Orana turns 35!
Orana Wildlife Park
MEDIA
RELEASE
For Immediate
Release
Orana turns 35!
On Sunday (25 September) Orana Wildlife Park marked 35 years of operation. In that time, Orana has become an internationally recognised zoo and achieved many significant milestones.
The past year however has been the toughest in the zoo’s history, according to Chief Executive, Lynn Anderson: “The earthquakes have had a significant impact upon the Park, putting Orana under extreme financial pressure. Traditionally, 45% of our visitors came from elsewhere in New Zealand or overseas and fundamentally those people are largely prevented from visiting. The two snowfalls in July and August resulted in further closures for the Park - five consecutive days in August, one of the longest periods of closure in Orana’s history!”
“Park management were left with no other option but to implement an effective ‘get through plan’ which sadly included a restructure and many other cost cutting initiatives. This plan will ensure the Park survives these difficult times and it must as Orana is an important asset to the city.”
Opened in 1976, Orana Wildlife Park was the vision of the South Island Zoological Society. The Society was formed in 1970 with the aim of establishing a major wildlife park in Christchurch. Six years later, their dream became a reality with the opening of Orana, a drive-through open range zoo. The Park opened with 26 animals from six different species set in 16 hectares. Orana is now home to over 400 animals from 70 species set in 80 hectares.
Key achievements include:
•
Almost 100 threatened native birds have been released to the
wild, all of which have been bred at the Park - 73 Brown
Teal, 23 Blue Duck and 2 Kiwi.
• The Park is
internationally respected for its contribution to zoo-based
breeding programmes for Cheetah, Giraffe, White Rhinoceros
and Scimitar-horned Oryx.
• Creation of unique
visitor experiences such as the chance to travel
through the Lion reserve, interact with a Cheetah,
hand feed a Giraffe and meet Rhino
‘face-to-face’.
• Development of a daily
animal feed presentation schedule (15 animal feeds daily,
one about every 30 minutes whilst the Park is open). Each
presentation includes key ‘take home conservation’
messages for visitors.
• Delivery of
curriculum linked education programmes, endorsed by the
Ministry of Education, to over 20,000 school children in
recent times.
• Orana has been progressively
constructed on a dry, stoney riverbed. Today, Christchurch
has an internationally recognised zoo which has been
achieved at remarkably economic cost - to date, less than $6
million has been spent constructing Orana and this is
significantly less than many major zoos currently spend on a
single new exhibit for one species!
• Orana is
the only major zoo in New Zealand that is not owned and
operated by local government. Therefore, its operational
costs are not highly subsidised by the rate-payer and all
capital developments are separately fundraised for from
outside sources. All of the buildings and enclosures have
been built in-house with input from volunteer labour. Many
Canterbury businesses have also assisted in the construction
by donating materials, consultancy and equipment.
“I am very proud of what Orana has achieved. The Park will continue to be a work in progress in years to come, continually evolving and adding new and exciting attractions. Our current work plan has been temporarily halted due to the earthquakes, but we are committed to completing new projects in years to come. A conservation habitat for the Nationally Endangered Maud Island Frog will be completed and we are hopeful of being able to establish New Zealand’s first ever Gorilla group in the future.
“Orana is a true community asset and we take this opportunity to thank the wider community for their dedicated support. We also encourage people to come and visit soon as this is the best way to help the Park at present. As an incentive we are offering a special ‘kids half price’ promotion for the October holidays” concludes Lynn.
ENDS