Wellington Zoo 2013 News

zooboy28 · 23 Sep 2013

Neighbours

Here is a better article on the new Australian precinct, which is called "Neighbours". Certainly a better name than the one they gave the Asian precinct.

Species list: Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Parma and Tammar Wallabies, Emu, Dingoes, Brolga Crane and Cape Barren Geese. Tasmanian Devils are due to arrive in December.

Story here: Wellington Zoo - Check out the Neighbours at Wellington Zoo!

Neighbours, the new Australian Precinct at Wellington Zoo, will be open for visitors from Saturday 28 September, the first weekend of the school holidays.

Neighbours is the new home for Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Parma and Tammar Wallabies, Emu, Dingoes, Brolga Crane and Cape Barren Geese.

“The Australian animals of Wellington Zoo play an important role in our community: they connect us with our closest neighbours,” said Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo Chief Executive.

“This engaging walk-through exhibit will bring our visitors closer than ever to our Aussie animals and encourage them to learn more about their Australian neighbours.”

“The design is a continuation of Wellington Zoo’s great creative tradition of designing and building innovative exhibits in-house, and the interpretation highlights the family and community values of the animals – Kangaroos, for example, are the ‘greenies’ of the neighbourhood and use minimal energy when they travel.”

“We’re thrilled to share the exciting news that four Tasmanian Devils will also be moving into Neighbours in December. Caring for Tassie Devils is a first for Wellington Zoo. These ambassador animals will create significant community interest and awareness for the conservation programme established for the survival of this endangered species.”

There will be a special $5 entry discount on the Neighbours opening day for visitors who dress up like an Aussie or bring in their Australian passports.
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Shirokuma · 23 Sep 2013

There will be a special $5 entry discount on the Neighbours opening day for visitors who dress up like an Aussie or bring in their Australian passports.
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I wonder how they define dressing up like an Aussie! Kath and Kim spring to mind...

And when I saw the name I thought the new exhibit might be based on Ramsay Street.

zooboy28 · 26 Sep 2013

Fire at Wellington Zoo! Animals Evacuated!

Fire at Wellington Zoo! Animals Evacuated! Much less serious than headlines suggest!

Story here: Lightning 'caused' fire at Wellington Zoo | Stuff.co.nz

Animals were evacuated from their enclosure at Wellington Zoo today, after a smouldering fire believed to have caused by a lightning strike six days ago.

The smell of smoke and a haze was reported upstairs from the zoo’s cafe, at about 7:45am, a Fire Service spokesman said.

Three fire engines called to the scene, in the Wellington suburb of Newtown.

Newtown senior fire station officer Simon Johnson said they found a small hole at the metal base of a ventilation fan on the roof.

Beneath, there was a fist-sized patch of burnt timber.

It was possible lightning had struck the building during the electrical storm on Friday, causing roof timber to smoulder in the protected space.

Mr Johnson said there was no obvious ignition source, and the fire was not suspicious.

‘‘It’s pretty unusual, but lightning is the only thing we can point to.’’

Mojo Wellington Zoo assistant manager Alison Kreft said she arrived at work and found a strong smell of burning.

‘‘Smoke was billowing upstairs, and I though oh no.’’

An alarm went off, and the Fire Service arrived ‘‘super fast’’ she said.

Pygmy marmosets were briefly evacuated from their enclosure in the cafe, Ms Kreft said.

‘‘They were totally cool.’’

MetService spokesman Dan Corbett said the last recorded lighting strikes in Wellington were on Friday, when more than 800 strikes hit the city between 5pm and 8pm.

A zoo spokeswoman said it was open as usual today.
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zooboy28 · 27 Sep 2013

Shirokuma said: ↑

And when I saw the name I thought the new exhibit might be based on Ramsay Street.
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It turns out your not too far off the truth Shirokuma, the latest photo on the Wellington Zoo facebook page shows a sign that includes both Ramsay Street and Summer Bay. Incidentally, did you know that Neighbours is basically made for international (especially UK) audiences now, with only 300,000 Aussies watching nightly, compared with over 1 million Britons.

vogelcommando · 3 Oct 2013

Kiwi-problem at Wellington Zoo :
Wildlife Extra News - Eight rarest kiwi die of respiratory infection

zooboy28 · 15 Oct 2013

vogelcommando said: ↑

Kiwi-problem at Wellington Zoo :
Wildlife Extra News - Eight rarest kiwi die of respiratory infection
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Posting a relevant article here, as this is an important (and sad) story, and that website doesn't work very reliably (especially in Australia):

Story here: Eight rare kiwis die in Wellington Zoo | Stuff.co.nz

Eight of the rarest type of kiwi have died from a respiratory tract infection at Wellington Zoo.

