Orana Wildlife Park

http://www.oranawildlifepark.co.nz/

We took a field trip for our International Environmental Policy class to Orana Wildlife Park--the local zoo. It was formerly a lion park that people drove through, but because families tended to picnic with the lions, it was decided that a change was necessary, and a more modern zoo was born.

Toby, the director of education, was happy to guide us through the park and do a fantastic education program explaining the role of zoos in modern society and inviting us to challenge any aspect of zoos. He even said that he didn't think it was a necessary part of our society. I also learned about the whole hirearchy of organizations governing the world's zoos.

WAZA-World Association of Zoological parks

--asks zoos to shift to more endangered species than common species (sun bears not brown bears)

--focus on conservation

ARAZA--the regional organization

ASMP/NZMP--Aus/New Zealand species management

--priorities focus on threatened and local species

ASMP categories to rate "value" of species in zoo

-Conservation, to support wild populations

-Population management within the park

-Husbandry-do keepers know how to take care of this animal?
-Phase out, back to sunbear v. brown bear

Toby, while discussing conservation, also noted that the New Zealand government spends upwards of NZ$25million/year on kiwi preservation and only 35 of the ~200 species in need of protection are receiving funding. "In need of protection" is kind of a loaded term though in that in theory all species are "in need of protection" to prevent becoming endangered or any sort of habitat loss.

Something a little fishy that I saw going on in the park was preparation for lemur encounters, as well as I found out that for a bit extra, you can still go out in a caged truck and have a lion encounter. Ethically, I don't know how I feel about this. Are the animals able to retain their animal-ness within a zoo when they've got people all up in their hiz-nit.

We had a meeting with the rhino keeper and where able to see white rhinos up close. I knew that their horns were made out of hair, but I didn't realize how shaggy they could look. I got to talking with the keeper, and it turns out he switched to grazing ungulates from upper level carnivores, and he likes them better. They take more effort to keep entertained, and he seemed like the sort of guy who would get off on the danger of working with apex predators.

We also saw a tiger feeding, but didn't get to chat with the keeper. This is a sumatran tiger, and there are precious few left in the wild. I forget the actual number, but it was enough to make me go, "Dang!"

We also had the oppurtunity to see a kiwi and a morepork (native owl). Incidentally, I will also be shadowing Toby a few times in order to better understand wildlife education in New Zealand. That fits in quite well with my major, doesn't it. Fancy that.