All 430 of Franklin Zoo's animals have found new homes - apart from Mila the elephant, as keepers agonise over which of three facilities in the US to send the elephant to The zoo's keepers have been reluctant to announce which facilities they are choosing between for Mila but said they would start fundraising soon to pay for the cost of rehoming Mila. In the meantime the Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust has hired a world-class elephant programme manager to help look after Mila." Talk about dela ying things, at this rate the elephant will die of old age before anything is done.
A mention on their FB page saying all of the birds have now been transferred to their new home in Ngatea.
The above article ("all animals have found a home bar Mila") may have been misleading, as it appears that only now has a home for Carol the pigtail macaque, three remaining capuchins and a hawk been found, at a small (not-open to public?) animal sanctuary near Wellington. They will hopefully move south in a month or so. Story here: Homeless monkeys find shelter at Upper Hutt's HUHA... | Stuff.co.nz
Franklin Zoo posted a link to HUHA on their Facebook page several weeks ago, so maybe they just waited a while to announce it.
I had missed that. They have just posted this update: $30,000 seems like a lot, so they must be pretty decent enclosures.
Carol the pigtailed macaque and the three capuchins and Harry the Hawk have now arrived at HUHA. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153332060325593.1073741828.348396615592&type=1
*Jack the Harrier Hawk That's quite a positive article on the Franklin Zoo facebook page, and a great series of photos showing some very nice enclosures. The article also says that the three capuchins have been introduced to HUHA's existing capuchin, which is a good thing for all involved:
Franklin Zoo For Sale Now that all of the zoo's animals have been rehomed, the former Franklin Zoo property is now for sale. I doubt very much that new buyers would create another zoo here, it would be far too difficult to source all but a few exotic species and require major upgrades to, if not replacement of, most of the existing infrastructure (which has probably had minimal, if any, maintenance since it closed). Story here: Franklin Zoo looking for new buyer | Stuff.co.nz
The zoos former site is now up for tender: 83 Ridge Rd Tuakau, History of Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary (Listing: 539253) | Barfoot & Thompson
Franklin Zoo Sold & No Longer in Existence The Franklin Zoo property has now been sold so is officially no longer in existence. All of the animals are doing well in their new loving homes including Mila the elephant who is thriving with 5 other female elephants at San Diego Zoo. Just more than 3 years after Helen Schofield's tragic passing, her sister has finally finished the job of rehoming all the animals and selling the zoo property. Helen can now fully rest in peace and closure has been brought to all of us involved with the Franklin Zoo. It is time for us to now move on. Quote from Franklin Zoo Facebook page:
