Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Duckling update! These five precious pāteke ducklings are growing well.
Hatched just four weeks ago in one of our six native species aviaries, Te Wao nui a Tāne / The Forest, these ducklings will eventually be headed for release into a predator-free or predator-managed wild site in New Zealand.
These small dabbling ducks were once found throughout Aotearoa but are now considered to be the rarest waterfowl on the mainland with an estimated population of around 2,000-2,500 individuals. We help to boost the wild populations of this species through a dedicated breed-for-release programme with our partners DOC, Pāteke Recovery Group and Isaacs Wildlife & Conservation Trust.
These ducklings will stay with us until they are around eight weeks old, before heading to our friends at Isaacs in Christchurch where they will be flocked with other ducklings before their release. You can help us to continue Wild Work like this by visiting the zoo or making a donation to our Conservation Fund - aucklandzoo.co.nz/get-involved/donate-wild-work-aotearoa
#keepercam : Bird keeper Ashleigh
Duckling update! These five precious pāteke ducklings are growing well.
Hatched just four weeks ago in one of our six native species aviaries, Te Wao nui a Tāne / The Forest, these ducklings will eventually be headed for release into a predator-free or predator-managed wild site in New Zealand.
These small dabbling ducks were once found throughout Aotearoa but are now considered to be the rarest waterfowl on the mainland with an estimated population of around 2,000-2,500 individuals. We help to boost the wild populations of this species through a dedicated breed-for-release programme with our partners DOC, Pāteke Recovery Group and Isaacs Wildlife & Conservation Trust.
These ducklings will stay with us until they are around eight weeks old, before heading to our friends at Isaacs in Christchurch where they will be flocked with other ducklings before their release. You can help us to continue Wild Work like this by visiting the zoo or making a donation to our Conservation Fund - aucklandzoo.co.nz/get-involved/donate-wild-work-aotearoa
#keepercam : Bird keeper Ashleigh
