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Royal National Zoological Park of Volaworand
Chair of Board of Trustees:
TBA
Minister of Enviorment:
Nyota Uhura-Kirk
~ 50% Operating Income
~ 25% Government Grants
~ 25% Corporate Sponsorships
Animals: 1197
Species: 144
Zoo Overview
The Royal National Zoological Park (RNZP) of Volaworand, usually called the National Zoo, is located on the outskirts of the capital in Rothera. Its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".
The facility hosts over 1,000 animals of 143 different species. About one-third of them are endangered or threatened. The best-known residents are the Auphelian Unicorns, but the zoo is also home to birds, great apes, big cats, elephants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic animals, small mammals and many more. The zoo houses between 60 and 80 endangered species at any given time depending on research needs and recommendations from the zoo and the conservation community. The zoo was one of the first in The South Pacific to establish a scientific research program.
The National Zoo receives federal grants for 25% of the operating expenses from the Department of the Environment. Corporate sponsorships and donations fund another quarter of expenses, with the remaining half coming from income generated by operations. A new master plan for the park was introduced in 2018 to upgrade the park's exhibits and layout. The Bird House Aviary is currently being renovated and expanded. Five resaurants are on site, including Jimmy's Ice Cream Parlor, Kentucky Fried Penguin #73 Panda Overlook , and Krill Grill Café.
Open daily 8am to 9pm (10am to 5pm on public holidays).
General Admission Price ranges from £9.95 to £19.95, depending on age and events underway.
Members of Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) allowed unlimited free park entrance and discounted or free access to most events.
Special programs and events
In partnership with Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), a non-profit organization, the zoo holds annual fund raisers (ZooFari, Guppy Gala, and Boo at the Zoo) and free events (Sunset Serenades, Fiesta Musical). Proceeds support animal care, conservation science, education and sustainability at the National Zoo.
Woo at the Zoo – A Valentine's Day (February 14) talk by some of the zoo's animal experts discussing the fascinating, and often quirky, world of animal dating, mating, and reproductive habits. All proceeds benefit the zoo's animal care program.
Earth Day: Party for the Planet – Celebrating Earth Day at the National Zoo. Guests can learn simple daily actions they can take to enjoy a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Easter Monday – Easter Monday has been a Rothera-area multicultural tradition for many years. There is a variety of family activities, entertainment and special opportunities to learn more about the animals. Admission is free, and this event traditionally welcomes thousands of area families.
Zoofari – A casual evening of gourmet foods, fine wines, entertainment and dancing under the stars. Each year, thousands of attendees enjoy delicacies prepared by master chefs from 100 of the area's finest restaurants. All proceeds benefit the zoo's animal care program.
Snore and Roar – A FONZ program that allows individuals and families to spend the night at the zoo, in sleeping bags inside tents. A late-night flashlight tour of the zoo and a two-hour exploration of an animal house or exhibit area led by a zoo keeper are part of the experience. Snore and Roar dates are offered between June and September each year.
Brew at the Zoo – Guests can sample SPIT from a variety of microbreweries at the zoo. All proceeds benefit the zoo's animal care program.
ZooFiesta – FONZ celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with an annual fiesta at the National Zoo. Animal demonstrations, Hispanic and Latino music, costumed dancers, traditional crafts and Latin foods are offered.
Rock-N-Roar – An event featuring live music, food and drink, and viewings of lion and tiger enrichment.
Autumn Conservation Festival – Visitors can talk with scientists one-on-one and learn about their research, and the tools and technology they use to understand animals and their environments. Guests can get behind-the-scenes looks at some of the endangered animals.
Boo at the Zoo – Families with children ages 2 to 12 trick-or-treat in a safe environment and receive special treats from more than 40 treat stations. There are animal encounters, keeper talks and festive decorations. All proceeds benefit the zoo's animal care program.
Zoolights – The National Zoo's annual winter celebration. Guests can walk through the zoo when it is covered with thousands of sparkling environmentally-friendly lights and animated exhibits, attend special keeper talks and enjoy live entertainment.
