Hamilton Zoo
Encyclopedia
Hamilton Zoo is the main zoological garden
of Hamilton
, New Zealand
. It is situated on Brymer Road in the Hamilton suburb of Rotokauri
, on the outskirts of the metropolitan area towards the northwest. It is owned by the Hamilton City Council with the Department of Recreation and Welfare handling the day to day running of the site.
Hamilton Zoo is the first zoo in New Zealand to become fully accredited by the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria.
, the Hilldale Game Farm. It was originally owned by a Mr and Mrs Powell. They mainly raised game birds but there was also a small collection of exotic mammal
s and bird
s.
The zoo become unprofitable and was facing closure in 1976 before the Hamilton City Council stepped in and brought the site, buildings, and stock. In 1984, the zoo again faced closure but due to public pressure the Council resolved to kept it open. Day to day running of the zoo was transferred to the Department of Recreation and Welfare.
A concept plan was drawn up to give the zoo a clear direction, this resulted in the Zoo Education Centre opening in 1987. The plan also called for upgraded and new exhibits, plantings, boardwalks, and paths.
The position of Zoo Director was created in 1989.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
of Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is situated on Brymer Road in the Hamilton suburb of Rotokauri
Rotokauri
Rotokauri is a semi-rural suburb in western Hamilton in New Zealand. It is one of the future urban zones of Hamilton, along with Peacocke.The outskirts of Rotokauri have an impressive orchid farm, all under glass, exporting blooms across the world, and providing ample local employment.-See...
, on the outskirts of the metropolitan area towards the northwest. It is owned by the Hamilton City Council with the Department of Recreation and Welfare handling the day to day running of the site.
Hamilton Zoo is the first zoo in New Zealand to become fully accredited by the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria.
History
The park was founded in 1969 as a game farmCanned hunt
A canned hunt is essentially a trophy hunt in which the animal is kept in a more confined area, such as in a fenced-in area, increasing the likelihood of the hunter obtaining a kill...
, the Hilldale Game Farm. It was originally owned by a Mr and Mrs Powell. They mainly raised game birds but there was also a small collection of exotic mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s.
The zoo become unprofitable and was facing closure in 1976 before the Hamilton City Council stepped in and brought the site, buildings, and stock. In 1984, the zoo again faced closure but due to public pressure the Council resolved to kept it open. Day to day running of the zoo was transferred to the Department of Recreation and Welfare.
A concept plan was drawn up to give the zoo a clear direction, this resulted in the Zoo Education Centre opening in 1987. The plan also called for upgraded and new exhibits, plantings, boardwalks, and paths.
The position of Zoo Director was created in 1989.
Current zoo
The zoo features a number of exhibits, some unique to the zoo. The zoo has over 200 bird species.- Parrot Court — contains Australasian, South American and Indian parrotParrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s, including Yellow-bibbed LoryYellow-bibbed LoryThe Yellow-bibbed Lory is a monotypic species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands.-Description:...
, Blue-and-yellow macawBlue-and-yellow MacawThe Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay...
, and the galahGalahThe Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
cockatoo. - Rainforest Walkway — contains South American primatess, including black-capped capuchins and cottontop tamarinCottontop TamarinThe cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...
s, Asian siamangSiamangThe siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
s, and two lemurLemurLemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
species; ring-tailed lemurRing-tailed LemurThe ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
s and ruffed lemurRuffed lemurThe ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...
s. Other species include Asiatic golden catAsiatic Golden CatThe Asian Golden Cat , also called the Asiatic Golden Cat and Temminck's Golden Cat, is a medium-sized wild cat of Southeastern Asia...
, agoutiAgoutiAgouti refers to a number of species of rodents as well as a number of genes affecting coat coloration in several different animals. Agouti fur contains a pattern of pigmentation in which individual hairs have several bands of light and dark pigment with black tips.* When referring to a rodent,...
and red pandaRed PandaThe red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
. - Free Flight Sanctuary — this is one of the largest free-flight aviariesAviaryAn aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
in the southern hemisphereSouthern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, housing a variety of native New Zealand birds. - Reptile House — this includes tuataraTuataraThe tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
, eastern water dragons, various geckoGeckoGeckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s and blue tongued skinkSkinkSkinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
amongst others. - Chimpanzee Exhibit — this exhibit features the zoo's chimpanzeeChimpanzeeChimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
troop which came from Auckland ZooAuckland ZooAuckland Zoo is a zoological garden in Auckland, New Zealand, situated next to Western Springs park not far from Auckland's central business district. It is run by the Auckland City Council with the Auckland Zoological Society as a supporting organisation....
. - Sumatran Tiger Exhibit — the zoo currently has two Sumatran tigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s who are brother and sister. - Waikato Wetlands — this area of the zoo has recreated to represent a local wetlands area for the Waikato Region. Kept here are New Zealand falconFalconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s. There are also black swanBlack SwanThe Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
s and other water birds on the lake, surrounded by a boardwalkBoardwalkA boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
. - African Animals — one side of the zoo contains mainly animals from AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
including popular species such as white rhino, zebraZebraZebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
, ostrichOstrichThe Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
, cheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, guineafowlGuineafowlThe guineafowl are a family of birds in the Galliformes order, although some authorities include the guineafowl as a subfamily, Numidinae, of the family Phasianidae...
, African hunting dogs and giraffeGiraffeThe giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
s, as well as the Asian nilgaiNilgaiThe nilgai , sometimes called nilgau, is an antelope, and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India and eastern Pakistan; it is also present in parts of southern Nepal. The mature males appear ox-like and are also known as blue bulls...
and blackbuckBlackbuckBlackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Their range decreased sharply during the 20th century. Since 2003, the IUCN lists the species as near threatened....
. The zoo's herd of American bisonAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
is also located in this area.