Female African Hunting Dog Rukiya has passed away recently, so male Zumo has been introduced to females Tafari and Msaka. https://www.facebook.com/pg/HamiltonZooNZ/posts/
A draft plan outlining a major redevelopment of Hamilton Zoo has finally been revealed after a delay of two-and-a-half years - but the $80,00 document may be dumped in favour of a native wildlife park with no exotic animals if the new mayor gets his way. The Hamilton Zoo draft master plan was put on hold after the death of zookeeper Samantha Kudeweh, who was mauled by a Sumatran tiger in September 2015. However it was finally released this week after the Herald lodged a complaint to the Ombudsman, who ruled the Hamilton City Council had no good grounds to withhold it from the public. The council first declined to release the document while it was being prosecuted for Kudeweh's death. But after sentencing was completed it withheld the information on the grounds that it would affect the public consultation process and it would soon be publicly available. By then it was at least eight months since the information was first requested.The plan - which cost council $80,000 and was developed in 2014 with input from councillors, external advisers and overseas consultants - proposes a major multimillion-dollar revamp of the zoo, including overnight glamping and a new area housing tigers and otters.The plan proposes creating 10 visitor experience zones which would include an entrance point with a cafe/function centre and information centre, a family play area, a bush walk, an aviary which would be redeveloped, an expansion of the existing Savannah exhibits, where the larger herds of animals would be displayed, another area where primates would be on view and an area named Carnivore Corner housing tigers and Asian small-clawed otters. There would also be a facility called Waterhole Camp which would offer a "safari-style ensuite tent" for people to stay overnight at the zoo. Guests would be able to view the tigers from their accommodation and New Zealand species would be free to wander around the campsite. As part of the plan the neighbouring Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park would be linked with the zoo and share the zoo's facilities. The redevelopment was broken into five stages totalling an additional $16.21 million for capital and construction costs on top of the long-term plan budget. Hamilton City Council general manager of community Lance Vervoort said the costs would need to be reviewed as they were two years old. The first phase was expected to begin in 2014/15 and the final stage was due for completion by 2025. But mayor Andrew King, who felt council should have released the plan earlier, has disagreed with it and wants the zoo to become a hospital for injured native animals and a native wildlife breeding centre. That would see the exotic animals such as the Sumatran tigers, giraffes and the southern white rhinoceros currently housed in Hamilton being sent elsewhere. "I want the budget kept and the staff to stay, but I want it to become a hospital for injured animals and I would like to see it as native New Zealand animals only." King's idea included the zoo breeding the native animals and releasing them into the wild. The zoo would combine with Waiwhakareke and the whole area would be pest fenced which could be funded under the zoo's "large" budget. However he acknowledged not everyone might share his vision. "Remember I am only one elected member and I could well be not a majority on this. This is just a personal view." Councillor Angela O'Leary, who chaired the project, strongly disagreed and felt it was important for a city the size of Hamilton to have a zoo. "I definitely don't think we should be closing the zoo at all and I sympathise with him around his view about animals in captivity but that's unfortunately the world that we live in ... to give kids experience and education around conservation and how precious wild animals are to the world - it's the only mechanism we have to do that. "So no, I definitely do not support closing the zoo." She felt there would be overwhelming support from the public when the document went out for public consultation. "It's definitely my feeling that it should be supported by council and I think anyone who wouldn't support it would be grossly underestimating the feeling of Hamilton having that zoo." The plan would be discussed at the community and services committee in April and would be subject to public consultation Major Hamilton zoo revamp plan finally released - National - NZ Herald News
Thanks for the info Nisha. 'Carnivore Corner' sounds strange yet interesting... I would really hate to see the zoo send its exotic animals 'elsewhere' because of the mayor's opinion. Seriously doubt that happening though.
I think 'Carnivore Corner' will essentially be the next step of the zoo's version of a South-East Asian zone, with otters added near the existing tigers, and potentially linking through to the siamangs. It would be great to have otters back at the zoo.
I doubt that the individual views of a mayor will constitute anything but just that ... an individual view on the zoo of the future. Given that the voters and constinuent parties making up zoo management and visiting public have a far wider significance for the future of the zoo, I cannot see these constituencies ever going the way of the views' of one mayor.