The young rowi, who had been living on predator-free Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds, were being treated for a type of worm at the zoo when they started showing signs of respiratory problems, thought to be caused by the bark they were being housed on.

DOC's Franz Josef biodiversity manager Jo Macpherson said the bark was regularly used by the zoo with no adverse effects, and the birds' weakened immunity had made them more susceptible to the illness.

The respiratory tract infection was caused by a fungus called Aspergillus spp which is common to the natural environment but can cause severe damage to the lungs and air sacs in birds.

''This is an extremely rare and unfortunate occurrence and has come as a great blow,'' she said.

Ms Macpherson said it a difficult disease to treat and the zoo and DOC staff are devastated by the loss.

''It is also a tragic loss for Kiwis for kiwi, who have supported the rowi programme and have been an integral player in the return of 200 rowi back to the wild.''

With fewer than 400 of the birds remaining, DOC has been working to bring rowi back from the brink using BNZ Operation Nest Egg.

Unmanaged, a tiny proportion of rowi survive to adulthood - around 95 per cent are killed by stoats.

''These birds were removed from the wild as eggs in order to protect them while they grew big enough to defend themselves,'' said Ms Macpherson.

The kiwi had been transferred from the Marlborough Sounds to the zoo last month for specialist treatment.

Veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla at the zoo said after the first kiwi died on September 11, after which the remaining kiwi were removed from the enclosure.

Despite treatment for the respiratory infection, another seven kiwi died over the month.

''It was one of those races against time, we needed the birds to hold on a little bit longer for the drugs to do their work... but everything was against them once they got the disease, it's notoriously difficult to treat especially when they're stressed.''

Wellington Zoo chief executive Karen Fifield said she was satisfied staff had acted quickly once they saw signs of respiratory infection.

''These were animals in some way were compromised when they came.... their stress levels are different, things affect them more than it would a healthy animal.

''It's not excusing what happened and weasel out of it but you do have to take even more precaution when dealing with animals like this.''

Ms Fifield said the bark the birds were being housed on was old, weathered bark so it was unusual for it to contain the spores which are thought to have caused the infection.

The zoo would now be working with DOC on the protocol for working with endangered animals to assess how deaths like these could be prevented in the future. , including looking at whether or not it would continue to use the bark.

A further, unrelated kiwi death occurred at Massey University, for which the department is awaiting autopsy results.
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zooboy28 · 15 Oct 2013

A ninth Rowi (the last one) has died since the previous article came out:

Story here: Last of zoo's sick row kiwi dies | Stuff.co.nz

The last survivor of nine critically endangered rowi kiwi struck by a serious respiratory tract infection in Wellington has died.

Nine birds were being treated for dermatitis at Wellington Zoo last month when they contracted the infection.

Eight died last month, but one had survived until today.

Zoo veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla said the young bird, a male, was a fighter.

"We kept him as comfortable as possible while he was struggling with the infection in his lungs, but sadly he didn't make it."

Rowi, also known as the Okarito brown kiwi, are found only in forests around the Westland settlement of Okarito. There are estimated to be only around 300 in existence.
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zooboy28 · 15 Oct 2013

The zoo has updated their map to show the new Neighbours Australian exhibit. Its not clear from the map which part is walkthrough, but I'm fairly sure its the wallaby part, and possibly also the Emu. I suspect that not much has changed in the kangaroo exhibit, nor the new dingo one, but the other exhibits are totally new.

New map here: http://www.wellingtonzoo.com/uploadGallery/Zoo Map September 2013 WEB.pdf

The servals are no longer featured on the map, their exhibit being levelled for the new Neighbours exhibit. Are they still kept semi-on-display adjacent to the (now lone) cheetah?

Chlidonias · 15 Oct 2013

zooboy28 said: ↑

The servals are no longer featured on the map, their exhibit being levelled for the new Neighbours exhibit. Are they still kept semi-on-display adjacent to the (now lone) cheetah?
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as far as my recollections go, over the last couple of years I have only ever seen serval used during the show in the arena thing, never in a display situation. But my brain is addled so I could be wrong.....

Jabiru96 · 16 Oct 2013

What is the sex ratio of the chimpanzees at Wellington?

zooboy28 · 25 Oct 2013

Wellington Zoo is temporarily holding 27 Eastern Otago Skinks from the zoo itself and private breeders before their release next month. Later this year, the zoo will receive Western Otago Skinks to form a new breeding programme.

Story here: Wellington Zoo - Critically Endangered Otago Skinks at Wellington Zoo

Wellington Zoo is thrilled to welcome 27 Eastern Otago Skinks as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Department of Conservation’s Grand and Otago Skink Recovery Programme.

