24 December 2010

Early Christmas Celebration for Orana's Animals

Orana Wildlife Park Animal Keepers gave out early Christmas presents to the animals today as the Park is closed on Christmas Day (animals are fed that day though). Some images are attached showing the Lions with their presents.

The Lions received three large gift wrapped boxes containing meaty treats along with some meat ice blocks. Carnivore Keeper, Rob Clifford, said the Lions were entertaining to watch as they 'unwrapped' their gifts: "It was great to see the cats rip into their presents, especially the five young Lions (aged 18 months). They played with their food based treats for some time although there were a few 'arguments' over the gifts."

Primate Keeper, Nichola Creighton, says treats were also prepared for the Spider Monkeys and Siamang Gibbons: "We placed Christmas trees, containing a range of food treats, on the primate islands and it was fascinating to see these curious animals enjoy their presents. We are privileged to work with these amazing creatures so it was nice to provide them with a Christmas treat - especially for little Cian, our four month old Siamang, who celebrates his first Christmas. We work hard to provide a stimulating habitat for the animals and these Christmas presents were something different for them that they will interact with for some time."

Orana Wildlife Park is involved in the zoo-based breeding programmes for threatened animal species such as Siamangs, Monkeys, Cheetah and Lions. Park staff consider that conservation is everyone's responsibility and urge people to purchase sustainably produced products over the summer period. For example products that do not contain palm oil or wood products that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

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01 December 2010

Farewell to the handsome 'hairy' boys

This week, Orana Wildlife Park staff and volunteers will farewell Malik and Zulu, two six year old male lions affectionately nick-named the 'hairy boys'. Malik and Zulu are the only lions with full manes living at Orana. The big cats, each weighing over 170 kilograms, will return home to Wellington Zoo following a two year stay in Christchurch on a breeding loan.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says staff will miss the big cats: "Malik and Zulu have been immensely popular with staff, volunteers and especially amongst Park visitors. They are nice natured cats and it has been a pleasure to work with them."

"Our team has enjoyed the challenge of managing Malik and Zulu as well as our thirteen other lions. The purpose of their transfer was to produce cubs and we are delighted that Malik sired five youngsters (two females and five males) during their stay. Prior to their arrival at Orana, neither of the cats had produced any offspring so it is great that Malik became a successful breeder. Unfortunately Zulu did not sire any cubs."

Malik and Zulu were transferred to Orana as part of the zoo-based breeding programme. "This temporary breeding loan was a unique way to manage the species. Prior to the arrival of Malik and Zulu, we had been working with the Species Co-ordinator to locate a suitable breeding lion for a number of years, but several possible transfer options did not eventuate. Park staff then suggested that we borrow the Wellington animals on a loan basis whilst Wellington Zoo modified their lion habitat. Wellington's lions were confirmed (by the Species Co-ordinator) to be a suitable genetic match for our lionesses. The movement of the lions between the two organisations is a great example of how zoos work together for species conservation".

The lions will be transferred to Wellington Zoo via road and then by ferry across Cook Strait. Malik and Zulu will only be anaesthetised for the move from their enclosure to the travel crate, but will be given a long-acting sedative for the duration of the journey to Wellington.

On their return to Wellington, the boys they will be introduced to the Zoo's three female lions in their newly refurbished enclosure: "We are very excited about having all five lions together in the same space for the first time" says Paul Horton, Team Leader Carnivores at Wellington Zoo. "We are really pleased that they have made such a great contribution to the Orana Wildlife Park breeding programme and we look forward to having some of that same success here".

"I am sure that the team at Wellington Zoo are all looking forward to seeing the two hairy boys again. We hope that Malik and Zulu settle in well on their arrival and that they continue to make a valuable contribution to the breeding programme by producing many more cubs" says Ian.

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26 November 2010

Sounds Wild

Conservation advocacy is one of the key roles of modern zoos such as Orana Wildlife Park. Two recent grants from the Eureka Trust have enabled the Park to have new public address systems installed at animal exhibits. The new systems, installed by Strawberry Sound, greatly enhance the delivery of Orana's daily animal feed presentations.

Visitor Services Manager, Nathan Hawke, says that public presentations are a major part of the Orana visitor experience: "Every day we have 16 exciting animal feeds accompanied by a presentation by keepers or a wildlife guide. These regular presentations are a key point of difference for the Park and have progressively helped to extend the visit duration. The animal feeds are a great opportunity for visitors to not only see the animals up close, but to interact with our staff who work with the animals."

Park staff have worked hard to dramatically improve the public presentations. "Formal (internal) presentation guidelines have been developed to integrate key conservation messages and take home actions into all presentations. This reflects our desire to maintain best practice in terms of conservation advocacy. Staff have surveyed visitors and found that respondents had learnt about a conservation issue during their Park visit and were able to identify ways that they could assist at home."

Following the implementation of the presentation guidelines, an upgrade of the presentation equipment was required to further enhance the quality of those talks. "The new communication systems have helped us to revamp some of the presentations, making them even more entertaining. For example, keepers can now conduct the Spider Monkey presentation from the monkey island whilst feeding the animals. At the Rhino habitat, keepers can give their talk whilst tending to the animals. Overall the systems help us to more clearly present our conservation messages to visitors which adds to the quality of the visitor experience."

As a registered charitable trust and not-for-profit organisation, Orana must separately fundraise for all capital projects and enhancements such as the communication upgrade. "Park staff take the opportunity to sincerely thank the Eureka Trust as well as Strawberry Sound for making this project a reality."

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18 November 2010

New Zealand's First Gorilla Group coming to Orana!

Orana Wildlife Park staff are delighted to announce that the Park is about to embark upon the most ambitious project in its 34 year history - to construct a habitat for the Critically Endangered Western Lowland Gorilla. This project will bring the first ever group of gorillas to New Zealand! Fundraising is underway and work has begun on clearing the site for this project.

Chief Executive, Lynn Anderson, says Park staff and volunteers are extremely excited about this high profile exhibit: "This an extremely significant project - it will be a first for New Zealand as gorillas have never been displayed in the country. Therefore the development will not only benefit the Park, it will be a boost for the Canterbury region."

"Gorillas are immensely popular animals and are totally different to anything else displayed at the Park. The project will help us attract more visitors, significantly enhance the Park experience and provide us with many new opportunities, especially for our formal education programmes."

Western Lowland Gorillas are classified as Critically Endangered (IUCN) due to hunting (bush meat), disease (especially the ebola virus) and habitat loss. Orana will join the international zoo-based breeding programme and help raise awareness on the plight of these beautiful animals. "Initially we will hold a bachelor group of three animals including a large Silverback named Kibabu (aged 33), and his two sons Fataki (7) and Fuzu (3). These animals currently live at Taronga Zoo (Sydney) and, owing to the scale of the project, are due to be transferred to Orana Wildlife Park in 2013."

"As well as supporting the zoo-based international breeding programme, the project will enable people to see one of the world's most impressive primates! Male Silverbacks such as Kibabu have the strength of 11 men, can grow to 1.7 metres in height and weigh over 200kg!"

Taronga Zoo's Primate Manager, Louise Grossfeldt, says the move by Kibabu and the young males is critical to the stability of Taronga's world renowned Western Lowland Gorilla group and mirrors the lifecycle of male gorillas in the wild. "Bachelor groups are common in gorilla society. Fuzu and Fataki will soon be reaching sexual maturity and in the wild they would be driven away from their family groups by the Silverback so he can maintain his dominance. As much as all the keepers respect and admire Kibabu as a near-perfect leader, we also know it's important for the stability of our female group and the on-going breeding programme that a new Silverback takes over the reins. In the wild, females would disband and move on from an ageing Silverback."

Gorillas are the largest and most powerful of all the primates and are one of the Great Apes (along with Orang-utans, Chimpanzees and Bonobos). Gorillas are extremely intriguing animals owing to their immense size and 'human-like' behaviour. They form very active display groups as they regularly forage for food and often sit close to glass barriers.

"The Park will develop an innovative habitat for these mighty animals. The gorillas will have a large indoor playroom, a big outdoor grassed area and visitors will have the opportunity to view them across water moats and through glass barriers. The habitat will be constructed at the Western end of the Park, meaning power will be added to that area. This will enable many future exhibits to be completed nearby" says Lynn.

The gorilla habitat will cost $2 million and thanks to a grant from the Eureka Trust we have $150,000 in hand. "Orana is a not-for-profit organisation and we must separately fundraise for all capital projects. A major city-wide fundraising initiative was set to occur this year but due to the earthquake it has been postponed until early next year."

"We seek the assistance of all Cantabrians to get behind this exciting project. Their support will help bring one of the world's most impressive primates to Christchurch."

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11 November 2010

Cool Grant

Orana Wildlife Park has recently installed a permanent walk-in meat chiller for its carnivores, thanks to a grant from the Canterbury Community Trust. As a charitable trust, the Park must separately fundraise for all capital developments and the meat chiller has been an essential addition which helps to enhance the well being of the animals.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says the installation of the chiller unit has been timely given the significant increase in Orana's carnivore population over the past eighteen months: "Our Lion and Cheetah numbers have grown significantly and more births are expected later this year. Five Lion cubs and seven Cheetah cubs were recently born meaning our total Lion group has increased by 50% and the Cheetah population has grown by 40%!"

"The growth of our carnivore population is the result of our involvement in zoo-based breeding programmes for endangered species but this does have implications on animal food storage. Currently over 800kg of frozen meat, costing around $1,800, arrives each week for our hungry carnivores! Properly storing and thawing the meat is essential to feeding out food at optimum quality, so the chiller unit is absolutely fantastic."

"As well as holding 15 Lions and 17 Cheetah, Orana is also home for 2 Tigers, 7 Wild Dogs and 5 Otters all of which benefit from the new meat chiller."

The Park previously had a temporary walk-in fridge to manage the dietary requirements of the carnivores. "As our animal collection has been growing, and little appetites turned into big appetites, it was essential that a permanent walk-in chiller system be installed. The chiller ensures we provide the best quality food for our animals, maintaining the health (and potentially longevity) of our carnivores. This in turn maximises our chances of breeding them and making a greater contribution to the preservation of the species."

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14 June 2010

Young Zebra Mare Arrives at Orana

Kitui, a two and a half year old Zebra mare, is the latest arrival at Orana Wildlife Park. The Zebra was transferred to the Park by plane from Werribee Open Range Zoo (Victoria, Australia) on Tuesday, as part of the zoo-based breeding programme for the species. Kitui was born at Werribee and she is settling in well to her new home, currently off display, at Orana.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says "Kitui is a lovely looking animal with exquisite markings and a relaxed disposition. She is a really nice sized animal with good breeding potential."

The transfer of Kitui was the first phase of an effort to once again breed Zebra at Orana: "The ultimate aim is to get foals on the ground. Next week we plan to introduce Kitui to Mavara, a 20 year old resident stallion, and those two animals will be on public display in the near future. Then, next year, we will transfer another mare from Hamilton Zoo to further boost our chances of producing offspring" adds Ian.

"The Park has produced twelve Zebra foals over the years but the last Zebra was born at Orana in 1993, so it would be fantastic to have baby Zebra again" concludes Ian.

Orana now holds six Zebra - two stallions and four mares.

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15 October 2010

Young Zebra Mare Arrives at Orana

Kitui, a two and a half year old Zebra mare, is the latest arrival at Orana Wildlife Park. The Zebra was transferred to the Park by plane from Werribee Open Range Zoo (Victoria, Australia) on Tuesday, as part of the zoo-based breeding programme for the species. Kitui was born at Werribee and she is settling in well to her new home, currently off display, at Orana.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says "Kitui is a lovely looking animal with exquisite markings and a relaxed disposition. She is a really nice sized animal with good breeding potential."

The transfer of Kitui was the first phase of an effort to once again breed Zebra at Orana: "The ultimate aim is to get foals on the ground. Next week we plan to introduce Kitui to Mavara, a 20 year old resident stallion, and those two animals will be on public display in the near future. Then, next year, we will transfer another mare from Hamilton Zoo to further boost our chances of producing offspring" adds Ian.

"The Park has produced twelve Zebra foals over the years but the last Zebra was born at Orana in 1993, so it would be fantastic to have baby Zebra again" concludes Ian. Orana now holds six Zebra - two stallions and four mares.

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13 October 2010

Passionate New Zealand Native Advocate Passes Away

Sam Roberts was an ardent advocate for New Zealand's stunning native wildlife. He completed over 20,000 hours of voluntary service at Orana Wildlife Park where he was a staunch supporter of native fauna and enthused thousands of visitors about the plight of New Zealand's special creatures. Sadly, Sam passed away on Monday night. He was in his 72nd year.

Sam volunteered at the Park from 1988 and officially retired in September 2005 after completing over 20,000 hours of service. However, Sam and his wife Isobel continued to volunteer at the Park on occasion after he officially retired.

Orana's Chief Executive, Lynn Anderson, says Sam was a truly remarkable man: "He made an incredible contribution to New Zealand native conservation in the face of a very debilitating illness. About thirteen years ago, Sam developed Parkinson's disease and at the time turned his attention from providing guided Park tours to developing high quality native advocacy displays. Because of the significant educational nature of his creations, Park management set aside an unused room for him to develop his projects and named the building Sam's Place in his honour. Sam completed a number of different interpretive displays, all of which helped educate visitors on the plight of some of New Zealand's most charismatic native species, including Kakapo, Kiwi, Tuatara and Kea."

Orana's Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, worked with Sam for fifteen years: "Sam's advocacy work was invaluable because in our setting it can be a challenge to excite people about native creatures. But Sam was determined that New Zealand native species ought to be a primary focus in our Park and he worked hard to achieve that."

"Not only was Sam a vocal advocate, he also helped us to create our fantastic walk-through Kea aviary that was opened last year. Sam was influential in the design of that exhibit and the aviary was mostly funded through his wife, Isobel's, family. Our award winning Kea aviary is a testament to Sam's passion for native species" adds Tara.

Sam was publicly acknowledged for his service to native wildlife through a Christchurch City Council Civic Award and a Fendalton/Waimariri Community Board Award.

When Sam retired as a Park volunteer, he said his reason for volunteering had been simple: "It provides a form of escapism. I love New Zealand wildlife and want it preserved. I believe very strongly that education is the way to achieve conservation - we can't have one without the other. I like to think that we (volunteers) have done our bit to help educate visitors and hopefully have had positive impact on them."

"Sam was an inspiration to many and had a profound affect on our visitors, prompting many to personally write to him after their visit. He will be sadly missed" adds Lynn.

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6 September 2010

Orana Re-opens following loss of Lemur during Quake

Orana Wildlife Park staff are mourning the loss of Gidro, a 10 year old Black and White Ruffed Lemur that sadly drowned as a result of the Christchurch earthquake. Gidro is believed to be one of the few fatalities of the earthquake.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says staff will miss Gidro dearly: "He was a fantastic animal to work with, a really nice natured Lemur and a favourite amongst staff. Many visitors will have had the opportunity to meet him up close and others would have seen him interact with staff at the daily feed presentation."

"We are gutted at the loss of Gidro but are also very thankful that all other animals were unharmed. That is remarkable considering the magnitude of the earthquake and the fact that animals do not generally react well to such disasters. The subsequent aftershocks have had virtually no impact on the animals" adds Ian.

However, native fauna keepers remain very concerned about a Kiwi egg that is due to hatch soon. "We lost power for almost four hours and that poor little egg was rocked about inside its incubator. Today we saw movement in the egg so we are hopeful that the chick will hatch - but it will be a miracle if the chick is alright" says Tara Atkinson, Head Keeper of Native Fauna.

Orana Wildlife Park was closed over the weekend but has re-opened today and is operating as normal. There is no structural damage.

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4 August 2010

Swapping Wildlife for Whistle Blowing

It's 6am on a Monday morning and Nicky Inwood is doing some intense shuttle runs before heading off to work at Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park. The early morning work out is part of a rigorous, five days-a-week, training schedule required of a volunteer rugby referee.

In just under two weeks, Nicky will swap the daily routine of hand feeding Giraffes and informing Park visitors about the plight of endangered wildlife, to being the only New Zealand referee at the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup! Nicky will be in action on Day One and will be in charge of the France versus Sweden game.

Nicky says the upcoming event will be the fourth World Cup she has attended: "I was at the first ever global tournament as a player in 1991. I then refereed at the 2002 and 2006 events. I am involved in refereeing because I love the game of rugby and it is a huge honour to represent New Zealand."

The 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup is being held in London at the Surrey Sports Centre. Nicky is guaranteed one game as a referee and one as an assistant referee. More games will be offered based upon her performances in the early stages of the event. "Just like the players, I get knocked-out if I don't perform. But, as a passionate New Zealander, I hope I cannot referee the final as it would be great to see the Black Ferns get through to that stage" says Nicky.

Nicky has gained many significant achievements in the sport: "I was very proud to be the first woman to ever referee a women's rugby international; to date, I am the only New Zealand woman to have refereed a game on the hallowed turf of Twickenham; and once the upcoming tournament kicks off I will be the first woman to have refereed at three World Cups!" As well as earning 11 test caps as a player (front row hooker), she has refereed 13 test matches and has amassed 46 first class games as a whistle blower.

Nicky has been refereeing for the past 11 seasons (in Wanganui, Waikato and Canterbury) and was introduced to the role by accident. "I went to watch a friend play and the referee never turned up. I said I'd give it a go and as it happened an assessor was at the game as he was supposed to examine the performance of the absent ref. He said I did a good job and asked if I wanted to do it again!" explains Nicky.

As an amateur referee, Nicky must balance her refereeing with a full-time occupation. "I have a wonderful job working as a Visitor Services Co-ordinator at Orana Wildlife Park. The role includes overseeing and managing the Park's extensive volunteer programme; monitoring behind the scenes tours and appraising presentations to the public. It is the perfect balance for running around a rugby field" says Nicky.

Nicky says her motivation to continue refereeing is based upon a desire to continually improve: "Whilst it is a constant challenge, balancing work with my rugby commitments, I still love it. There are still things I want to achieve and standards to meet. I'm yet to achieve that "complete performance" so I'm still fresh and excited about the challenges ahead" concludes Nicky.

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23 June 2010

CDHB Operating Table Used to Neuter Lions

A male Lion cub will get 'the snip' tomorrow morning at Orana Wildlife Park. Last week the Park's two other male cubs were vasectomised. The one year old cats, each weighing 65kg, are being neutered to prevent future inbreeding and to create a more harmonious pride as the Lions age. The procedure tomorrow will take place on an operating table donated by the Canterbury District Health Board.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says it is important to neuter the cubs before they get too much bigger: "Lions can be extremely aggressive animals and fight for dominance of their pride and over females. Past experience has shown us that neutering male Lion cubs significantly reduces infighting and aggression amongst the cats when they mature. It is therefore an effective way to manage our cats."

"We gratefully acknowledge the CDHB for donating the operating table. It is perfect for the cubs' operation and will be an extremely useful piece of equipment for any future operations for animals weighing up to 250kg - that includes virtually all of our smaller hoofstock animals such as Zebra, through to our larger carnivores," adds Ian.

The Canterbury District Health Board was pleased to help out when Ian Adams contacted them to see if an unused operating table was available for operations at the park, says Marie Lory, Peri-operative Nurse Manager at Christchurch Hospital.

We are very happy to have one of our older manual operating tables continue its life at Orana Wildlife Park. Technology improvements have meant that the CDHB has a planned replacement programme for our operating tables which means that we sometimes have tables available that we don't use any longer," says Marie.

Fifteen Lions currently live at Orana Wildlife Park including five youngsters (three males and two females). The five little Lions are the result of long term planning that involved transferring two male Lions, Malik and Zulu, from Wellington Zoo on a temporary breeding loan. Park staff plan to introduce Malik and Zulu to three other Lionesses in the near future so we are hopeful of many more cubs.

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14 June 2010

Eco Friendly Name for Calf

Orana Wildlife Park's Rhino calf was officially named 'Eco' at an event today. The naming rights for the little Rhino were auctioned on TradeMe and the winning bidder (at $5,350) was Carpet Court Christchurch City.

Orana's Public Relations Manager, Nathan Hawke, says staff are thrilled: "The name Eco was chosen as it relates to an exclusive new brand of carpet that was actually durability tested by a Rhino – we think this is a fantastic fit with our calf and a great story. Additionally, 'Eco' is a very appropriate link with the conservation aims of our organisation."

Carpet Court Christchurch City's owner, Laura-Jean Fitzgibbon, says her team is very excited to be able to name the Rhino calf: "We admire the role Orana Wildlife Park plays in the White Rhino breeding programme and are delighted to have the privilege of naming the beautiful baby boy. The link between the boisterous calf and Carpet Court is based upon a unique story. Eco-strand is a revolutionary new fibre which embodies the tough, resilient characteristics of a Rhino, whilst remaining super soft and luxurious to touch. Eco-strand has in fact survived a thorough testing by a Rhino named Ricko in America."

"Over the course of a 14 day period, Ricko lived on the Eco-strand carpet and made the kind of mess only a one and a half tonne Rhino could produce! After this time, the carpet was washed and it immediately bounced back into shape and all the stains were cleaned with just warm water and a mild bio-friendly detergent. With these thoughts in mind, we thought winning the auction was a fantastic opportunity to align the Eco-strand name with this delightful calf" adds Laura-Jean.

Park staff were thrilled with the TradeMe auction result. Aside from the positive new partnership formed with Carpet Court Christchurch City and the funds generated, there were numerous other benefits: "Nearly 48,000 people viewed the listing over the week! Most importantly, we were able to engage with viewers by answering 350 questions - this enabled us to discuss a range of topics from the plight of Rhinos through to how people can help native species. One of our roles as a modern zoo is conservation advocacy and this auction generated mass awareness of our delightful little Rhino calf. The profile generated through this exercise was overwhelming" says Nathan.

Hey kids! We want you to download the image, colour this in and complete the details then bring it in to Carpet Court either at 309 Cashel Street, Christchurch OR 98 Williams Street, Kaiapoi (To download the colouring competition image, right click on the cartoon Rhino, select Save Target As and then print it from your harddrive).

All entries will go in the draw to receive a child’s pass to Orana Wildlife Park for you to come and meet little Eco, our Rhino calf.

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14 June 2010

Trade Me Auction Results in Name for Rhino Calf

Orana Wildlife Park's six week old Rhino calf will be named at a ceremony tomorrow afternoon (1pm). The naming rights for the delightful 'little' Rhino (now weighing over 70kg) were auctioned on Trade Me and the listing closed last Thursday night. After a late flurry of bids, the winning amount was $5,350 which will support Orana's White Rhino breeding programme.

The winning bidder will remain anonymous until the naming event tomorrow where they will announce the name of the calf. Orana's Public Relations Manager, Nathan Hawke, is delighted with the result of the auction: "The successful bidder has a fantastic and rather surprising fit with the Park's objectives. Whilst they will remain a mystery until the ceremony, I can hint that they are tied in with an amazing story which will really 'wow' the public. This is the first time we have utilised Trade Me for fundraising purposes and the results have been superb. Orana is a registered charitable trust so fundraising is key part of our operation."

There were numerous other benefits of the auction, aside from the funds generated. "Nearly 48,000 people viewed the listing over the week! Most importantly, we were able to engage with viewers by answering 350 questions - this enabled us to discuss a range of topics from the plight of Rhinos through to how people can help native species. One of our roles as a modern zoo is conservation advocacy and this auction generated mass awareness of our delightful little Rhino calf. The profile generated through this exercise was overwhelming and has also resulted in increased visitation to the Park and our website" adds Hawke.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says the calf is progressing nicely: "He is developing well and enjoying spending time in his new surroundings. He has been blissfully unaware of the hype surrounding his name."

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1 June 2010

Baby Boy Rhino at Orana!

Following a mammoth 17 month pregnancy White Rhino, Tamu (7), became a first time mum five weeks ago, delivering a 55kg calf! This morning, the yet to be named male calf made his first public appearance and everything went to plan with the young calf thrilling the onlookers.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says staff had been monitoring Tamu throughout her pregnancy: "We were pleased that everything went smoothly. Keepers arrived at work on a Saturday morning to find the healthy calf had been born overnight which was a nice surprise for staff. Due to the richness of the mother's milk, Rhino calves can gain more than 2kg per day in their first few months. Our calf is growing steadily and now weighs around 70kg."

Tamu, and another female Rhino, Katala, were transferred to Orana in 2007 from Perth Zoo to inject new bloodlines into Orana's Rhino herd and enhance breeding potential. "Naturally, staff are delighted that all the work involved in that transfer has resulted in a healthy calf" says Ian.

Katala and Tamu have been reunited behind the scenes and they, along with the calf, will move to a display exhibit giving visitors the chance to see the delightful calf. "We had hoped that the calf would be on display sooner, but the recent spell of wet weather has meant the calf has remained tucked up with Tamu in the warmth of their night shelter."

Seven Rhinos now live at Orana and in due course Tamu and her calf will be integrated with another two females and then one male. Since producing her calf, Tamu has become a much more assertive Rhino and staff members expect there may be a change in hierarchy amongst the herd. "It is great to see Tamu's maternal instincts kick in" adds Ian.

The baby is just the second Rhino to be born at Orana. The first calf, Ibutho, was born in 1999 and he was the first Rhino born in New Zealand. Ibutho now lives in Australia. Male Rhino, Cyrano (23), has sired both calves. "The parents of both calves are captive born animals. Both births are therefore significant achievements for Orana as the reproduction rate of captive born White Rhinos in captivity is extremely low" adds Ian.

Park staff are planning a naming competition, via an auction (Trade Me) where people can bid for the chance to name this boisterous calf. In the meantime, visitors will have the chance to view the calf, although this will only be on fine weather days and he will continue to have access to the night area (meaning viewing time will be limited) until he settles into his new surroundings.

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7 May 2010

Multiple Mums for Gorgeous Chick

Orana Wildlife Park's seventeen day old Kiwi chick is lucky enough to have multiple 'mums' all checking its ongoing development! Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, describes the role of her team with the baby: "We spend a lot of time checking on the progress of our gorgeous little Kiwi chick. Each day we need to monitor the chick's weight, check how much food it has eaten and ensure that its navel and vent are clean and clear. We all feel like proud mums as the chick reaches each milestone, such as starting to eat and gaining weight."

The healthy chick is the second Kiwi hatched at the Park within six months. The arrival of the baby is the combined effort of staff members at Southern Encounter Aquarium & Kiwi House (where parent birds Tu and Ana produced the egg) and Orana Wildlife Park (where at 43 days the egg was transferred for incubation - it hatched at 69 days). Both attractions are operated by Orana Wildlife Trust.

The fluffy little chick now weighs 236 grams, 30 grams under its hatch weight of 266 grams. Upon hatching, Kiwi chicks continue to loose weight for around ten days whilst they slowly absorb an internal yolk sac. They put on weight once they start eating.

"The next milestone will be when the chick reaches its hatch weight. We are thrilled with the progress of our little baby though and it is developing a very distinct attitude – it's very feisty and extremely fast at running around its home. The chick remains off public display in the warmth of its brooder" adds Tara.

Kiwi are under constant threat, particularly from introduced mammals and habitat loss. Captive breeding programmes play a vital role in the conservation of the species. People can help wild Kiwi by being more aware that dogs kill Kiwi and hence need to be controlled in Kiwi habitat.

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22 April 2010

Kiwi Egg from Aquarium Hatches at Zoo

A 266 gram Kiwi chick hatched at Orana Wildlife Park on Tuesday night! The arrival of the baby is the combined effort of staff members at Southern Encounter Aquarium & Kiwi House, where parent birds Tu (five) and Ana (three) produced the egg, and Orana Wildlife Park, where at 43 days the egg was transferred for incubation. Both attractions are operated by Orana Wildlife Trust.

Southern Encounter Operations Manager, Dave Bradshaw is delighted that the first viable egg produced at the attraction has hatched: "We are stoked that Tu and Ana produced a chick. It is a credit to the team that a viable egg was produced in a Nocturnal House. Our guides work hard to ensure that the birds live in a stress free environment. The fact that the egg was incubated in this display demonstrates they are relaxed in their environment. We take this opportunity to thank the public for their understanding whilst our Kiwi incubated the egg, as our Kiwi display was affected during this time".

Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, says her team incubated a 'speedy egg': "The chick hatched at just 69 days - the 'normal' hatch period for Kiwi is 75-82 days. Tu the male is obviously a very good sitter as throughout the incubation the egg always looked at least seven days more advanced than 'normal' meaning he looked after the egg very well. The chick is gorgeous and we are very privileged to work with these amazing national treasures."

Once the egg was harvested for artificial incubation (which is considered best practice in captivity), staff continually monitored the egg's development. Staff performed a range of tasks including manually turning the egg four times each day and candling the egg twice each week (shining a light through the egg) to check growth rates and watch for any anomalies such as cracks or incorrect positioning of the chick.

"We are delighted to have had two chicks hatch at the Park within six months. Both chicks were born to young, first time parents, so we hope that we will be very busy incubating many Kiwi chicks next breeding season. Sadly, the first chick died in January as it faced many issues but this latest chick appears to be a very healthy animal" adds Tara.

