Auckland Zoo now offering the oppertunity to feed Porcupines

In early 2015 Auckland Zoo launched a Porcupine Behind the Scenes Tour, a first of it\'s kind for the zoo! At this point I can\'t think of any other zoo that lets you do this.

I knew I had to try it out, and it was amazing!

Awesome! Do you get to go into the nocturnal house exhibit, or is this a seperate area out the back?

Yes you get to go into the nocturnal house (old Kiwi enclosure). It was very interesting to be in there with the lights on! Plus the encounter takes place before hours that's why the lights are on.

This is really great, I want to do it! Auckland Zoo has a good number of "experiences" available now, although they aren't cheap!

No they definitely aren't cheap! The other new one is Squirrel Monkey, which I did on the same day

Nice! I wonder if in a few months you'll get to get up close with capybaras in the squirrel monkey encounter. Did you get to go into the monkey enclosure too?

Yes I did. We hand fed them. And the guide said that yes capybaras will soon be part of the squirrel monkey tour, well they'll be at your feet as you feed the monkeys.

Aside from the porcupines, are there any more inmates in the old Kiwi house? The flying foxes for examples?

Following the death of one of the porcupines, the other was moved back to the (diurnal) Meerkat exhibit and the Nocturnal House again closed (probably permanently). There was only ever one exhibit in the house, so no opportunity to hold Flying-foxes. The Zoo has always displayed these in an outdoor aviary, although they have now been off-display for some time and I suspect this may also be a permanent arrangement.