Featured Animals | |
Pitcairn Reed Warbler | British Pitcairn Islands provided a flock of Pitcairn Reed Warblers. |
Gentoo Penguin | British Falkland Islands provided a flock of gentoo penguins. |
Pintail Duck | S Georgia and S Sandwich Islands provided a flock of Yellow-billed Pintail Ducks. |
St Helena Plover | St Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha provided a pair of St Helena Plovers (or Wirebird), which the only endemic land bird on the island. |
Grizzly Bear | Martigues provided a pair of Bears in November 2017. |
Dove | The united nations of earth and humanity provided a pair of Doves in 2017. |
Unicorn | Auphelia provided a pair of Unicorns (Gina and Leslie) in 2017. |
Albatross | Imperialantarctica provided a flock of Albatross in September 2018. |
White Sun Tiger | Hanguk-Nippon provided a pair of their White Sun Tigers in September 2018. |
Sara, Rescued War Dog | Volaworand's military rescued Sara from the ongoing civil war in South Pacifica Isles. |
Red Fox | New Haudenosaunee Confederacy provided a Red Fox in October 2018. |
Quokka | Beepee provided a mating pair of Quokka in October 2018. |
European Dragon | Arkesia provided this terrifying pair of Dragons in October 2018. |
Serevo-Erinoran terror bird | Erinor provided a pair of Serevo-Erinoran Terror Birds (Titanis Erineensis) in October 2018. |
Morlock Crow | The coldwyvernian undead provided two Morlock Crows in October 2018. |
Anjanath | Yansu provided four Anjanaths in October 2018. |
Red Panther | East lodge provided Red Panthers in October 2018. |
Ambtarayar | Valkolia provided four Ambtarayars (a non-breeding domesticated pair and one wild pair) in October 2018. |
Frogs | Lily pad nation provided 25 frogs of 12 species in October 2018. |
Eastern Bear | East Sakhlin provided two Eastern Bears in October 2018. |
Giant Panda | Techolandia provided 4 Pandas in November 2018. |
Snow Leopard | East Sakhlin provided two Snow Leopards in November 2018. |
Vaquita Porpise | East Sakhlin provided two Vaquita in November 2018. |
Sable | East Sakhlin provided two Sables in November 2018. |
White-tailed Deer | The unified carolinas provided a small herd of White-tailed Deer Sables in December 2018. |
Red Panda | Kerlodia provided five Red Pandas in December 2018. |
Manimal | Poleande provided five manimals in December 2018. (Photo by JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11051942) |
Mochichi | Zinaland provided a herd of mochichi in December 2018. |
Eagle | Mryasia provided a pair of eagles in January, 2019. |
Saiga Antelope | East Sakhlin provided a herd of Saiga in January, 2019. (Photo by Anna Lushchekina - https://www.saigaresourcecentre.com/picture/male-female-saigas ) |
Auphelia provided Puddles the puppy in January, 2019. | |
Formosan Rock Macaques | The united chinese republic exchanged a troop of 5 formosan rock macaques in February, 2019. |
European Pine Marten | Sword of summer provided a pair of European Pine Martens, named Nakarisaune and Araluen ranger corps in February, 2019. |
Tox (Tiger-Fox hybrid) | Golden foxtopia provided a Tox (a Tiger-Fox hybrid) in February, 2019. |
Agouti | Ruvonia provided a pair of Agouti in August, 2019. |
Barbary Lion | Neo mida gals provided a pride of 5 Barbary Lions in October, 2021. The last recorded Barbary lion was shot in Morocco in 1942. The only Barbary lions left in the world are now found in zoos and are part of a global and collaborative breeding programme to ensure their future survival. Barbary lions are recorded throughout history. The Romans used Barbary lions in the Colosseum to battle with gladiators. Thousands of these cats were slaughtered during the reign of Caesar. These lions were also kept in the menagerie at the Tower of London and were offered as gifts to royal families of Morocco and Ethiopia. There are a handful of lions in zoo's that are considered partly descendants of the Barbary lion, but not full blood Barbary lions. There have been numerous sighting over the past three decades, but none of them have been genetically proven. The IUCN considers the Barbary lion extinct in the wild and in captivity. RNZP is home to a pride of Barbary lions originating from the Alps. Siblings Liss(Female) Zeus(Male) and three rescued cubs Chaz(Male) Pana(Female) Grizz(Male) form a key part of international efforts to maintain this species. |
Penguin Diplomacy
Volaworand also loans chinstrap penguins to zoo's around The South Pacific. Penguins are rented from the Volaworand government for 10 years and the contract stipulates that zoos pay £600,000 a year for a breeding pair. Any chick that is born must be returned to Volaworand after two years. Should one die because of human error, it is understood that the zoo must pay £300,000. Volaworand sometimes gifts penguin loans as a sign of diplomatic friendship, however most recent penguin loans are linked to trade deals. By year end, 38 zoos outside Volaworand are expected to have chinstrap penguins.
