Can be found here - Auckland Zoo - Auckland Zoo map It has a new design and no longer features the circle icons. I noticed that most pages on their website have been updated since I last visited the site. The map also points out the locations of steps and the type of ground surface, making exploring the zoo easier for people in wheelchairs. Doesn't the new style look excellent! They also have some new encounters - Auckland Zoo - Animal Encounters
The new map is a big improvement on the old one, and it is interesting to see how many marquee animals Auckland has considering that it is regarded as being a fairly small zoo. Seeing otters and red pandas in two separate areas is a little bizarre, and the chimpanzees also seem out of place surrounded by Aussie wildlife, but of course the big news is that Te Wao Nui opens in September!
It's a very attractive map, I'm a huge map geek and I like the design and the animal images are very nice too. I was also struck by the repitition of exhibits. I guess perhaps it is to do with the fact that there is limited access to species of exotic mammal in New Zealand so where in, say North America or Europe space would be needed for other species, here that isn't the case. Is that correct? Also, a bit off topic, what is the flamingo situation like here? Is the population more viable than in Australia?
-The chimoanzee is a solitary elderly female in an old cage, she is ex-tea party and cannot be mixed with other chimps. -The flamingo situation is much better in NZ than Asutralia, Auckland has 8.8, the only flamingos in Australasia apart from a one/couple of very old ones in Australia. -I wouldn't have thought that three species (meerkat, red panda, otter) kept in two enclosures was that repetitive. I think its a combination of holding separate breeding groups and avoiding empty exhibits. As new exhibits are built (eg the new red panda/otter exhibits next to each other), or species are phased out, old empty exhibits may not be demolished/redone immediately, leaving spare exhibits. @Snow Leopard, what do you mean by marquee species? Just those shown on the map?
it is a nice map. I think by "marquee animals" snowleopard may be referring to drawcard animals like elephants, lions, tigers - marquee may be a Big Top analogy. you can't get much less viable than Australia's flamingo population
Marquee animals are drawcards that the public often wishes to see, and Auckland has many big-name species for a relatively small zoo: elephant, giraffe, zebra, hippo, rhino, lion, tiger, cheetah, great apes (chimpanzee, orangutan), etc.
If you did, Auckland would have none! This looks like a clean and tidy map, easy to read and decorative. I like it!
Oh rite, that makes sense. I guess its a small zoo from a size perspective, but (at least in NZ) its not a small zoo species-wise.
in terms of 'marcquee' animals, those exotic mega-stars people like to see in a zoo, Auckland is actually unique in Australasia for having the range they do. Theyre the only urban zoo in the region that has both river hippo and rhino, as well as a permanent and good range of big cats, plus great apes and elephants and rhinos. also setting auckland apart is the fairly good range of primates they have, beside the orangs, and the fact that they still have at least one exotic antelope species. theyre the only zoo with all these. as for the repitition of exhibits, Auckland should be applauded for this. if other zoos in Australia and NZ selected and then doubled up on a few more species each, the status of animals like fishing cats, binturongs, fennec fox and a host of others which could be viable if capacity was increased would be much more assured. more zoos should be aiming to boost their potential numbers of adults in their collection with room for offspring factored in. if they did this, programs would not be stalled all the time due to recommendations based on a lack of space. and why complain. i mean seriously, who could ever get bored of looking at otters or red pandas???
The only doubled up species are those that are small, have a regional focus or short lifespans... As for the Chimp she is solitary and 57... This area seems to me to be the only area of the zoo in need of a major renovation after Te Wao Nui and I'm guessing it will be an Asian area and/or a large walk through aviary... After finishing Te Wao Nui, fixing the Chimp area and expanding the Elephants holding area Auckland will be an outstanding small zoo...
