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Willowbank Wildlife Reserve Willowbank Wildlife Reserve News

Discussion in 'New Zealand' started by Tygo, 4 Dec 2016.

  1. Tygo

    Tygo Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Willowbank’s “Earthquake” Baby | Scoop News
     
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  2. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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  3. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    update from the above forum:
     
  4. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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  5. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Willowbank now has two green iguanas, presumably from the clutch produced at Ti Point in 2015 (of which there were twenty babies):
    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
     
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  6. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Willowbank now has some Antipodes Island Parakeets (three males). They used to have this species in the past, but maybe fifteen years ago.
     
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  7. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Four male Capybara bred at Auckland Zoo arrived at Willowbank last week. They are sharing the enclosure with the Small-clawed Otter. (This was from Facebook, the post of which makes it sound like they only have one otter now but I don't know if that is correct or just poor wording).
     
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  8. Zoofan15

    Zoofan15 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The four Capybara are:

    Pablo (born 07/06/2016) Kosh x Consuela
    Diego (born 29/09/2017) Kosh x Rosita
    Zorro (born 29/09/2017) Kosh x Rosita
    Julio (born 29/09/2017) Kosh x Rosita

    This article confirms there is only one remaining otter at Willowbank:

    Jandi (born 07/04/2003) Nip x Jade

    Four capybara join the family at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
     
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  9. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve are currently updating their nocturnal house for their kiwis. From their Facebook page:
    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
     
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  10. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willlowbank Wildlife Reserve has reopened to the public today. From the zoo's Facebook page:
    Security Check
     
  11. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willowbank has officially opened their renovated kiwi nocturnal house. They have a Great Spotted Kiwi and three North Island Brown Kiwis on-display. Various posts from their Facebook page:
    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
     
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  12. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve has received two Kaka - one from Dunedin Botanic Gardens and the other from Kiwi Birdlife Park. They will be receiving more Kaka with the intention of participating in the release programme at Abel Tasman National Park.
    Security Check
     
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  13. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willowbank is currently constructing a new central habitat space situated in their exotics area. The section will feature a raised viewing boardwalk with new exhibits for their capybara, macaws and red-eared sliders. It is expected to be open by early 2021:
    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
     
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  14. TNT

    TNT Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Willowbank is due to receive 0.5 Asian small-clawed otters from Auckland Zoo (mother and her daughters).
     
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  15. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Willowbank Wildlife Reserve have successfully hatched two Kea. They hatched back in September:

     
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  16. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    1.1 Takahē have arrived at Willowbank. They are both approximately two years old and the zoo hope they will breed in the near future: Log into Facebook | Facebook
     
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  17. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    A more thorough update from Willowbank's social media page regarding news from the past six months:

    *a Haast Brown Kiwi hatched on 6th October: "meet Rīwai - Born on 6 October 2021, weighing in at 366.8g.Rīwai is a Haast Tokoeka Kiwi chick. In Māori, the name means 'potato' as the chick's egg was shaped like a potato!"

    *a North Island Brown Kiwi hatched in early September: "we have a lockdown baby! Keeper Beth found this little darling fresh out of its egg when she arrived at work! This North Is brown kiwi came from an egg laid at Willowbank, that was partially incubated by the male kiwi and then the last short time has been in an incubator, under Beth's expert care. And it already has a name - Astro."

    *a female North Island Brown Kiwi was transferred to Kiwi North in May: "this week "Disco" left us to be paired up with a male kiwi at Kiwi North. Disco is a North Island Brown kiwi that hatched at Willowbank last season. She has been living in the Nocturnal House with her sisters and brother."

    *
    Okarito Brown Kiwi chicks were released March: "It takes a village to raise a child and rowi kiwi are no different! Hatched by the West Coast Wildlife Center, these chicks are then sent to us to grow up! They live with a buddy in predator free section of Willowbank. Once reaching 800g and given a full bill of health, Air New Zealand steps in to help the iconic flightless bird fly. The Department of Conservation team collect them from the airport, fit them with transmitters, and take them to a predator free island. Once released, they adapt to being wild kiwi! The pictures show you just a little part of their journey, leaving Willowbank and arriving on Motuara Island."

    *Four Okarito Brown Kiwi chicks also hatched at Willowbank: "Introducing Galaxy! One of four rowi kiwi chicks hatched at Willowbank this season. This is Galaxy being introduced to peat moss in a brooder."

    *interesting to note Willowbank currently house a pair of Citron-crested Cockatoos. They live with Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.
     
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  18. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    0.2 Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs have arrived from Hamilton Zoo. The lemurs are on-display in the old macaw aviary while the macaws - both Scarlet and Blue and Gold - have recently moved into a new aviary next to the capybara: Log into Facebook | Facebook
     
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  19. WhistlingKite24

    WhistlingKite24 Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    0.1 Okarito Brown Kiwi has arrived at Willowbank as an unreleasable resident. She hatched in the wild and entered captivity in 1995. There was a release attempt but the kiwi fell off a cliff and damaged her beak. She then remained in care until her transfer to Willowbank on Christmas Eve: Smiley the kiwi finds a new home after 25 years with West Coast woman
     
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  20. Zoofan15

    Zoofan15 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Update from my Visit (10/01/2023)

    Capybara:

    Willowbank now has a female Capybara. Maria was born at Auckland Zoo and transferred to Wellington Zoo when Auckland phased this species out:

    0.1 Maria (27/08/2018)

    Maria is housed in Willowbank’s smaller Capybara exhibit with a male. He is presumably one of these four males as three remain in the larger Capybara exhibit:

    1.0 Pablo (07/06/2016)
    1.0 Diego (29/09/2017)
    1.0 Zorro (29/09/2017)
    1.0 Julio (29/09/2017)

    Since Maria is either the sibling or half sibling of these four males (same sire; two different mothers), I would assume this is a pairing for companionship purposes.

    Lemur walk through:

    The zoo are planning to construct a walk through lemur exhibit as part of their renewal plans. The walk through will include Black and white ruffed lemur and Ring-tailed lemur (both housed at the zoo).

    Clearance of the site has begun within the Wild New Zealand precinct.

    Photos from my visit can be found here: Willowbank Wildlife Reserve - ZooChat