Whilst Park staff are busy monitoring the new chick, a range of Kiwi transfers will commence this week. A young female Kiwi is due to arrive from Otorohanga Kiwi House on Friday. Then, the Park will send a young female to Queenstown (Kiwi & Birdlife Park). These transfers will form two new breeding pairs. Tu and Ana will soon be transferred to Orana's outdoor breeding unit and two young Kiwi will then move to Southern Encounter.

"It really is a delight to work with Kiwi chicks – they are such wonderful animals and our team is all very excited by the prospect of watching the little chick progress" says Tara.

Kiwi are under constant threat, particularly from introduced mammals as well as habitat loss and captive breeding programmes play a vital role in the conservation of the species. People can help wild Kiwi by being more aware that dogs kill Kiwi and hence need to be controlled in Kiwi habitat.

"If people are visiting suspected Kiwi habitat we urge them to leave their dog at home, or keep it on a leash at all times. If land owner's have property bordering bush land, we hope people will become aware that Kiwi frequently forage at the bush margin and pastures. In this situation, it is best to keep dogs contained at night. All of these measures will help conserve Kiwi" concludes Tara.

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15 April 2010

Swinging Siamang Celebrates 1st Birthday

Jasper, Orana Wildlife Park's sprightly young Siamang Gibbon ape, turned one yesterday and his keepers prepared piñata presents for the birthday celebration. Jasper was the first ape born at Orana and the little primate is popular with visitors as he is a very active animal. The Siamang exhibit has always been an intriguing area for visitors owing to the wonderful loud singing of the Siamangs, but the addition of a baby has made the habitat even more interesting.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says Jasper is an important animal for the regional breeding programme: "Jasper's father, Oscar, is a new founder animal for the Australasian Species Management Programme for Siamangs and was transferred from Singapore Zoo in 2006. He is a confiscated wild caught animal and provides genuine new bloodlines as he is unrelated to all other Siamangs in this region meaning Jasper is a genetically valuable animal."

Primate Keeper, Nichola Creighton, says Jasper is a delight to work with: "He is very cute and is progressing nicely and really seemed to enjoy the piñata presents we placed on the island yesterday. Jasper is a quick learner and is especially good at swinging across ropes and climbing trees. He is even starting to squeak along when his parents sing!"

Siamangs normally live in family groups and once a youngster is weaned from its mother, the father then takes over the primary caregiver role. To the delight of staff, Oscar is proving to be a fantastic father: "Jasper spends most of his time with his dad and is starting to wander off on his own. However, he is still very dependent and Oscar is a very attentive father, in fact Jasper only needs to make one squeak and Oscar drops what he is doing to rush to Jasper. Mother Peggy gave Jasper a great start to life so both of our Siamangs have been good parents" adds Nichola.

Siamang Gibbons are classified as 'Endangered' by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The species is threatened due to a number of factors, particularly habitat loss as their forest home is being destroyed especially for Palm oil plantation. The illegal pet trade also continues to make a negative impact upon wild Siamang populations. Park staff members encourage people to embrace the 'Think Globally, Act Locally' idea to help Siamangs: "We consider conservation to be everyone's responsibility. Locally, people can assist by ensuring they purchase Palm oil free products" adds Ian.

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12 April 2010

Bitter-sweet Cheetah Celebration

Orana Wildlife Park's four hand-raised Cheetah, Kunjuka, Shomari, Cango and Mazza, celebrated their first birthday on Friday! Last year, Park staff saved the cats by choosing to hand-raise them, as their first time mother, Kura, abandoned the cubs. One year later, the cats are thriving and visitors can have a personal encounter with them.

During the cubs' first six weeks of life, two animal keepers worked a 12 hour, 7 day a week shift, tending to the needs of the cubs. The keepers' roles included feeding, cleaning and toileting the animals as well as carefully monitoring their growth rates.

Graeme Petrie, Orana's Head Keeper of Exotic Mammals (and one of the two staff who hand-raised the cubs), is delighted with their progress: "It has been a privilege to see these cats develop over the past year. They each have distinct personalities and we still have daily contact with them. They are awesome animals."

Sadly, the birthday celebration is bitter-sweet for Park staff who were devastated by the sudden loss of Kura, the cats' mother, just over a week ago (aged five and a half). The post mortem indicates she died of enteritis but further testing is taking place to provide more specific information. Last November, Kura produced her second litter of cubs and she was a fantastic mother to those four cats (three males and one female). Aged four and a half months, the cubs are old enough to survive on their own, but remain off public display.

Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, says the past week has been a rough time for staff: "Kura's passing is a massive loss for us. She was born here in 2004 and made a significant contribution to the captive breeding programme for her species by producing eight cubs. She is sadly missed but her legacy lives on through her cubs and it is nice to celebrate the birthday of her first litter of cats."

Cheetah are a flagship species for Orana and to date nineteen cats have been raised (eighteen Cheetah currently live at the Park). Orana has experienced breeding success with three Queens over the years now. The Park is the only New Zealand zoo currently breeding Cheetah as part of the international breeding programme.

