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 (Māori: Rawhi Whakaaturanga o Kirikiriroa) is a wonderful zoo in Hamilton. It covers about 25 hectares, which is like 50 football fields! You can find it on Brymer Road in the suburb of Rotokauri. The Hamilton City Council owns the zoo, and they work hard to make it a great place for animals and visitors.
Hamilton Zoo was the first zoo in New Zealand to get a special accreditation from the Zoo and Aquarium Association. This means it meets high standards for animal care and conservation.
Contents
History of Hamilton Zoo
From Game Farm to Zoo
The park started in 1969 as a place called Hilldale Game Farm. Murray and Gloria Powell owned it. They mostly raised game birds, but they also had a small collection of other interesting mammals and birds.
In 1976, the farm was not making enough money. It was almost 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. However, many people wanted it to stay open. So, the Council decided to keep it running. The Department of Recreation and Welfare then took over the daily management.
Growing and Improving
A plan was made to help the zoo grow. In 1987, the Zoo Education Centre opened. This center helps teach visitors about animals and conservation. The plan also led to new and better animal homes, walking paths, and beautiful plants. In 1989, the zoo got its first official director.
Amazing Animals Arrive
Red Pandas
Hamilton Zoo welcomed its first red panda, Mungojerre, in 1999. More red pandas arrived over the years, including Mario and Laotzy. In 2006, brothers Chito and Badal came from Auckland Zoo. Sadly, Badal escaped and died shortly after arriving.
A female red panda named Tayla arrived in 2010. She gave birth to a son, Ketu, in 2011. Ketu means 'comet' in Tibetan. In 2012, Tayla had triplets: Nima (sun), Karma (star), and Dawa (moon). Today, Hamilton Zoo has a lovely group of red pandas!
Southern White Rhinos
In 1999, three southern white rhinoceros arrived from South Africa. Their names were Zambezi, Moesha, and Caballe. They were part of a big group of rhinos sent to 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. Kito had a son named Ubuntu. Some of these rhinos have moved to other zoos to help with breeding programs. The zoo's rhino family now includes Kruger, Moesha, Kito, Imani, and Jamila.
Giraffes
In 1999, a young male giraffe named Ndoki arrived from Wellington Zoo. Other male giraffes, Makulu and Chitumbii, joined him. Sadly, Chitumbii died after an accident.
Hamilton Zoo decided to become a home for male giraffes. This helps other zoos with their breeding programs. More young male giraffes like Masmamba, Jabari, Ndale, and Dume have come to live at Hamilton Zoo.
Sumatran Tigers
In 2000, work began on a new home for sumatran tigers. It cost $430,000 and was finished in 2001. It has a big pool, climbing areas, and bamboo.
In 2001, three young Sumatran tigers arrived: Jaka, Mencari, and Molek. Molek later moved to Auckland Zoo to help with breeding. In 2012, a female tiger named Sali came from Dreamworld. She is the zoo's potential breeding female.
In 2013, Jaka moved to Auckland Zoo, and a male tiger named Oz came to Hamilton. Oz and Sali are now living together, and the zoo hopes they will have cubs soon. In 2014, Sali gave birth to two cubs. On January 3, 2024, two more tiger cubs were born at the zoo!
Cheetahs
In 2001, two cheetahs, Temba and Mwandi, arrived from South Africa. Mwandi later moved to another zoo for breeding. Temba tried to breed with a new male, Kaitoa, but it didn't work out.
In 2007, Temba and Kaitoa moved to Orana Wildlife Park, which has had more success with cheetah breeding. Later that year, two brothers named Moyo Matusi and Jambo arrived from Western Plains Zoo. They are not planned for breeding right now.
Chimpanzees
In 2004, Hamilton Zoo finished building a large home for chimpanzees. It is 1.2 hectares big and has two large fields, a forest, a water area, and a multi-story night house. Visitors can watch the chimpanzees through windows.
Six chimpanzees arrived from Auckland Zoo: Susie, Sally, Mike, Lucy, Lucifer, and Luka. Later, Fimi and Sanda came from Adelaide Zoo. Sadly, Susie and Mike passed away. Fimi also passed away in 2012. The chimpanzee group now includes Sally, Lucy, Lucifer, Luka, Sanda, and Chiku. The zoo hopes Sanda will breed with Luka or Lucifer in the future.
Siamang Gibbons
In 2009, two siamang gibbons, Iuri and Itam, arrived from Auckland Zoo. They are older and have retired from breeding. They now enjoy their retirement years at Hamilton Zoo.
Exhibits
The zoo has many different areas where animals live. Some of these exhibits are special to Hamilton Zoo. The zoo is home to over 200 bird species!
- Parrot Court – This area has colorful parrots from Australia, South America, and Indonesia. You can see sun conures, blue-and-yellow macaws, scarlet macaws, and princess parakeets.
- Free Flight Sanctuary – This is one of the biggest free-flight aviaries in the Southern Hemisphere. Many native New Zealand birds live here, including kākās.
- Reptile Rows – Here you can find tuataras, native geckos, native skinks, lace monitors, eastern snake necked turtle, and leopard tortoise. There is also a home for native frogs.
- Chimpanzee Exhibit – This large exhibit is home to the zoo's six chimpanzees: Sally, Lucy, Lucifer, Luka, Sanda, and Chiku.
- African Painted Dogs – The zoo has four African painted dogs, two females and two males.
- Tiger Exhibit – You can see three Sumatran tigers here, all females.
- Waikato Wetlands – This part of the zoo looks like a local wetlands area from the Waikato region. You can see keas and New Zealand falcons. There are also black swans and other water birds on the lake, surrounded by a boardwalk.
- African Animals – One side of the zoo has many animals from Africa. These include popular species like southern white rhinos, plains zebras, ostriches, cheetah, helmeted guineafowl, and giraffes. The zoo's American bison, European fallow deer, and blackbuck also live 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
The zoo does not have any big new projects planned right now. However, there will be some smaller improvements. For example, they plan to upgrade the giraffe's home.
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
