The Auckland Zoo, run by the Auckland City Council together with the Auckland Zoological Society is the major zoological garden in Auckland. The zoo dates back before its opening in 1922 and after having surmounted the difficult early years, in 1930 the zoo finally boasted a large collection of wild animals and the zoological society was constituted.
Today the zoo is divided into areas dedicated to the origin of the animal species, classified taxonically (according to their presumed natural relationships) or by biome (major ecological community type).
The zoo also plays a major role in the conservation, research and education of animal and plant species, which are mainly from New Zealand.
The zoo offers many modern features including the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM) and by 2010 the zoo hopes to open its biggest development project ever created, the Te Wao Nui, an area exhibiting native New Zealand flora and fauna.
The Auckland zoo currently shelters 179 animal species for a total of 1300 animals living on an area of 50 acres (200,000m2).
The exhibition sections are divided into region of origin, taxonomy or biome. At the zoo you may admire the animals in the following areas:
· The Animal Planet Elephant Clearing Home to one of the zoos two female Asian elephants, Kashin and Burma.
· The Aussie Walkabout, a walkthrough exhibit where visitors can watch wallabies, kangaroos and emu living together, leading to an Australian bird aviary with rainbow lorikeets.
· BNZ Kiwi and Tuatara house is a nocturnal house featuring native New Zealand species, such as kiwis, tuataras and the morepork, a widespread owl species.
· The Hippo River is an area dedicated and transformed into an African wetland environment, where hippopotamus, serval, Chacma baboons, cheetahs and flamingos co-exist.
· The Just Juice Primate Trail is where to find Aucklands two families of Bornean orangutans and the ring-tailed lemurs.
· The Native Frog Research Centre is where the native frogs habitat has been recreated.
· The Newstalk ZB Rainforest is an area teeming with nature exhibits such as tarantulas, agouti, fruit bats and other primate species including; golden lion tamarins, cottontop tamarins, spider monkeys, siamang gibbons and bonnet macaques.
· The Paddlepop Kidzone is a section of the zoo dedicated to children with a play area housing small rural animals.
· The Pridelands is where large African mammals can be found, including ostriches, giraffes, zebras, springboks, white rhino and five lions.
· The Sea lion and Penguin Shores is the home to the Californian sea lion, New Zealand fur seals, a sub Antarctic fur seal, small penguins and some shore birds.
· The Tiger Territory featuring two rare Sumatran tigers, a male called Oz and a female called Molek, who gave birth to three cubs on June 12, 2008.