alligators at Butterfly Creek

Chlidonias · **alligators at Butterfly Creek** 02-01-2009

I just discovered purely by chance this morning (via an advert on tv) that Butterfly Creek by Auckland airport now has baby alligators. So I did an internet search and discovered that the establishment is much more than the simple butterfly house that I thought it was.
Butterfly Creek Auckland Family Attraction Butterfly House Farm Cafe Bar Reptile Park Auckland Airport New Zealand

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Located on Tom Pearce Drive just one minute from Auckland International Airport, Butterfly Creek is Auckland`s hottest new attraction hosting Australasia`s premier Tropical Butterfly House with over 700 free flying exotic butterflies, tropical fish, birds and lizards. Butterfly Creek offers a great family day out in Auckland. With things to do for both children and parents, everyone will have a relaxing fun day.
ARRIVING SOON!! Tarantula's and other insects, baby alligators and huge saltwater crocs arriving early 2009.

Butterfly Creek - 'Bugs About' Exhibition - Jasons New Zealand

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Do you cringe at the sight of a cockroach, scream out when you see a spider, wince when you see a weta? Well, "Bugs About", Butterfly Creek's new insect and bug exhibit area opening soon is not for the faint hearted with some of the worlds scariest and most gruesome looking creatures from the zebra and pink toed tarantula, to our very own wetapunga (Giant Weta). So if you fall into any of the above categories, brace yourself!
Butterfly Creek, situated just 2 minutes from Auckland Airport, opened in 2003 and quickly established itself as one of New Zealand’s hottest attractions being home to Australasia’s premier Tropical Butterfly House, featuring over 700 exotic butterflies, lizards, fish and birds.
And with the summer holidays upon us, Butterfly Creek is set to open its doors on the new bug exhibit ‘Bugs About’ as part of an ambitious and innovative plan that incorporates a range of unique tropical exhibits - complemented by some New Zealand conservation programme highlights.
One of the creatures you will find yourself face to face with is the magnificent and imposing giant weta, the sort of experience that would no doubt give rise to the Maori folklore refering to wetapunga as a demon.
And it truly is a monster with the largest ever recorded over 90mm in length and an alleged weight of 71g – that’s heavier than your average sparrow, making it one of the largest and heaviest insects in the world.
But the decline in numbers of this iconic New Zealand species has prompted DOC to get alongside Paul Barrett, Butterfly Creek's entomologist, butterfly house manager and giant weta expert to establish New Zealand's only captive breeding for release programme for the giant weta - wetapunga.
The wetapunga (Deinacrida heteracantha) currently exists as a single population on Little Barrier Island, making it extremely vulnerable. Butterfly Creek along with DOC aims to establish this giant insect on other off shore islands as part of the captive rear release project.
3 mating pairs (6 Adults) will be taken from the Island in mid December to their new home at Butterfly Creek.
“We are extremely excited that Butterfly Creek has been chosen as the perfect place to establish a captive rear and release programme and are looking forward to being an advocate for the future survival of the wetapunga” - Paul Barrett, Butterfly Creek Entomologist
And if the thought of the giant weta wasn’t enough to send a shiver down your spine, then try 12 tarantula, including the Zebra, Pink Toed, Thailand Black, African King Baboon and Bolivian Blue Leg Tarantula. The largest female of these species can grow up to 225mm (9 inches) across.
Whilst not poisonous, the largest of these tarantula have fangs the size of a cats claw, and can easily bite through a human fingernail if provoked…ouch!
The new ‘Bugs About’ exhibit will also feature "Lilly’s" American cockroach house, locusts, honey bees, mantids, stick insects, other spiders and much more.
And that's not all! Butterfly Creek will also be home to baby American alligators, the first to be brought to New Zealand in decades. The American alligator is native to the Southeastern United States and the male of this species can grow up to 4.5m weighing 450kg. John Dowsett, Butterfly Creek General Manager says "after three years of efforts and highly demanding processes we are delighted to be hosting New Zealand's only baby Alligators".
Unlike most crocodilian these animals can survive in waters which are relatively cold. As a result the American alligator is the most northerly distributed of all crocodilians.
Butterfly Creek also includes Pirates Below, an aquarium area with New Zealand’s largest fresh-water tropical and marine coral tanks, Buttermilk Farm petting zoo, The Red Admiral Express Train, The Tractor Hay Ride, Curly’s children’s playground, Flutterbuys gift shop and the Papillon Bar and Café.
Butterfly Creek is an all-weather facility with undercover exhibits, providing a fantastic family day out, as well as catering for corporate functions, weddings and parties.

tetrapod · 05-01-2009

Do you know how exotic the butterflies are? Australian or further afield. Impressive collection of large spiders for a NZ zoo.

