Wellington Zoo

On Sunday, J and I spent the afternoon at the Wellington Zoo. I had been there once before, right after we moved to NZ, which was a shocking three years ago! It feels strange to say that I haven't been somewhere in NZ in three years, but it is true! 

Our neighbour Phil is a zookeeper at Wellington Zoo, and has been telling us how much he enjoys working with the animals, and how wonderful a zoo it is. I have been learning more about how zoos in NZ (and the Auckland Zoo in particular) do so very much conservation work, from breeding to educating the public about their part in conservation, and even to releasing animals back into the wild. I really respect that, and have come to value zoos for the connection that they can create between people and animals, which I think is the experience that will make people wake up and try to do a better job of taking care of our ecosystems.

All that being said, I also just love seeing the animals and marveling at their amazing characteristics. 

Harry told us that his favourite animals at the zoo are giraffes, so I made sure to get a picture for him. Also, I forget how big giraffes are. You always think about how tall they are, but I don't always realize how much bulk there is to them as well, and how big their hooves are, for example. 

Our neighbour Phil did a Penguin Talk while we were there, and did a fantastic job teaching people about what they can do to help Kororā (Little Blue Penguins) like these ones be safe and happy in NZ.

Phil taught us that these adorable little penguins are all rescues that are unable to live in the wild for one reason or another. The big thing that causes problems for them are domestic cats that people let stay out all night. The penguins come on land to sleep at night and have no natural defenses against cats. All cat owners are strongly encouraged to keep their cats inside at night. (Cats are also a huge problem for Kiwi and other native birds, so it is really important for many reasons).

The Kororā were very, very excited about the little fish that Phil brought to feed them. He is clearly their best friend. Pretty cool to have penguins as best friends!

As always, my absolute favourite animals at the zoo are the red pandas. They are so completely lovable and hilarious, and this one came right up into the trees to see J and me, before adroitly climbing back down to go adventuring elsewhere.

J had told me that there were two baby red pandas at the zoo, but when we went to their exhibit, they were nowhere to be seen. After waiting a bit and enjoying the adults, we were just about to give up when this gorgeous little guy climbed up to this perfect viewing spot and graciously allowed me to go into fits of adoration for several minutes. He's SO CUTE!!!

We also visited the Kea, for whom I have a special affinity, because my room at work is called Whare Kea (Kea House). Kea are the world's only alpine parrots, and are extremely intelligent and "cheeky" as the Kiwis put it. They are actually one of the most intelligent birds in the world. Although they can fly, they nest on the ground, and so are at risk of attack by introduced predators like cats, stoats, possums, rats, etc. They are also facing human invasion of their alpine homes, and are sometimes too inquisitive and willing to approach humans, which is obviously not helpful for wild animals.

While most of their feathers are green and brown, Kea hide a surprising amount of colour underneath their wings. You can see a hint of it in my picture, but I'll find you a better one online...

Voilà! Bright colours under the wings.

If you'd like to read more about Kea, please click here.

You may be remembering that I wrote about Kaka and the bright colours under their wings after we went to Zealandia. Kaka are very similar to Kea in many ways, including colouring. But I like Kea better, because my room is named after them, so I feel that we're probably best friends.

It was a lovely afternoon at the zoo. We always love seeing the animals, and it was a fantastic additional treat to get to see Phil doing his amazing work there. We will definitely be visiting again.