Hamilton Zoo facts for kids
Zoo logo
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| Date opened | 1969 |
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| Location | Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Land area | 25 ha (62 acres) |
| Coordinates | 37°46′28″S 175°12′53″E / 37.7745°S 175.2148°E |
| No. of animals | 400+ |
| No. of species | 93+ |
| Memberships | ZAA |
| Major exhibits | Chimpanzee, Sumatran tiger, white rhino, painted hunting dog, small cats, small primates, Free Flight Sanctuary |
Hamilton Zoo (in Māori, Rawhi Whakaaturanga o Kirikiriroa) is a popular zoo in Hamilton, New Zealand. It covers about 25 hectares (which is like 25 rugby fields!) and is located on Brymer Road. The Hamilton City Council owns the zoo, and a special department helps run it every day. Hamilton Zoo was the first zoo in New Zealand to get full accreditation from the Zoo and Aquarium Association, which means it meets high standards for animal care.
Contents
History of Hamilton Zoo
The zoo started in 1969 as a place called Hilldale Game Farm. It was owned by Murray and Gloria Powell. They mostly raised game birds, but they also had a small collection of other interesting animals and birds.
From Farm to Zoo
In 1976, the farm was not making enough money and was going to close. But the Hamilton City Council stepped in and bought the land, buildings, and animals. This saved the zoo! In 1984, the zoo faced closure again, but people really wanted it to stay open. So, the Council decided to keep it running. The daily management of the zoo was then given to the Department of Recreation and Welfare.
New Plans and Education
To help the zoo grow, a plan was made. This led to the opening of the Zoo Education Centre in 1987. The plan also included making new and better homes for the animals, planting more trees, and building boardwalks and paths for visitors. In 1989, the zoo hired its first director to lead all these changes.
Amazing Animals Arrive
Over the years, many exciting animals have come to Hamilton Zoo.
Red Pandas
The zoo welcomed its first red panda, Mungojerre, in 1999. More red pandas joined him, including his father Mario. In 2006, new red pandas named Chito and Badal arrived from Auckland Zoo. Sadly, Badal escaped and died soon after. In 2010, a female red panda named Tayla came to the zoo. She had a son named Ketu in 2011, and then triplet sons (Nima, Karma, and Dawa) in 2012. In 2014, Tayla had twin daughters. Today, Hamilton Zoo is home to several red pandas.
Southern White Rhinos
In 1999, three southern white rhinoceros arrived from South Africa: Zambezi, Moesha, and Caballe. They were part of a big group of rhinos sent to several zoos in Australia and New Zealand. Another female rhino, Kito, joined them in 2004. Caballe gave birth to three calves: Inkosi, Mtoto, and Imani. Moesha also had two calves: Kifaru and Jamila. Some rhinos moved to other zoos for breeding programs. The Hamilton Zoo's rhino family now includes Kruger (a bull), Moesha, Kito, Imani, and Jamila.
Giraffes
A young bull giraffe named Ndoki arrived from Wellington Zoo in 1999. Other giraffes, Makulu and Chitumbii, joined him. Sadly, Chitumbii passed away after an accident. Hamilton Zoo decided to become a home for male giraffes that were not needed for breeding in other zoos. This created a "bachelor herd" of giraffes. Several young bulls from Auckland Zoo, including Masmamba, Jabari, Ndale, and Dume, came to live at Hamilton Zoo.
Sumatran Tigers
In 2001, a new home for sumatran tigers was finished. It cost a lot of money and has a big pool and climbing areas. Three tiger siblings, Jaka, Mencari, and Molek, arrived from Wellington Zoo. Molek later moved to Auckland Zoo for breeding. In 2012, a tigress named Sali came from Dreamworld. She was meant to be a breeding female. In 2013, Jaka moved to Auckland Zoo, and a male tiger named Oz came to Hamilton Zoo. Oz and Sali were hoped to have cubs.
On 20 September 2015, a sad incident occurred at the zoo involving a male Sumatran tiger named Oz.
Two new Sumatran tiger cubs were born at the zoo on 3 January 2024. This was exciting news for the zoo's conservation efforts!
Cheetahs
In 2001, two cheetahs, Temba and Mwandi, arrived from South Africa. Mwandi later moved to another zoo for breeding. Temba also moved to Orana Wildlife Park, which has had success with cheetah breeding. In 2007, two brothers, Moyo Matusi and Jambo, arrived from Western Plains Zoo. They are not currently part of a breeding program.
Chimpanzees
A large, new home for chimpanzees was finished in 2004. It has two big fields, a forest, and a water feature. Six chimpanzees—Susie, Sally, Mike, Lucy, Lucifer, and Luka—moved in from Auckland Zoo. Later, Fimi and Sanda arrived from Adelaide Zoo. Sadly, Susie and Mike passed away. Fimi also passed away due to heart problems. The chimpanzee group has had some changes, but the zoo hopes that Sanda will have babies with Luka or Lucifer in the future. The chimpanzee troop now includes Sally, Lucy, Lucifer, Luka, Sanda, and Chiku.
Siamangs
In 2009, two siamang gibbons, Iuri and Itam, came from Auckland Zoo. They were older and had already had many babies. They came to Hamilton Zoo to enjoy their retirement years.
Explore the Exhibits
Hamilton Zoo has many different areas where you can see animals from all over the world. Some exhibits are very special and unique to this zoo.
- Parrot Court – This area is full of colorful parrots from places like Australia, South America, and Indonesia. You can see sun conures, blue-and-yellow macaws, and scarlet macaws.
- Free Flight Sanctuary – This is one of the biggest free-flight aviaries (bird homes) in the Southern Hemisphere! Many native New Zealand birds, like kākās, fly freely here.
- Reptile Rows – Here you can find amazing reptiles like tuataras (ancient reptiles unique to New Zealand), native geckos, and skinks. There are also lace monitors, eastern snake necked turtles, and leopard tortoises. You can also see native frogs.
- Chimpanzee Exhibit – This huge 1.2-hectare exhibit is home to the zoo's group of six chimpanzees.
- African Painted Dogs – You can see the zoo's four African painted dogs here, two females and two males.
- Tiger Exhibit – This is where the zoo's three Sumatran tigers live. All three are females.
- Waikato Wetlands – This area looks just like a real wetlands in the Waikato region. You can spot keas and New Zealand falcons. There are also black swans and other water birds on the lake, with a boardwalk for you to walk on.
- African Animals – One part of the zoo is dedicated to animals from Africa. You can see popular animals like southern white rhinos, plains zebras, ostriches, cheetahs, helmeted guineafowl, and giraffes. You might also see American bison, European fallow deer, and blackbuck in this area.
- Other species at the zoo include siamangs, black-handed spider monkeys, brown capuchins, ring-tailed lemurs, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, caracal, fishing cats, red pandas, meerkats, cape porcupines, ferrets, kunekune pigs, moreporks, and blue ducks.
Future Plans
There are no big new projects planned for the zoo right now. However, some smaller improvements are being worked on, like making the giraffe's home even better.
Images for kids
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Southern white rhinoceros at Hamilton Zoo
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Kunekune pigs at Hamilton Zoo
See also
In Spanish: Zoológico de Hamilton para niños
