Wellington Zoo in a Nutshell

Wellington Zoo was and is the first zoo of New Zealand; founded in 1906 the zoo is also the country’s oldest conservation organization. Though originally Wellington Zoo was run by Wellington City Council but at present it is being operated by a charitable trust on the behalf of Wellington City Council. Note that this arrangement came into being in 2003 when the zoo became a not-for-profit organization.

History Flashbacks

The Zoo was opened in 1906, at the hands of Prime Minister Richard Seddon; interestingly,later on, he was presented with a young lion by Bostock and Wombwell’s Circus; the lion’s name was King Dick. Over the years, the zoo underwent a gradual expansion and upgradations and committed itself to a future in environmental education with the aim to increase human/animal interaction.

Best Wellington Zoo Experiences- Zoo Sleepovers

If you want to experience behind-the-scene activities, when the zoo closes for the day, you can spend a night here to catch the fun. Costing $40 per person, a group of minimum 20 people and maximum 80 can book a sleepover; the cost includes Zoo’s entry fee and a light snack plus breakfast. Since dinner is not covered in the sleepover which starts at 7pm till 9:30 am the next day, make sure that you have had something for dinner before arriving for the sleepover.