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23 March 2010

Prize for Protected Parrots

Orana Wildlife Park's new walk-through Kea habitat was judged the winner of an Exhibit Design Award (small scale category - under $500,000) at the regional Zoo and Aquarium Association's annual awards ceremony last week. The prestigious Exhibit Design category recognises 'outstanding achievement in animal housing and exhibit design.'

Native Fauna Head Keeper, Tara Atkinson, is delighted to receive the award: "We are very proud of our Kea aviary as it enhances the wellbeing of our birds whilst offering an immersive encounter for visitors. It is extremely gratifying to receive an award, judged by our industry peers, that recognises high standards in animal care."

The 352 square metre aviary was designed to showcase the intelligence and uniqueness of Kea whilst highlighting the fact that the birds are endangered. Visitors traverse a board walk through the aviary and then exit via an alpine themed musterer's hut.

"There are numerous benefits of the habitat. In terms of animal management, we are seeing natural behaviours that were not evident in the past. For example the birds enjoy stretching their wings in flight, landing hard on the veranda roof then running along it just to make noise and the birds are especially interested by the constant stream of visitors in their home" adds Tara.

The aviary has also made a positive impact on the visitor experience: "In the past visitors typically spent less than a minute viewing Kea at the old aviaries. The average visit duration in the walk-through aviary is close to five minutes with some groups spending fifteen minutes in the aviary alone. This change in visit duration, along with more effective interpretation, significantly increases our potential of conveying conservation messages to visitors about these birds" says Tara.

Kea are only found in New Zealand's Southern Alps. They are classified as a 'Nationally Endangered' species but their wild population is unknown – estimates commonly range from 1,000 to possibly 5,000 birds. One of the main ways local people can assist in Kea conservation is by not feeding the birds and ensuring their equipment is secure when entering Kea territory.

"We gratefully acknowledge the estate of Jessie Winchester as well as the Un Cadeau Charitable Trust for providing the funds that enabled this exciting exhibit to be developed" concludes Tara.

This is the second time Orana Wildlife Park has won an Exhibit Design Award (Small Scale). In 2006 Orana's Siamang Gibbon Ape habitat was the recipient of the same award.

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5 January 2010

Sad loss of Spirited Kiwi Chick

Orana Wildlife Park's little Kiwi chick died on Saturday.

Orana Wildlife Park staff are devastated by the loss of their three week old Kiwi chick. The little chick was the first Kiwi to hatch at Orana in nearly a decade and was one of the smallest Kiwi hatched in captivity.

Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, says staff are mourning the loss of the Kiwi: "The poor little chick encountered numerous problems from incubation onwards and had a major operation only a few days ago. We were constantly amazed at the fighting spirit and sheer determination shown by the chick – it really had a will to live but ultimately faced just too many major challenges."

The problems encountered were numerous. For example, when the egg was taken for incubation, multiple holes were found so staff patched them with clear nail varnish. Keepers then became concerned at the lack of development of the egg and feared bacteria had seeped into it. Later, when the chick attempted to 'internal pip' (break into the air cell), it missed the air cell by a few millimeters. Keepers removed some egg shell and made a small hole in the membrane to enable the chick to breathe. The Kiwi was trying to hatch out the side of the egg, rather than through the top. Generally, if the chick misses the air cell then it will not survive.

The chick then attempted to hatch for a period of seven days before staff were advised to intervene and assist-hatch the Kiwi by removing layers of shell and membrane to free the bird. Park staff, who were hatching a Kiwi chick for the first time, were given step by step advice from Claire Travers of Kiwi Encounter (Rotorua) via speaker phone resulting in the successful hatch.

On hatching, the chick had a partial external yolk (normally fully absorbed in the egg) meaning staff then had to massage the yolk through the chick's navel before the muscles clenched. Staff only had a few minutes to perform this task otherwise the Kiwi could have died there and then.

"Since hatching, the chick had splints applied to its feet to straighten them and was force fed as it had lost too much weight. The chick then had a major operation when it was just two weeks old to remove a massive 40 gram non-absorbed yolk sac. The bird only weighed 171 grams before the operation! As a comparison, the average weight for a two week old Kiwi chick is 300 grams. To our amazement, the chick was very active the morning after the operation showing its fighting spirit" adds Tara.

Following the operation, the Kiwi's weight plummeted to just 99 grams. Staff were in regular contact with Rainbow Springs for advice. Keepers had to force feed the bird four times daily and on Saturday morning it experienced the first weight gain (to 101 grams) in weeks. Sadly, the little chick died on Saturday afternoon and staff are awaiting the results of a post mortem.

"This precious little bird taught us a great deal. In fact our entire team has learnt more about Kiwi rearing and management in the past few weeks than we ever knew. Whilst deeply saddened by its loss, we know we did everything we possibly could for the chick. I would like to thank the Park vet and staff at Kiwi Encounter for their advice and support" adds Tara.

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