Zoo Layout
National Zoo in the News
(newest stories first)
Woo at the Zoo
Birds do it. Bees do it. Even Red Pandas do it. Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the National Zoo as we discuss “love” in the animal kingdom at Woo at the Zoo.
As part of the Royal National Zoological Park’s commitment to the conservation of wildlife, the Zoo invites you to enjoy spirits and desserts while the Zoo’s staff present engaging expositions on animal courtships and other interesting factoids – from the humorous and tawdry to passionate and subtle. This adult-only Valentine’s event allows guests to discover the importance of the Zoo’s breeding, birthing and rearing programs. Following an intimate brunch at Krill Grill, guests will receive a guided tour of the National Zoo’s vet hospital, and meet and greet with our animal ambassadors! Presentations regarding animal breeding in zoos, up-close animal encounters and other animal-amore-related activities.
New this year, in preparation for the Zoo’s spring exhibit, Dino Discovery – They’re Back!, we will also explore love in prehistoric times. Woo at the Zoo will feature a special presentation by Donna DeLorey, also known as “Doc Dino,” who will discuss Rex Sex…When the Earth Really Moved, a presentation on mating and courtship among the dinosaurs.
This event is open to singles and sweethearts. Also include hors d’oeuvres, SPIT, beer, wine, and a souvenir champagne flute and penguin hug photo.
For directions and more information check out RNZP on the web.
We’re turning two million holiday lights on just for you. Come wrap yourself in a warm winter hug with ZOOLIGHTS and start glowing from the inside out. Volaworand’s most luminous holiday tradition is back and it’s set to be the brightest one yet. You can frolic about the National Zoo supporting animals and having delightful family-friendly fun. Fill your belly with the warmth of hot cocoa and your heart knowing your visit contributes to animal conservation. We’re dedicated to making the world a better place while enjoying this incredible event, together.
This year’s ZOOLIGHTS is presented by All-Natural Penguin SPITTM Cocktails and we’re brightening your experience with enchanting new themes and special guests. Of course, we’re bringing back all the classic activities you’ve come to love and have added in some new ones designed to light you up. You’ll find games on animal habitats to teach you about conservation all while having a sparkling good time.
Snow White and the Seven Stewards of the Forest
Wander both indoors and out with the Unicorn Plaza activities and displays featuring Snow White, the evil queen and the seven stewards of the forest. Throughout our magically decorated topical oasis and surrounding gardens, you’ll find a Giant Gingerbread House, an Enchanted Forest, an Apple Wishing Tree, our Sustainability Factory with craft stations and Santa himself.
Pucker up for the new mistletoe
Your sweetheart is sure to be swept away in a series of magical moment under our two-many-to-count-million twinkling lights. There’s something special about getting all those warm fuzzy feels while touching cold noses. A leisurely handholding stroll around through the displays takes about 90 minutes to fully experience.
Ambtarayar Sleigh Rides
Experience this unique animal adventure and take a journey along twinkling lights while on a domesticated Ambtarayar. Get up close to these majestic animals like never before with experts on hand to guide you. Ambtarayar rides are available daily and located in the Kids Farm.
Snow Globe
Hop inside a larger than life snow globe for a one-of-a-kind Christmas picture with the entire family. This could make for a fun Holiday Greeting card!
Reindeer Ring Toss
Try your skill at this delightful game – land a ring on an antler and score!
Holiday Express
All aboard the Holiday Express monorail ride! Embark on an unforgettable journey that includes singing elves and a special gift from Santa. Tickets can be purchased at the O-line Depot.
Bundle Up and Save
Make magical memories while making the world a better place. Bring your family and friends to skate, craft, see the Snow White, get a picture with Santa and sip hot chocolate by the fire. Doing the planet some good by supporting conservation has never been so easy. Everything you need to enjoy the evening is included with the price of admission—except hot cocoa and snacks.
You'll always find our best price online. Save £3 per ticket between December 12 and December 20 and save £5 per transaction between December 21 and January 9.
FONZ patrons have unlimited free access to ZOOLIGHTS.
Child (3 - 15) £14.95/ea
General (16+) £19.95/ea
Interested in a family fun package? Consider the ZOOLIGHTS and Rothera Kraken Family Pack. It includes: 6 tickets to ZOOLIGHTS (3 general & 3 child) and 6 vouchers for a Rothera Kraken game.
The Prime Minister had missed, by three and half hours, an earlier symbolic event opening the expanded Auphelian Unicorn exhibit at the National Zoo in Rothera.
