4 July 2012

Adorable Australian Arrival in Need of Name

This week Wellington Zoo has welcomed a particularly adorable new addition – a seven week old female Alpine Dingo pup from New South Wales.

“This fluffy bundle has been happily anticipated for quite some time, so we’re very excited to finally meet her,” said Wellington Zoo Chief Executive Karen Fifield.

Keeper Jared Tomalin travelled to Australia last week to meet and bond with the new puppy before bringing her back across the ditch.

“Being able to spend time with this gorgeous wee girl in advance of bringing her over means that she’ll have a familiar face in a new environment,” Ms Fifield explained. “This makes the transition easier for her, so hopefully she will be settled in no time.”

“She is absolutely lovely – but the one thing she is missing is a name, which is where our fans come in. We want to thank Trade Me for their support in making this auction happen.”

To name the new arrival, Wellington Zoo is running a special Trade Me auction, which closes on Friday the 13th of July.

The proceeds of the auction will go towards care for the new Dingo pup, as well as all the other amazing animals at Wellington Zoo.

The new Dingo pup will join male Dingo, Wolfrik, who arrived in 2010, as a contact animal, which means that visitors will have regular opportunities to interact with them during walks out and about in the Zoo.

Wellington Zoo is a charitable trust principally funded by the Wellington City Council.

ENDS