Chlidonias · 05-01-2009

I expect the butterflies are from various parts of the world. The Dunedin butterfly house imports their's from the Phillipines and Costa Rica (as chrysalises)
Otago Museum's "Tropical Forest"

tarantulas are actually quite common in NZ now. The first one in a NZ zoo was a Mexican red-kneed tarantula at Auckland Zoo many years ago that had been confiscated from a private person keeping it illegally. Once the legislation was put in place to import more, a whole lot of species came in to public collections (it is still illegal for private persons to own them). Many zoos, aquariums and museums have a few tarantulas on display now. The University of Canterbury in Christchurch has a whole room filled with live exotic spiders from around the world (its a study collection of course, not open to public perusal).

Hix · 07-01-2009

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Whilst not poisonous, the largest of these tarantula have fangs the size of a cats claw

I've never got over the idea amongst the general public that if it can't kill you, it's not "poisonous".

Hix

Shere_Khan · 09-01-2009

I went a few months back, but before they got the alligators (they were just building the enclosure) and the bug centre was still under construction too. It was still quite a nice place, very relaxed, and the farm zoo was quite sweet. Butterflies were pretty, but actually I was most impressed with their coral reef tank - a stunning array of corals, fish and anemones.

NZ Jeremy · 13-01-2009

Its an aquarium, butterlyfly house quite extensive (including other insects), the alligators were a suprise to me..! All in all though I visited the whole place in about an hour...

Chlidonias · 17-04-2009

the saltwater crocodiles are arriving now. From what I've heard the croc area is rather small (too small). The second line in the news item below is wrong, saltwater crocs have been brought into NZ from Australia several times before (in fact, the Napier Aquarium still has their one). For overseas readers, ANZAC Day is on the 25th of April
Crocodiles crossing the Tasman to new home at Auckland&squo;s Butterfly Creek Zoo | Herald Sun

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NEW Zealanders will mark this Anzac Day with the arrival of two iconic Aussies so dangerous the armed forces will be on hand for the trip.

For the first time, saltwater crocodiles will be taken across the Tasman where they will call home a heated billabong at Butterfly Creek Zoo in Auckland.

Scar, from the NT, and Goldie, from Cairns, are both a whopping five metres. They will be loaded on board a New Zealand Air Force Hercules on Sunday morning.

"We've had to call on the services of the Royal NZ Air Force to assist with this big move, as these fearless Aussie fighters are of the reptile variety," said zoo spokeswoman Jackie Sanders.

Ms Sanders said the monster predators, both male, weighed over half a tonne each.

"These feisty beasts will be the largest, most dangerous carnivorous predators in New Zealand," she said.

They will be the star attractions of a new saltwater crocodile exhibit, sponsored by Tourism NT. It will also feature several baby American alligators.

Ms Sanders said that in the wild, Scar and Goldie would most likely have called a coastal region in northern Australia home, although they can venture 100 kilometres or more inland.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world, averaging around four metres in length.

"Male salties are fiercely territorial, so our boys will have to be kept apart in their new home, a billabong-themed area with heated pools," Ms Sanders said.

"The purpose-built exhibit will give visitors an incredible close-up experience."

Scar and Goldie will be given time to settle into their new home and will not be on show until next month.

Chlidonias · 23-04-2009

sounds like a publicity beat-up but here it is....
Aussie crocodiles not keen on flying News - Yahoo!Xtra News

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Two Aussie crocodiles gave crew onboard an air force flight a scare after they broke free and started thrashing around.

The pair, both 40-years-old and about 500kg, touched down aboard an air force Hercules transport plane at Whenuapai Air Force base in Auckland at midnight on Tuesday.

Scar, from the Northern Territory, and Goldie, from Cairns, were on their way to their new home at Butterfly Creek zoo in Manukau when they broke their head restraints, zoo general manager, John Dowsett, told the New Zealand Herald.

Two of them broke their head-ropes and began thrashing around, Mr Dowsett said.

The pair were given muscle relaxant and eventually calmed down, Mr Dowsett said.

Scar and Goldie would spend two weeks in quarantine before being transferred to their new home.

They were the first live saltwater crocodiles to make the trans-Tasman trip.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world, averaging around four metres in length.

Chlidonias · 24-04-2009

video on here of one of the crocs in its new home
3 News > Video > Campbell Live > Auckland's latest residents not ones to mess with

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