation of native species. Through a relentless touring schedule, Sirocco reaches thousands of people raising awareness of the conservation issues that face New Zealanders today.

Sirocco suffered a respiratory illness at three weeks old while being raised by his mother. When it was discovered by rangers during a routine visit to the nest, it was decided he needed treatment. Thus Sirocco became the first male kakapo to be hand-raised. After he was fit enough again and released in the wild he didn't want to roam the island. He wanted to stay with humans, being imprinted on this two-legged mammal species. As a result, the Kakapo Recovery team realised he was unlikely to be an effective breeding bird, but instead an extremely good advocate for his species, providing the best opportunity for people to meet a live kakapo.

So, they started touring with him to allow people to have close encounters with him. Nonetheless, Sirocco remains a wild bird and does not live in captivity permanently. But he seemed to thrive on all the attention when touring and doesn't mind being on display to the public - a genuine ambassador.

As said Sirocco remains a wild bird and when Sirocco's transmitter failed in 2016 he couldn't be found any more. He was last seen on 1 March 2016 and initial search efforts failed to locate him. He was living with other male kakapo on a predator-free, densely forested island in Fiordland. Hence, it was very difficult to find him without the signals from his transmitter, but the habitat provided plenty of food and there was no danger of predators. Therefore they were not concerned for his safety. They continued to look for Sirocco and a dedicated search at the beginning of 2018 re-located him. A subsequent assessment showed he was still his regular, sociable self. So, it was decided he could pick up where he left - being the ambassador for the Kakapo Recovery Programme. The now 21 year old Sirocco will make his first public appearance since 2014 and will be visiting Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin from 9 - 29 September 2018, Sirocco's third time here. However, like any superstar, the public appearance will be entirely on his terms. Sirocco's welfare is paramount so there are strict conditions in place to ensure he's safe, happy and comfortable.

In the BBC series New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands, kakapo Ranger Errol Nye gives a true insight into life with a fine feathered celebrity. A unique bond and special friendship has developed from an incredible conservation movement.

Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo has been and remains a great supporter of Kakapo Recovery. The New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM), which is also Auckland Zoo Vet Hospital, is important to the research efforts within the Kakapo Recovery Programme regarding a number of health issues such as cloacitis ('crusty bum') and knowledge about natural vitamin D levels in kakapo. The NZCCM team also provides hospital care and treatment for sick or injured kakapo as and when needed.

In addition to on site service, members of the NZCCM team do field work as well. For instance together with rangers from the Department of Conservation they carry out regular health checks in the field, especially checking for cloacitis:

And last but not least the Zoo supports kakapo recovery through the Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund.

(Source: Kakapo Recovery; Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos; BBC YouTube channel; Department of Conservation media release, 13.08.2018)

Some additional information, such as contact details and involvement in breeding programmes.

directions to Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is located just west of downtown Auckland and next to the beautiful Western Springs Reserve and close to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). MOTAT's tram network provides a link between both attractions.

Address:
Motions Road
Western Springs
Auckland 1022
New Zealand

public transport

by bus

For bus and other public transport options to get to Auckland Zoo visit the Auckland Transport journey planner. If taking the bus, the closest stop is 8124 on Great North Road, opposite Motions Road (with a short walk down Motions Road to Auckland Zoo entrance).

by bicycle

As Auckland is not particularly hilly and the surroundings of the Zoo, west of the central business district, can be regarded as rather flat, you're looking at an easy bicycle ride of less than 5 km coming from the city centre. And you should have no problem finding a rental bike. Finding a decent bicycle rack near the entrance of the premises is another thing though.

by car

Auckland Zoo is well signposted both east and westbound on the North Western motorway, use satnav or the journey planner (below) to get directions to Auckland Zoo.

Auckland Zoo has two large car parks providing free off-street parking for cars, charter buses and tour coaches.

Download the zoo map here.