Hamilton Zoo () is the main zoological garden of Hamilton, New Zealand. Covering , it is situated on Brymer Road in the Hamilton suburb of Rotokauri, on the outskirts of the metropolitan area towards the northwest. It is owned by the Hamilton City Council with the Department of Recreation and Welfare handling the day-to-day running of the site.
Hamilton Zoo is the first zoo in New Zealand to become fully accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association.
History
The park was founded in 1969 as a game farm, the Hilldale Game Farm. It was originally owned by Murray and Gloria Powell. They mainly raised game birds but there was also a small collection of exotic mammals and birds.
The zoo become unprofitable and was facing closure in 1976 before the Hamilton City Council stepped in and bought the site, buildings, and stock. In 1984, the zoo again faced closure but due to public pressure the Council resolved to keep it open. Day-to-day running of the zoo was transferred to the Department of Recreation and Welfare.
A concept plan was drawn up to give the zoo a clear direction, this resulted in the Zoo Education Centre opening in 1987. The plan also called for upgraded and new exhibits, plantings, boardwalks, and paths.
The position of zoo director was created in 1989.
Hamilton Zoo received its first red panda, Mungojerre, in November 1999. He was joined by his father, Mario, in February 2000 and another male Laotzy in December 2001. Mario died in April 2002. In July 2006, Laotzy was sent to the National Zoo in Canberra and Mungojerre to Brooklands Zoo. The following month, brothers Chito and Badal arrived from Auckland Zoo. Badal escaped soon after arriving and died four days later after being hit by a car. A female red panda, Tayla, arrived in October 2010 from the National Zoo. She was the daughter of Laotzy. In December 2011, Tayla gave birth to a son. He was named Ketu, meaning 'comet' in Tibetan. Tayla gave birth to male triplets in 2012. They received names from the Nepalese language: Nima (sun), Karma (star) and Dawa (moon). Ketu was sent to Kansas Zoo in August 2013. Tayla's third litter, twin females, were born in January 2014. This brings the number of red pandas at Hamilton Zoo to seven.
In October 1999, Hamilton Zoo received three southern white rhinoceros from Kruger National Park, South Africa. Eight-year-old bull, Zambezi, and five-year-old cows, Moesha and Caballe, were part of an Australsian import of white rhinoceros, which were sent to the Auckland, Hamilton, Werribee Open Range and Perth Zoos. They were later joined by a four-year-old female, Kito, from Auckland Zoo in 2004. In January 2002, Caballe gave birth to a son, Inkosi. She had another son, Mtoto, in February 2004, and a daughter, Imani, in March 2007. In May 2007, Zambezi, Inkosi and Mtoto were sent to Auckland Zoo in exchange for their bull, Kruger. Moesha gave birth to a son, Kifaru, in April 2009 and a daughter, Jamila, in March 2012. In August 2010, Caballe, pregnant with her fourth calf, was sent to Australia Zoo. Kito gave birth to a son, Ubuntu, in March 2010 and a stillborn daughter in April 2013. In March 2014, young bulls, Kifaru and Ubuntu, were sent to the National Zoo in Canberra. The Hamilton Zoo herd currently consists of bull, Kruger, and cows, Moesha, Kito, Imani and Jamila.
In November 1999, a one-year bull giraffe, Ndoki, arrived from Wellington Zoo. He was joined by purebred Rothchild's bulls, Makulu, from Orana Wildlife Park in 2000 and Chitumbii, from Perth Zoo in 2001. Shortly after his arrival, Chitumbi was chased into a fence by a zebra stallion. He initially appeared fine, but his condition later deteriorated and he died in January 2002. Initially, Hamilton Zoo intended to import a female for breeding, but the species coordinator recommended they operate as a holder for surplus bulls, creating a bachelor herd. In April 2004, 15-month-old bulls, Masmamba and Jabari arrived from Auckland Zoo. They were later joined by young bulls, Ndale, in 2005, and Dume, in 2007. All four young bulls were born at Auckland Zoo between 2002 and 2006 and were fathered by Makulu's older brother, Zabulu.