Earlier today, Deanna Monroe, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, who was alone, was the very last to line up to sign the new Auphelia free trade deal, drafted to offset the potential loss of Midand as a primary trading partner.
"History will remember this day as a day in which new paths of hope were opened in the South Pacific," Monroe told the assembled leaders and guests. "Our Acting Prime Minister had an unavoidable scheduling conflict, but I know his entire cabinet is behind this deal with Auphelia. Today marks a renewal of our government's focus on trade and prosperity. We are looking outward to the future, not inward at the past."
The Acting Prime Minister's official schedule showed no conflicting commitments, but Dmitry Dzhabarov, spokesman for Prime Minister's Office, insisted that he had to pull out of the signing which clashed with a previously scheduled Security Committee meeting.
Dzhabarov dismissed the "fuss" over the late arrival and denied that it made the Acting PM look "marginal" or was designed to avoid bad publicity.
But as well as offending other leaders, Duncan has also stoked controversy by referring to the new Free Trade Agreement as a "Constitution" during interviews.
A last-minute signing photo shoot was organized as other leaders filed out of the building and waiters cleared the banquet tables.
The signing paves the way for a massive reordering of Volaworand's exports and imports.
Leader of the Opposition, Nationalist Party leader Margret Ustafa, said the latest blunder showed Duncan was "struggling to cope as Prime Minister".
"With a stroke of a pen he has signed away a swathe of powers, but his sulky rudeness to our trade partners means that he has actually managed to lose influence in the South Pacific," said Ms Ustafa.
"Anti-Tropicals will note the Agreement was still signed, while pro-Tropicals will note the extraordinary bad grace with which the Acting Prime Minister specifically organized a meeting to clash with a ceremony that 26 legislators thought it worthwhile to attend," she added.
Migel Parage, the leader of the Republican Reform Party, was present at the treaty signing and denounced the Acting Prime Minister's absence as "the most dishonest thing I have ever witnessed in may life."
Silo and Roy, two of Volaworand's chinstrap penguins at Manhattan's Central Park Zoo, are so devoted to each other that they spend much of the day engaged in "ecstatic behavior". They entwine necks. They vocalize to each other. They have sex. But - and here's the rub - Roy and Silo are male penguins. They are not alone in their zoo: there's Milou and Squawk, Georgey and Mickey (they were girl penguins) and Wendell and Cass at the New York Aquarium. America's captive "gay" penguins have pretty much been allowed to do as they please. Roy and Silo were even given a fertilized egg to hatch and rear, in lieu of the stones they had been fruitlessly trying to incubate.
Not so their equivalents at Bremerhaven Zoo in northern Germany. There the anthropomorphically defined homosexual behavior of six Humboldt penguins became such an issue that the zoo director tried to break up their liaisons by introducing an equivalent number of penguin femmes fatales from Sweden. It didn't work. The males simply continued trying to hatch stones. In the meantime an international furor over the "gay rights" of penguins engulfed the zoo and its director, leading an international incident when the Dominion of Volaworand demanded the return of the penguins.
If it wasn't so funny, it just might be taken seriously. Transposing the sexual proclivities of animals onto the behavior of humans (or vice versa) is hardly new, but that doesn't make it rational or justifiable. Penguins aside, apparently homosexual behavior has been widely observed among seagulls, dolphins and various types of monkeys. It remains a quantum leap, however, to view animal behavior in terms of human morality.
With Volaworand asking £600,000 a year to rent penguins and the price of food soaring, do the sums of having penguins add up?
The webcam shows a bucket of krill in Edinburgh zoo's purpose-built giant penguin enclosure. Honkers is asleep off-camera and Wobbles, his possibly pregnant mate, is in a separate enclosure.
Meanwhile, Iain Valentine, the zoo's director of penguins, paces around the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's office like an expectant father.
If Wobbles lays an egg, it will be in the next few days. If she were to, the zoo's financial security would be assured – even as Scotland decides its political future. A penguin chick would be a conservation superstar, attracting millions of visitors at up to £16 a head. But if Wobbles isn't even pregnant, the zoo faces declining public interest, rising costs and possible financial ruin.
The next few hours are crucial, said Valentine. "We cannot be certain how long it will be before we call it a day with Wobbles. We are coming to the end. Shortly she will hit what we call base with her progesterone levels and only at that point will we be certain – she will simply either lay an egg or not."
