Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Spring babies arrive at Hamilton Zoo

Spring babies arrive at Hamilton Zoo

26 October 2012

The arrival of spring has also meant the arrival of several baby animals at Hamilton Zoo – with the facility celebrating the birth of twin ring-tailed lemurs and the hatching of two morepork chicks this month.

The twin ring-tailed lemurs, whose genders are not yet known, were born to mother Yetta on 17 October, with Zoo Curator Samantha Kudeweh reporting that the pair is doing well.

“The twins are already quite active and have been out and about, socialising with the wider lemur group,” she says.

Meanwhile, the two morepork chicks are believed to have hatched on 12 October and are yet to venture out of their nest box.

“Morepork chicks tend to leave the nest at around 5-6 weeks, however they might possibly be seen peering out over the next few weeks,” said Mrs Kudeweh.

“With morepork being New Zealand’s only surviving native owl species, it is exciting to welcome these chicks at Hamilton Zoo and I am sure they’ll steal the hearts of zoo visitors once they decide to venture out of the nest.”

The chicks’ parents are both wild birds which were brought into Hamilton Zoo by members of the public after being found injured – the female sustained an eye injury and the male fell out of a nest as a young bird.

Note for editors:

About morepork

Morepork are thought to still be reasonably common, however their population is in decline due to habitat destruction and predation from introduced pests such as stoats and rats.
Morepork nest in holes and their diet includes small birds and mammals including mice and bats.
About ring-tailed lemurs

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Lemurs are native to the African Island of Madagascar. Ring-tailed lemurs are the most terrestrial species and form the largest social groups of the many lemur species found on the island.
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘near threatened’ and has undergone a marked population decrease in the last 25 years due to habitat destruction and exploitation by humans.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.