Hamilton Zoo Hamilton Zoo News 2021

Hamilton Zoo have built a house for their female Cape porcupine which has been placed within the Slender-tailed meerkat exhibit. Previously her den was off display, meaning visitors would rarely get a view of this nocturnal animal in the exhibit. The video on Facebook showed her foraging for almonds inside the house, with it mentioned they’re also being used to encourage her out into the exhibit.

0.1 Ingozi (01/05/2017)

 

An update on the planned revamp of the zoo. Council have now approved the development of an improved entry area for Hamilton Zoo. It will be a shared entrance with the nearby Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park.

Full article: Plan for enhanced entry at Hamilton Zoo and Waiwhakareke to be delivered sooner - Australasian Leisure Management

 

It’s nice to see them finally cracking on with the masterplan, which has been delayed by several years.

The masterplan was designed in 2014 and changes will be inevitable. The chimpanzee exhibit has been reduced to a third of what’s shown on this plan; and a cheetah exhibit has since been constructed on the site of what was designated as an African lion exhibit. In the case of the latter, they move later down the track as the Savannah phase is later in the masterplan.

Hamilton Zoo Masterplan Map by Zoofan15 posted 20 Jan 2021 at 9:19 PM

 

Cant say that I am a fan of having the Blackbuck on the African Savannah! lol

 

A workmate of mine visited the zoo with his son, who kept insisting to him that they were antelope. He asked me if he was right. I told him not only was his son right, but that they’re Indian antelope. His next question? Why are Indian antelope in the African Savannah?

Indian antelope (Antilope cervicapra) by Zoofan15 posted 26 Jul 2020 at 7:51 PM

 

Thats funny . with the amount of Nyala in NZ perhaps they would be a better fit than Indian antelope!

 

Hamilton Zoo should still have the bachelor group of Nyala they received from Auckland Zoo in 2019.

 

Perhaps they put those in the Asian plains exhibit

 

The Lowland nyala are still alive and well in the Savannah.

The zoo used to have a pair of Scimitar-horned oryx/Gemsbok hybrids (sisters) from Auckland Zoo. The zoo could have been forgiven for adding these to the Savannah (right continent; wrong biome); but instead exhibited them opposite the Dromedary camel, which I think was cool. It was like a mini desert trail.

The Sitatunga meanwhile was housed in the New Zealand wetlands (wrong continent; perfect biome). I’ve since seen a Cape Barren goose in this area.

 

Ndoki the Giraffe has died at the age of 22. This leaves Hamilton Zoo with only three ageing males:

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Hamilton Zoo should be proud to hold the record for the longest lived male giraffe in New Zealand. Interestingly, the previous male record holder was Ndoki’s sire, Ricky at 20 years; while his dam, Tisa, holds the overall record for longevity at 26 years. Must be some good genes there!

Speaking of genes, I’d dispute the article’s claim Ndoki was Reticulated (or even part Reticulated). This is his genealogy:

Ricky (sire):

Jan Smuts (M43) x Betty (F48) > Hazel (F53) > Faye (F75) > Ricky (M87)

Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Ricky (M87)

Tisa (dam):

Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Anna (F63) > Tisa (F90)

Jan Smuts (M43) x Clara (F50) > Sydney (F58) > Finnie (M75) > Tisa (F90)

Jan Smuts (born 1943 at Johannesburg Zoo) was a purebred South African (Giraffe G. c. giraffe).

Clara (born 1950 at the Smithsonian National Zoo) was a purebred Nubian Giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis).

Mighty (born 1933 in Tanzania) was a purebred Masai Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi). She bred with Jan Smuts to produce Betty (generic).

 

The chimps will be back on display from this weekend following the completion of the renovations:

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Hamilton Zoo’s female chimp infant has been named Kendi: Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

I have to say I preferred the other two names, and not just because I associate ‘Kendi’ with the hippo at Dubbo.

‘Femi’ would have been a tribute to her grandmother, Fimi, who lived at Hamilton Zoo and was a founder within the region; while ‘Safiyya’ is a link to her mother, Sanda (who also has an S name).

Nonetheless, it’d great to see Sanda successfully rearing her third infant:

0.1 Mosi (26/10/1993) Died 09/12/1993
0.1 Chiku (15/02/2016)
0.1 Kendi (18/12/2020)

 

The Black-handed Spider Monkey born last year is currently being handraised. Keepers have tried introducing her back to mother Bodie but have been unsuccessful so far:

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Zebra Update

A Plains zebra foal was born 10/01/2021. While it hasn’t been mentioned in the media, I noticed on my November visit that one of the mares was pregnant and Hamilton Zoo have since updated their page on their zebra to include mention of this birth.

I was told on my last visit that the two foals born December 2019 were a colt and a filly; however the website now lists them both as colts, so I guess an error was made in sexing them.

The zoo now has nine zebra in two herds:

Herd One:

1.0 Malawi (12/03/2012)
0.1 Marble (06/10/2003)
0.1 Zalika (30/11/2011)
1.0 Okavango (27/12/2019) Malawi x Marble
1.0 Zambia (30/12/2019) Malawi x Zalika
0.0.1 Unnamed (10/01/2021) Malawi x Unknown

Herd Two:

0.1 Kiva (03/10/2017) Malawi x Zalika
0.1 Imivimbo (08/12/2017) Malawi x Marble
0.1 Imka (31/10/2018) Malawi x Zalika

 

Do you know if they will they be getting a second Stallion to create a second breeding herd? Or will the Mares in Herd 2 be moving elsewhere?

 

Did you see 4 male Giraffes on your visit? I assume the other is out of view?