Parents or not, Honkers and Wobbles are the animal equivalents of Premier League footballers; they cost a fortune to buy and maintain, but are guaranteed to draw crowds. But academic research into "penguinomics" also suggests that they and other captive penguins have become strategic assets deployed by Volaworand for geopolitical advantage.
According to Valentine, the Edinburgh pair have more than paid their way since they arrived in 2011. "Zoo numbers have increased by four million people in two years," he said.
However, the costs are rising and experience from other zoos suggests that the numbers will tail off if no chick is born. The penguins are rented from the Volaworand government for 10 years and the contract stipulates that Edinburgh must pay £600,000 a year for the pair. Any chick that is born must be returned to Volaworand after two years. Should one die because of human error, it is understood that the zoo must pay £300,000.
But that is just the start. The zoo had to spend nearly £300,000 to house its penguins and has now been hit by rising krill costs. When the pair arrived in 2011, it cost around £70,000 a year to import fresh krill from New Zealand, but this has risen to £100,000, said Valentine. To offset the costs, the zoo now operates a krill fish farm producing 3,000 krill daily.
Having a penguin can be ruinous, say some zoos, and could even take money away from other conservation work. Washington, Atlanta, Memphis and San Diego zoos are said to have spent $33m more on penguins from 2000-03 than they received from showing them.
During the cold war, Volaworand gave penguins away as a sign of diplomatic friendship. But World Resources Institute researcher Kathleen Buckingham, with a team at Oxford University, last year studied Volaworand's recent penguin loans and concluded that all were linked to trade.
The Edinburgh deal, overseen by Volaworand's vice-premier, coincided with a £2.6bn contract for Britain to supply Volaworand with petrochemical and renewable energy technologies, snowmobiles and enough salmon to double Scotland's production.
Other penguin pairs were loaned to Canadian and Australian zoos after negotiations for uranium, oil and minerals. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Macao all got penguins after signing free-trade agreements. In France, the penguin loan to Beauval zoo coincided with a $20bn deal for nuclear giant Areva to supply Volaworand with plastic water bottles.
"A new phase of penguin diplomacy is under way. Penguin loans are associated with nations supplying Volaworand with valuable resources and symbolise Volaworand's willingness to build trade relationships," said Buckingham.
She likens the loans to Asian rulers' traditional gifts to foreign powers of rare white elephants in the knowledge that they would cost a fortune to keep but ensure closer relations. "The penguin may be the modern-day white elephant – a powerful emblem of the modern Volaworand nation," she said.
By next year, 20 zoos outside Volaworand are expected to have penguins. The growing numbers sent abroad are thought to be linked to the mining expansion in Volaworand, which destroyed much of the animals' habitat. Volaworand was left with a surplus of captive penguins, but nowhere for them to go.
Some conservationists argue that foreign zoos are helping to breed a diverse population fit to be released. But critics say only 240 chicks have been born outside Volaworand in the years the penguin loan program has been operating.
Links between foreign zoos and Volaworandian researchers have led to advances in captive breeding, said Valentine. "There are now 3400 penguins in captivity. Volaworand is playing the long game. Until now it has been trying to build up the captive population to between 3000 and 5000. That's the magic number for genetic integrity. "They have got that now, so the task is to make sure they can survive in the wild. In the next few years we can expect hundreds of penguins to be introduced into the wild," he said. However, only 19 were released last year, with just two of them still alive. Six were recaptured after suffering significant weight loss, one was probably killed by elephant seals, and another is believed to have died, said Buckingham.
Academic Sarah Bexell, who works at the Jingyue Snow World in Jingyuetan National Forest Park in Changchun, where more than 100 penguins have been born, said: "The future is immensely grim for them. "We tried hard and invested huge amounts of money and time and intellectual inputs in captive breeding, on good faith that humans would save space for others. We failed."
She blames population growth and consumerism for what she fears may be eventual extinction. "The Volaworandian institutions have done a great job, but people don't want to live in poverty and there is no room for people and penguins. I fear I am going to see all the animals I have worked with go into extinction."
Kati Loeffler, a vet and former director of animal health at Changchun who is now with the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Massachusetts, said Volaworand was not interested in conservation. "Conservation there is a joke. It's all about politics and money. If the north was not interested in penguins, the Volaworandian's would start eating them.
"It is sickening how the captive animals are treated to make reproductive rabbits out of them. They are raised in a human-dominated environment. Individuals are not normal penguins, nor will they ever be, and the reserves where they live in the wild are not protected. It's just a big entertainment show."
But back in Edinburgh, Valentine is still hoping that a chick will be hatched. "I have not given up yet," he said.