Auckland Zoo has received a group of Asian Arowana! They will be part of the tropical dome in the new South-east Asian Jungle Track. According to the video, they are the first group of Asian Arowana to be held in a New Zealand zoo. Security Check
A slight update about Auckland Zoo: The zoo has demolished the South America bird aviaries beside the Galapagos Tortoise exhibit and is creating a new open space for free-flight encounters with the range of birds they have including the blue and gold macaws and galahs like Bunji (who had just turned 2 this week). I was watching the new flight session encounters opposite the spider-monkey exhibit and the old elephant house and they also said that the new encounter is to be ready by this summer. Below is the sign that has been placed up: Free Flight Exhibit Sign by ZooNZ posted 12 Oct 2019 at 3:26 AM Not the best shot of the construction area: Free Flight Exhibit Construction Area by ZooNZ posted 12 Oct 2019 at 3:26 AM A funny sign that has been placed up there too: DANGER Do Not Feed the Builders by ZooNZ posted 12 Oct 2019 at 3:30 AM
Auckland Zoo has received two female Emperor Tamarin from Zoo Dortmund in Germany. The two females have already been paired up with their two males. Security Check
Another primate update: Auckland Zoo recently received two male Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys from France to join their group of ten females. Security Check
Here is an article that interviews the zoo's director and details the zoo's under-construction exhibit complex: https://blooloop.com/features/auckland-zoo-kevin-buley/
Auckland Zoo has received a three-year-old male Waterbuck from Werribee Open Range Zoo. He will be introduced to Auckland Zoo’s three females with the intention for breeding. Security Check
Auckland Zoo has welcomed cotton-top tamarin twins, the second time this year Auckland Zoo's cotton-top tamarin couple welcomes adorable twins
Nepalese Red Panda Birth From Auckland Zoo’s Facebook Page: We’ve just received the best gift this Christmas – a newly born red panda cub! Just over a week ago on the 18th of December, second-time red panda mum Khela gave birth to a yet-to-be-sexed cub. This is the sibling of male cub Tashi who was born this time last year. Our carnivore keepers are over the moon with the news yet will be maintaining a ‘hands-off’ approach for the next few weeks to allow Khela to care for the cub naturally. Throughout this time they will be checking the nestbox camera at regular intervals and so far have been able to see the cub suckling as it should. At around 8 weeks of age the cub will be sexed and named, so stay tuned for updates in the new year! Ramesh and Khela’s first cub, Tashi (born 01/12/2018), has been moved into the other Nepalese red panda exhibit with his grandmother (Bo).
Auckland Zoo has welcomed the birth of a Zebra foal today (the sex of the foal isn’t known at this stage). Security Check
That’s awesome news. It’s nice to finally see Auckland Zoo developing a decent sized breeding herd, with Layla giving birth to her second foal. Hopefully Dalila will breed soon too: Layla - 20 September 2011 Dalila - 3 December 2013
Auckland Zoo 2019 News Wrap Up And that's a wrap...2019 | Auckland Zoo News In 2019 we welcomed waterbuck male Roy from Werribee Zoo and females Etana, Kwacha and Ina from Hamilton Zoo, porcupine Bruce from Zoo's South Australia and Asian arowana fish for our new South East Asia habitat! We’ve seen the birth of zebra foal, two sets of cotton-top tamarin twins, a new yet-to-be-named red panda cub, three otter pups, six nyala calves, lace monitor hatchlings, 15 Operation Nest Egg kiwi chicks with our partners Kiwis for Kiwi and 3 zoo chicks, 16 kākāriki karaka (orange fronted parakeet), 1 whio and 23 pāteke ducklings for release into the wild, and literally thousands of endangered wētāpunga hatchlings – only to name a few of the many ectotherms and birds that were born this year. It was also a huge year for our vets, keepers, volunteers and partners Kākāpō Recovery with the biggest kākāpō breeding season on record. At the start of the season we spent 4,804 field hours monitoring, hand-rearing, health checking and transporting chicks alone. We’re also seeing the finishing touches put in place on phase one of our South East Asia Jungle Track including our new café and there’ll be more news on this in the new year! Other notable news included the announcement of Jamila the Southern white rhinoceros’ pregnancy (their first calf in 20 years); and the death of the Sumatran tiger, Berani, who was euthanised at the age of 11 in July. The zoo announced they will be importing a young breeding pair of Sumatran tigers next year.