Auckland Zoo

Successful season for rare New Zealand fairy tern!

We’ve had our most successful season yet for the endangered tara iti! This is the fifth year of our Tara Iti Recovery Programme with our strategic partners the Department of Conservation, which has seen an incredible new approach to intensive management – what we believe is a world first for terns! Follow along as we incubate, hatch and hand-rear tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern) for release into the wild. First, they head to a purpose-built predator-proof area on the beach. It’s here that the chicks perfect their flying and fishing skills before joining the wild population. Tara iti are Aotearoa New Zealand’s most endangered bird as there are just 35 adults existing today. Every successful chick that reaches breeding age is a massive win for the future of the species. The great news is monitoring efforts have meant that six of the eight tara iti that were hand-reared at the Zoo have been sighted along the West Coast.

We've got a sneak-peek for you! Mahi is underway to create our Dinosaur Discovery Track. 🦖 This track – set inside what was once our Asian elephant habitat – will be home to 25 animatronic dinosaurs that will move and roar! Follow along as Zoe, our visitor experience and engagement manager, takes you behind the scenes to see what’s afoot. This exciting new experience is set to open this April – check back for updates.

Relaxing in the mud, munching on flowers—what a life!

Relaxing in the mud, munching on flowers—what a life! Seeing a Galápagos tortoise covered in mud is always a fun sight, but have you ever wondered why they wallow? During the warmer summer months, these gentle giants regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun and keeping cool in their muddy pool. Here’s Snapper, one of the female Galápagos tortoises, enjoying a refreshing wallow before tucking into an enrichment of wildflowers. As herbivores, Galápagos tortoises feast on leaves, grass, cacti, flowers, vines and fruit. Their diets vary depending on the island or habitat they’ve evolved in. Remarkably, they can go without food or water for up to a year, thanks to their ability to store both so efficiently. Did you know? Instead of teeth, tortoises use the bony edges of their mouths to bite and mash food before swallowing it. You can spot these mud-loving giants on the South America Rainforest Track.

Hand-rearing kororā (little penguin) chicks

If you’ve visited recently – you may have seen two little penguins have joined the colony! Last October, our birds team leader Chris travelled to the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier to collect a kororā (little penguin) egg that was hatched at our Zoo, with the chick hand-reared by our dedicated keepers. Soon after, a three-week-old kororā chick was rescued by the National Aquarium after being found abandoned on a Napier beach – where it wouldn’t have survived. The great news is, the chick was able to be brought into our care and both chicks were then hand-reared together. These chicks are now fully integrated with the kororā colony – an amazing success by our bird team – with mana whenua Te Kaha Hawaikirangi gifting beautiful names to each chick, Kaumoana and Tāwhai. Click the link in our comments to learn how you can help kororā in the wild!

How quickly they grow!

How quickly they grow! Cahya, born on 2nd January 2024, is now over a year old and has completely outgrown her cub-like appearance. She has grown so much that you might have to look twice to tell her apart from her mother, Zayana! Enjoy this reel showcasing Cahya’s incredible transformation, from just a few days old to the young adult she is today. We're open late tonight (4-8pm) for Valentine’s - a perfect opportunity to visit the Lowlands habitat and see Cahya. Get your tickets to our R18 event at aucklandzoo.co.nz/valentines-late. #staffcam - Kristin & Priscilla

Have you voted for New Zealand Bug of the Year?

Have you voted for New Zealand Bug of the Year? Voting closes on 17 February, and there are 21 incredible bugs to choose from! We're backing the amazing New Zealand praying mantis. Watch as bird keeper Letitia shares her love for this endemic insect and explains how to tell it apart from the South African mantis commonly found in gardens. Time is running out—head over to the Bug of the Year website and cast your vote today! Click the link in our comments to vote!

Elephants Burma and Permai meet for the first time!

We’re delighted to share the first trunk-to-trunk connection between Burma and Permai! Permai arrived at Monarto Safari Park on Wednesday following an epic 2,700km road trip across the Nullarbor with her expert support crew. She is the first of four other elephants joining Burma over the coming months to form Zoos South Australia’s founding elephant herd. Auckland Zoo’s incredible elephant keepers – Andrew, Corryn and Odin, who with long-time teammate Laurel accompanied Burma across the Tasman last November, have now taken permanent roles at Monarto Safari Park. With their Australian colleagues, it’s now an exceptionally busy time and a team effort to settle both elephants in, and ensure Permai gets all the rest and sleep she needs before the next step of putting her and Burma together in the same space. “We’re on elephant time here, just taking things day by day,” says Andrew - Monarto Safari Park’s newly appointed manager of elephants. “Their interactions on Wednesday night linking trunks, then Thursday morning when they were gently touching and sniffing each other, are all good signs. But Permai’s just had a really big trip so is very tired, and we need to get her eating and sleeping properly first and nice and relaxed and in a good head space, and then we can think about next steps.” Be sure to check out Monarto Safari Park and Perth Zoo’s social channels for how Burma and Permai are doing!

We’d love your help to name Auckland Zoo’s six-week-old rhino calf!

Update: Thank you to everyone that helped us by voting. We’re pleased to have such a beautiful and meaningful name for the calf - Zuka. -- We’d love your help to name Auckland Zoo’s six-week-old rhino calf! 🦏 This video shows the healthy male calf being born, right up until his first days in the Africa Safari Track with his herd. Just like his whānau from around the Zoo, we’re looking to give this newborn a name that relates to where his counterparts are from in the wild. Our ungulates team have picked out the following names – pick the name you think suits this calf best and let us know in the comments below! Pembe - means purity/clarity Bakari - promise or noble promise Zuka - comes with the dawn/the morning. Voting closes this Sunday at 11pm and we’ll be announcing the chosen name the following week – so make sure to have your say today. If you’d like to be the first to meet this beautiful calf AND raise vital funds for rhinoceros conservation, learn more by checking out the link in the comments.

Valentine's Late 2025

Are you bringing your loved one to the Zoo this Valentine’s? We have a special Late just for Valentine’s Day – with the Zoo open from 4-8pm. This fun-filled adults only evening will feature keeper talks delving into the weird and wonderful world of animal courtship display. Get your tickets here - www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/valentines-late. If you purchase your Valentine's Late ticket before 4pm on Thursday 13 February 2025, you will go in the draw to win an extra special date night for two, valued at over $250! Attendance is free for Zoo annual pass holders (18+).