Wellington Zoo saddened by passing of last Peccaries in New Zealand

Wellington Zoo staff and volunteers were saddened today by the passing of the Zoo’s three Peccaries, Kermit (16), Gonzo (16) and Animal (15).

All three were almost twice the age that Peccaries live to in the wild and had severe arthritis which could no longer be managed with medication.

The Peccaries have been treated by the veterinary team at The Nest – Te Kohanga, Wellington Zoo’s animal hospital, for the past 8 months. After trying a variety of different medications in that time, a decision was made this week to euthanase.

“They were the last Peccaries in New Zealand, and it is not possible for us to import more from South America, so it was a difficult and sad decision,” says Wellington Zoo CEO Karen Fifield.

“In the end, this is about their quality of life. After careful consideration it was decided that euthanising was the humane and right thing to do”.

Wellington Zoo is to bring in locally bred Kune Kune pigs as part of a scheduled New Zealand-themed “Meet the Locals” development.

Notes to editors:

Peccarries, also known as Javelina, are a piglike mammal found in the southern deserts of the United States southward through the Amazonian basin to Patagonian South America. Closely resembling the wild pig, peccaries have dark course hair and a large head with a circular snout.

Wellington Zoo’s first Peccarries came with Murray Roberts from Canada in 1969 when he returned from a keeper exchange at Calgary and Winnipeg Zoos.

The Canadian pair founded the population of all peccaries in New Zealand. Wellington Zoo sent them to other zoos in New Zealand (Ti Point, Hamilton, Blenheim and Pouakai) as well as to Adelaide, Melbourne and Taronga Zoos, in Australia.

ENDS

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