We also continued to support conservation projects around the world through the Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund through long term partnerships in Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific, and announced the 11 recipients of our 2023 small grants programme focused on Aotearoa species, supported by Barfoot & Thompson.
As always, our incredible Zoo veterinary team lent their conservation medicine skills to care for wildlife from the wild. This year the team cared for numerous taonga species that were brought into us for treatment and care, such as two critically ill matuku-hūrepo - one of which was successfully treated and released, an injured Olive Ridley sea turtle that was discovered washed up on Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē / Ninety Mile Beach and a sick Hawksbill turtle that was found on Muriwai Beach. Our senior veterinary nurse Breeze was recognised as one of our country’s top three veterinary nurses in the 2023 Vet Nurse of the Year Award!
And to top off this amazing year, we recently announced that giraffe Kiraka and Sumatran tiger Zayana are both pregnant and, all going well, are due to give birth during the summer holiday period – we’ll keep you updated!
You support all of this work and more every time you visit us and if you would like to contribute even more the please consider becoming a member, donating to us or purchasing an item from our Zoo Shop. We look forward to seeing you over the summer!