I agree exporting all their large exotic animals is ridiculous. Aside from the fact it would be costly and difficult to rehome so many large animals (the logistics of shipping six adult bull giraffe!!!), it would be completely counter-productive to everything the zoo has achieved over the last few decades. What is the mayor proposing? That the $1 million tiger enclosure be used for tui? The multi-million dollar chimpanzee exhibit become a habitat for a bunch of skinks? On a positive note, this appears to be little more than his opinion, which of course he is entitled to. I doubt the council overall would be in favour of it, nor would the majority of Hamilton City. Carnivore Corner does indeed sound exciting. I too immediately thought of it as the foundations of a South East Asian area. Rather than reconstruct tiger exhibits, which I think are already an impressive feature of the zoo, I think they would be better off moving the three hunting dogs to the smaller enclosure (in the Savannah area) and redeveloping the larger hunting dog enclosure (near the tigers) into an exhibit for Sumatran orangutan. The alpaca enclosure (just down from the tigers) could be redeveloped into an otter enclosure (with a bit of imagination and some construction materials)….This would create a South East Asian area, and have all the African exhibits (Savannah, hunting dogs and rhino) in one place. The South American rainforest is already linked to the tapir and spider monkey enclosure so they’re almost set.
I agree with your assessment @Zoofan15, and I think they will try to create a link through to the siamangs (and fishing cats) too. The wild dog/wallaby/alpaca exhibits are obviously too large for just otters, so I don't think all of these species will be moved, and I doubt orangs would be on the agenda for several decades, so perhaps alternative species will be sourced. Even a deer species would be suitable, but that would be unlikely. The tapir and spider monkeys is probably my favourite exhibit at the zoo, but I wonder how long it will be retained (note it is not linked to the rest of the South American exhibits, the NZ forest section is in the way). With only one tapir left (for how long?), that space may be better as a new exhibit linking the rhinos to the savannah. Lions would be a fantastic addition there, or alternatively the lemurs could be moved there. If retaining the exhibit, Hamilton could easily obtain capybara to replace the tapir.
I would love to see African lions at Hamilton Zoo, and I believe they were in the ten year plan a couple of years ago. Once the remaining tapir passes away, an African exhibit would be great. If they didn't have lions there, an immersive lemur exhibit (eye to eye) would be impressive.
Keeping the zoo's budget and staff and pointing them solely towards rehab for native New Zealand species would be an unprecedented step forward, insofar as I'm sure there has never been a wildlife hospital with more space, money and staff than they could possibly use. Bizarre suggestion.
Hamilton Zoo has received a new female Fishing Cat from Ostrava Zoo. Hamilton Zoo - Meet Sahaja the fishing cat! She's arrived... | Facebook
A welcome new import. Out of interest: for the ZAA region - what is the current status of fishing cat population in Australia / New Zealand?
Hamilton now has 0.2 Fishing Cats. Female Indah imported from Singapore Zoo in 2015 and new female Sahaja. Someone in the comments of the post on facebook says that the male Besar passed away.
This is great news, Hamilton has a great set up for these cats, with three exhibits (so room for a male too). I imagine a male import must be on the cards if they have brought in a female, so fingers crossed this happens soon.
Sad to hear Besar has since passed away. He was born 2002 at Singapore Zoo and arrived at Hamilton Zoo in 2010. The previous female, Imphal, was born 2001 at Taronga Zoo and arrived the same year. She was killed by Besar during an introduction in 2012. AI had previously been tried unsuccessfully in 2011: GlenBred works with Hamilton Zoo and their Thai Fishing Cats - Matamata Veterinary Services Hopefully a new male can be sourced soon and will breed with one of the females.
Interesting article discussing the costs of importing new animals: Hamilton Zoo open the chequebook for the animals The zoo are hoping to import a new male fishing cat from Europe and two male African wild dogs by the end of 2017.
That should not be too much of a difficult endeavour, at least for carnivores. The import / export issues are very much at the Antipodes end, if and how it will go thru. It has already been done for fishing cat, I believe.