The rare lizards are being housed at Wellington Zoo for a 30 day quarantine period, after which they will be released at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, north of Dunedin – providing a predator-free environment for the skinks to breed.

“All the skinks are happily settled into our quarantine facility and we have started doing health checks, including physical exams, diagnostic testing and confirming the sex for all the skinks,” said Dr Lisa Argilla, Veterinary Sciences Manager.

Otago Skinks are New Zealand's largest lizard species, also known as Giant Skinks. They are closely related to the Grand Skink but are the larger of the two species, growing up to 300mm (nose to tail tip) in length.
Both skinks are unique to the Otago region and are New Zealand's two rarest reptiles, with a threat status of nationally critically endangered – the same as the kākāpō. They give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs.

As a further protection for Grand and Otago Skinks, the Department of Conservation have implemented a conservation management plan, which includes zoos, in order to protect both skink species and maintain a reserve of genetic diversity.

“The Eastern populations of the Otago Skinks are increasing, so the focus is now on the declining Western population,” said Dr Argilla.

“These Eastern skinks have come from private collections and experienced wildlife breeding organisations from around New Zealand, including four from Wellington Zoo. Once they’ve completed the quarantine period they’ll be released into the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. We can then make room for the Westerns – take them in so that they can breed, and then eventually be reintroduced back into Otago.”

Wellington Zoo will house Western Otago Skinks from mid-December.
“We are delighted to collaborate with DOC on the Grand and Otago Skink recovery programme. Wellington Zoo is passionate about connecting our community with nature and this is a great example of conservation agencies working together to ensure the ongoing survival of an endangered New Zealand species” said Amy Hughes, Wellington Zoo General Manager Community Engagement.
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zooboy28 · 25 Oct 2013

Jabiru96 said: ↑

What is the sex ratio of the chimpanzees at Wellington?
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There are currently 5.7.1 chimps at Wellington, but I suspect the 1 has now been sexed, but I can't remember what it turned out being.

Jabiru96 · 25 Oct 2013

zooboy28 said: ↑

There are currently 5.7.1 chimps at Wellington, but I suspect the 1 has now been sexed, but I can't remember what it turned out being.
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Thanks for that!

zooboy28 · 11 Nov 2013

vogelcommando said: ↑

Kiwi-problem at Wellington Zoo :
Wildlife Extra News - Eight rarest kiwi die of respiratory infection
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Update on what happened to the kiwi, and the lessons learnt.

Story here: Nine kiwi killed with kindness | Wellington Zoo | Stuff.co.nz

A well-intentioned but ill-informed decision led to the deaths of nine rare kiwi in September.

The Motuara Island rowi were being treated for a type of worm at Wellington Zoo when they developed aspergillosis, a condition that damages the lungs and is caused by a fungus found in bark and leaf litter.

Eight of the rowi at Wellington Zoo died in September, and a ninth in early October. A 10th died at Massey University, but of an unrelated condition.

Documents released under the Official Information Act show that the 2011 Brown Kiwi Husbandry Manual specifically advises that shredded bark should not be used to house kiwi, because of the risk of infection.

An email was sent out to all captive brown kiwi holders after the deaths with a "gentle reminder" that the birds "not be held on woodchip/wood bark substrate because of the increased risk of aspergillus spores in such".

Wellington Zoo spokeswoman Amy Hughes said the vet team, which worked in consultation with Department of Conservation staff, did not know of the risk at the time.

The team had tried to reduce the stress levels of the rowi by creating a natural environment for them, she said, but had they consulted the zoo's bird husbandry staff, they might have been told of the risk.

"This incident was unusual, and unfortunately comes down to a well-intentioned human error.

"Housing animals on bark does not always lead to respiratory illness, as it depends on the spores being in the bark chip. However, in future we will always err on the side of caution, and not use bark chip."

She said all the staff involved were devastated by the incident, and had gone through a rigorous internal debrief and put measures in place to ensure it did not happen again.

DOC conservation services manager Jo Macpherson said the DOC team did not have any concerns at the time about housing the kiwi on bark, and what happened was very unusual.

The risk of using bark was not known to the staff involved, who usually worked with wild birds, but it would be well understood by those who cared for captive animals, she said.

The kiwi husbandry manual had since been circulated to vets at Auckland Zoo, Massey University and Wellington Zoo, and to DOC staff who worked with rowi and tokoeka, the southern brown kiwi.

"We have all learnt from this, while at the same time recognise that everyone had the very best of intentions," Macpherson said.

Massey University associate professor Brett Gartrell said the fungal spores were found in all types of leaf litter and bark, but levels of aspergillus were usually low and did not cause any harm.

"However, there are occasions when the fungus proliferates in this material, which can result in serious disease.

"This has been seen before on kiwi with all types of substrate, including bark chip and leaf litter," he said.

National Kiwi Recovery Group leader Avi Holzapfel said kiwi management was complex, and different expertise and knowledge was needed in different environments.

Although the risk of infection from aspergillus spores in bark would have been well-known for those working with captive kiwi, it may not have been common knowledge among veterinary staff.

"Captive staff would have picked this up, most likely. Vet staff didn't think about it, didn't know about it, and may not have thought in that situation of checking. So that has been remedied, and that is the biggest learning . . . to actually look at the resources we've got."

Kiwi would usually be held on towels while at the vet, he said.

Rowi were the most intensely managed of the five kiwi species, "and with that intensive management comes a risk - so now and then things will go wrong.

"All of us are really concerned that this has happened, don't want to see this happen again, but in the context of the recovery of rowi, it is a small setback, not a big setback."
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zooboy28 · 11 Nov 2013

News from Facebook: Another Bolivian Squirrel Monkey has been born!

zooboy28 · 20 Nov 2013

Chlidonias said: ↑

I was just going to post about that. Only two weeks away! I doubt they will have reptiles there because all their Australian ones are at the old elephant house. Would be nice to have a few aviaries though, even if only for cockatoos and lorikeets. Seriously, there are loads of Australian finches and some small doves in NZ aviculture; you could have a really good walk-through aviary for them for relatively little cost and it would look great.

It does make me sad thinking about the number of birds and aviaries the zoo used to have twenty years ago
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Turns out there are reptiles in the new exhibit - an enclosure for Eastern Water Dragons at least.

A new series of photos has been added to Wellington Zoo's Facebook page, and shows a bit more of the exhibits (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151855611868462.1073741854.273172638461&type=1). Which look to have a rather strong "neighbours" theme. The dingo exhibit looks great though.

It also notes that the Tasmanian Devils will be moving in this summer.

Chlidonias · 25 Nov 2013

zooboy28 said: ↑

News from Facebook: Another Bolivian Squirrel Monkey has been born!
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from the newsletter today, two Bolivian squirrel monkeys, three Brazilian agoutis and two meerkats all born recently.

Chlidonias · 30 Nov 2013

Yahoo!

Wellington Zoo is caring for a Little Spotted Kiwi chick from ZEALANDIA, which was admitted to The Nest Te Kōhanga last week for treatment.

"This bird was observed on the ZEALANDIA perimeter fence line during the day, which is very unusual for kiwi. He’s also very underweight, which indicates that he may not have adapted well to foraging," explained Dr Lisa Argilla, Veterinary Sciences Manager.

"I’ve been involved with a few similar cases where the birds just needed a bit of a kick-start to learn how to forage. Hopefully this is all that is wrong with this kid!"

Erring on the side of caution, the chick received a full health check under general anaesthetic in The Nest Te Kōhanga on arrival, including blood tests, x-rays, and an eye examination. The Little Spotted Kiwi is the smallest kiwi species, and has become extinct on the mainland. They are vulnerable to stoats and are classified by the Department of Conservation as ‘at risk: recovering’. The total number of birds is thought to be just over 1500, with the majority living on Kapiti Island. Little Spotted Kiwi are also now found on several other predator-free offshore islands, and at ZEALANDIA.

"This kiwi is a symbol of the ongoing collaboration between ZEALANDIA and Wellington Zoo - one that is important in achieving our shared goals - to support the native species that call Wellington home and help them to thrive within the safety of our pest-free sanctuary," explained Hilary Beaton, ZEALANDIA Chief Executive.

"The Zoo provides a free veterinary service for ZEALANDIA to send us sick or injured animals to care for at The Nest Te Kōhanga, and we use ZEALANDIA as a safe place to release native wildlife after treatment or as part of our breed-for-release programme," said Dr Argilla.

"This is the third Little Spotted Kiwi we have admitted from ZEALANDIA in the last three years. We’ve also cared for Kaka, Kakariki, Kereru, Hihi, Saddlebacks, Tui, Bellbirds, Tuatara, a New Zealand Falcon, a Pied Shag, a Shining Cockatoo and a Maud Island Frog."

The Nest Te Kōhanga opened in December 2009 and is Wellington Zoo's animal hospital and centre for native wildlife. Inside this state-of-the-art facility, our veterinary team have all the equipment they need to administer first-class animal care. All animal check-ups and operations between 10am-4pm each day are on display to visitors, and the Zoo team provides expert step-by-step commentary on live procedures twice daily.
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