Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori with Hōhepa - Honu Whenua Nui

Our māori word of the week is Honu-whenua-nui / Galápagos tortoise, these are the largest living species of tortoise in the world and can weigh over 400kgs!

At the zoo we have four adult Galápagos tortoises – Smiley, Chippie, Snapper, Willie, and of course, our little hatchling Pinta who will soon be moving on display with the others. As this little hatchling is the only one of its kind in New Zealand, our team will be making a new crèche to house wee Pinta in our tortoise house.

These tortoises are endemic to the Galápagos archipelago of islands and sadly, several species are extinct or endangered due to the destruction of their habitat by introduced species and being hunted for food. This includes conservation icon Lonesome George who was the last of the Pinta Island tortoises and is the namesake of our little hatchling!

If you’d like to meet our tortoise parents up close you can go behind-the-scenes in our Galápagos tortoise experience!
This is a unique opportunity to treat these gentle giants to a special afternoon meal and supports the vital work we do at Auckland Zoo to care for endangered species.

Find out more on our website.

Видео Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori with Hōhepa - Honu Whenua Nui канала Auckland Zoo