Kiwi in Zoos

San Diego Zoo supposedly still has some kiwis, but they are no longer on exhibit. The kiwi house was knocked down as part of the new Africa Rocks development.

No plans to build a new kiwi exhibit have been announced, if there are any.

The only kiwi exhibits that I know of in North America as of 2015 are at the Bronx Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, and Franklin Park Zoo.

 

Rotterdam Zoo also made some attemps in keeping kiwis and I've seen them there several times at the back-end of there nocturnal enclosure.This must have been at the end of the 1970-ties - beginning 1980-ties.

 

there are everywhere in new Zealand I know they have some at Auckland,hamiltion wellingtion zoo mount bruce wildlife park orano wildlife park and so many places that I don't know about

 

Are there some at Hamilton? They aren't on display there as there is no nocturnal house. But otherwise yes, most zoos have kiwi, and many places almost only have kiwi!

 

I am wondering why zoos put Kiwis in a normal aviary. The only person ever seeing a Kiwi at Antwerp was the keeper taking care of it! And in a walk-through aviary it would even be worse.

Could make an interesting Easter event though. Let's find the kiwi, would be more healthy as well than eating chocolate eggs.

 

How dare you suggest not eating chocolate!!!

 

Where am I suggesting that?

 

Oh right. How'd I forget that...

 

Well, for them to breed is the main reason presumably. But I think Hamilton only has the one... But I think Hamilton's aviary is big enough that a pair could breed in there, even being a walkthrough.

 

Brookfield Zoo used to keep Kiwi in their "Be a Bird" exhibit but I never had the fortune of seeing them before it was renovated. They were sent to California at some point.

 

A strange Kiwi-story comes from the Japanese zoo of Osaka. This zoo had become a Kiwi as a present from New Zealand but in 1970 the animal died. After it's death the enclosure was however left as it was and also the sign was left on the enclosure on which the note was that the animal is nocturnal and hard to see !!
After 3 (!!!!) years they had to admit that the animal was already 3 years death because several visitors started to complain that they never saw the bird !

 

More on the Kiwis at Rotterdam Zoo. After some early attemps in the periods 1894-1895 and 1901-1902 the zoo obtained 2 animals during 1977 - at that time the only ones in Europe. These proofed however to be 2 males and in 1979 2 more Kiwis came to Rotterdam, at least one of them being a female.
1980 a pair was placed together but the excitement was so big that both birds died .
In the years after 1980 Rotterdam Zoo did some more work on Kiwis and if I remember right even eggs were produced but no succesfull breeding was archieved. 1991 Rotterdam stopped keeping Kiwis.

 

Anyone any ideas on the Wilmington zoo issue?

Calling all ZTL mods.

 

Do Kiwis breed in public aviaries? Isn't there too much sound disturbance?

 

The first Kiwi I ever saw was at London Zoo in the 1950's. It was kept in the old Stork and Ostrich house, and by day slept in a box. There was a daily 'exposition' when it was taken from its box by a keeper and shown to the public for a short while.

I cannot remember how many 'Kiwi houses' I saw in NZ outside of the Zoos, but nearly every major town, and some smaller ones on the Tourist route such as Queenstown, had one. There is also a place that had all three species, I can't remember the name but it wasn't Mount Bruce as I never went there.

 

It must have been Otorohanga then. Sounds familiar.