N.Z. ideally suited for animal refuges

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 7

N.Z. ideally suited for animal refuges

New Zealand could be a Noah’s Ark for African animals, says the director of England’s Marwell Zoological Park, Mr John Knowles.

Visiting Orana Park on Saturday, Mr Knowles said he was "enormously impressed.” He was particularly pleased to see how well the rare scimitar-horned oryx was doing as it is now extinct in the wild. The park’s first oryx were sent from the Marwell Zoo In 1978. Orana Park has bred 33

oryx, and Is exporting them to Australia to establish another breeding group there. Mr Knowles Is known internationally for his work with African antelopes. He said there had been no sign of any oryx in the wild for more than two years. "We need to ensure the future of some Of the large vegetarian animals of Africa,” he said. "In New Zealand and Australia there are large stretches of land which have relatively little

economic value, the climate is good and there is a stable political system.” Both countries had the potential to site major reserves — "non-floating arks.”

“We’re trying to arrange for more species to be sent to Orana Park and Australasian zoos in general.”

Christchurch people should be "enormously proud” of Orana Park, said Mr Knowles. He hoped they would support the park financially to further its development.