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      1. Panda club

Panda Club - Mascots

Albert the albatross

Albert the albatross

Hi, I'm Albert the albatross

Did you know? Our wingspans can be over 2 metres — about the length of a small car!

Albtross fact file
  • Albatross are large birds with bodies longer than 75 centimetres, wingspans of 2 metres or more, and bills more than 95 millimetres long.
  • Albatross nest mostly on oceanic islands where they live in colonies. When not at their colony, albatross travel enormous distances, almost never touching land, in search of their food which is mainly squid and fish.
  • The main risk to albatross is from fishing. Albatross like to catch their food in the same waters as many long line and trawl fishing boats. In the fight over food they get accidentally caught in fishing nets. Between 80,000–160,000 seabirds are killed are killed like this in fisheries throughout the Southern Ocean.
Opo the Hector's dolphin

Opo the Hector's dolphin

Hi, I'm Opo the Hector's dolphin

Did you know? We are one of the world's smallest dolphins. Today there are only 7,381 of us left in the world.

Hector's dolphin fact file
  • Hector's dolphin grow to just 1.4 metres long and weigh up to 50 kilograms.
  • They are solidly built with a gently sloping snout and have a unique rounded dorsal fin shaped like a Mickey Mouse ear.
  • Hector's dolphin form small pods of 2 to 5 animals. From October to March, they swim close to shore and are often seen just beyond the surf and sometimes inside harbours.
  • Hector's dolphin are slow breeders — females give birth to one calf every 2 to 3 years from age 8. Females can live up to 20 years, so one female may only have 4 calves in her lifetime.
  • Hector's Dolphin can drown in fishing nets, can be injured by boats, and pollution and debris are really bad for them and their home.
Koru the kiwi

Koru the kiwi

Hi, I'm Koru the kiwi

Did you know? Unlike most birds, we rely heavily on our sense of smell to track prey.

Kiwi fact file
  • The kiwi is the smallest flightless bird in the world. It is found only in the forests of New Zealand.
  • The kiwi has a rounded body, about 35 centimetres to 55 centimetres long. It is around 38 centimtres tall — about the size of a hen. It has no tail and its wings are very small.
  • The Mäori named it kiwi from its call: "ki-wi kiwi". The call of the female kiwi is hoarse compared to the shrill voice of the male.
  • There are 5 species of kiwi — Brown Kiwi, Great Spotted Kiwi, Little Spotted Kiwi, Rowi, and Tokoeka.
  • The threats to kiwi include stoats and cats which kill 95% of kiwi chicks before they are six months old. Adult kiwi are often killed by ferrets and dogs.
Chew-Chew the panda

Chew-Chew the panda

Hi, I'm Chew-Chew the panda

Did you know? We may feed up to 12 hours a day, and mostly eat on bamboo, eating the bamboo using our powerful jaw.

Panda fact file
  • Giant pandas are found only in China, and are the rarest of the bear family.
  • A panda's average lifespan is 20–25 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity. Females can start having babies at 5 years, and give birth to a single cub (sometimes twins) every 2 years.
  • When they are born, panda cubs weigh between 90–130 grams and don't have much fur. Adults can weigh more than 100 kilograms — that's the weight of 14 heavy bowling balls.
  • The greatest threat to giant pandas is the loss of their natural habitat. Large areas of natural forest have been cleared for agriculture, timber and fuel wood.
Star the yellow-eyed penguin

Star the yellow-eyed penguin

Hi, I'm Star the yellow-eyed penguin

Did you know? Many people don't think forests are linked to penguins, yet this is exactly where we spend a lot of our time.

Yellow-eyed penguin fact file
  • The Mäori name for yellow-eyed penguin is 'Hoiho'.
  • The yellow-eyed penguin is one of the world's rarest penguins. There are only 470 breeding pairs on New Zealand's mainland.
  • They have distinct yellow eyes, a pale yellow face and a bright yellow stripe that runs from the eyes around to the back of the head.
  • Yellow-eyed penguins are surprisingly large, they are up to 65 centimetres
  • tall, and they weigh 5–8 kilograms — that's the weight of 10 cans of baked beans.
  • They nest in coastal forest and scrubland. In fact, to breed successfully, their nests must be surrounded with vegetation that obscures visual contact with others.
  • A loss of habitat, attacks by ferrets and stoats, disease outbreaks and being caught in fishers nets by mistake are all big threats to their survival.

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