Traveling the World

In one night, I went from Te Wao Nui to Africa to Sri Lanka to Australia to South America and back again.

How you may ask?

Well, recently I had the opportunity to visit the one and only Auckland Zoo!

Our map!

The Auckland Zoo is divided into the sections based on the countries the animals originate from.  While at the zoo, people can travel from country to country and encounter the wildlife of each region.  

As a quick tip before we get to talking about all the different habitats featured, we ventured to the zoo on a Friday night.  Right now the zoo is offering a deal from 4-8pm on Fridays for visitors to enter at a reduced fee of 15NZD.  I definitely recommend taking advantage of this since the temperatures were much cooler and much more bearably by 4pm and there is still plenty of action from the animals; it was without a doubt worth the deal!

Keeping in mind we were entering the zoo on the later side, we were advised to get to the Kiwis first before the enclosure closed for the night and this is exactly what we did.

Getting ready to head inside

Te Wao Nui

Heading straight for the kiwis, we immediately went to Te Wao Nui.  This was an indoor enclosure and since kiwis are nocturnal, it was very dark in order to simulate night for these native New Zealand birds.

Since we got here, everyone has been talking about kiwis and they were certainly bigger and faster than I expected.  Even trying to get a clear picture of them proved to be difficult as they quickly waddled in and out of sight.  Despite some visibility struggles, the zookeeper responsible for this habitat gave a very informative presentation on the kiwis.  One of the many facts that stood out to me is how the female Kiwis lay the eggs, but the male kiwis are the ones who incubate the eggs and take care of them before hatching.

The best picture I managed to get of the kiwi

Sri Lanka

Realizing a large majority of the habitats in Te Wao Nui were just birds, we moved on to Sri Lanka to see the elephants. Normally, I’m used to going to the zoo and hoping we get lucky to see the animals from a distance.  However, at the Auckland Zoo, they really allow people to get up close and personal with the animals.

Our timing was perfect with the elephants; not only were they out and about, but two zookeepers came out to hose them off and demonstrate some tricks with the large mammals.  Watching the elephants and the struggle it was to get them washed up, I thought it was awfully funny how they came out of the water simply to toss dirt all over themselves again.

Our new elephant friend

Africa

Ostrich looking our way

Grabbing a quick ice cream cone after seeing the elephants, we headed to Africa for zebras, giraffes, and ostriches, oh my!  One of the best parts of this region was the baby zebra we saw following his mom around.  There were some elaborate passageways to navigate through this section, which definitely enhanced the overall experience as well.

Baby zebra from behind, he wouldn't turn around :(

Australia

Snapping a few pictures as we made our way through Africa, we finally made it to Australia, the one I was most looking forward to visiting.  Wallabies have always been a favorite of mine, but what surprised me was how much I loved the emus.  The wallabies were a little shy, but when the zookeepers came out for a demonstration with the emus, they were within arms-reach of us.  I have never been to a zoo at home that allowed us to get this close to the animals and for some reason the names of the emus really stuck with me.  Elvis and Matilda stole the show and by the end of the presentation, I had really grown fond of them.

Matilda posing

South America

Alas, it was time to move forward and we walked through the rest of Australia to get to South America.  Of all the animals in South America, we definitely gravitated towards the monkeys the most.  As a matter of fact, one of the species of monkeys featured, my brother and I always wanted as a pet when we were younger.  The pygmy marmoset is a very small monkey best accurately compared to the size of the tip of a banana.  Considering the monkeys small stature, I was shocked they had a pygmy marmoset habitat.  Unfortunately, our concern was valid since the habitat was there, but finding the pygmy marmoset in the large area he had to roam was nearly impossible.

At the end of the day, we really had traveled the world through this wildlife lens.  From visiting the kiwis in Te Wao Nui to the various monkeys in South America, our travels were long and far.  Believe it or not, we didn't even see it all; there was another portion of the zoo under construction during our visit.  But, I guess that just means we will have to come back to see what Southeast Asia has in store for us next time!