New arrivals ‘doddery old couple’
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Hamilton Zoo’s newest arrivals are “a doddery old couple” who’ve been together for years, and have moved to the Waikato for their retirement.
The zoo this week welcomed siamang gibbons Iuri, a 30-year-old female, and 25-year-old male Itam, a retired breeding couple who had been residents at Auckland Zoo since the 1980s.
The siamangs, who mate for life, arrived at Hamilton Zoo on Wednesday, and have been settling in to an enclosure near the rowdy lemurs. Auckland Zoo primate keeper Michelle Mudford said the “regular ritual” was a sign the pair were growing more comfortable in their new home.
Iuri and Itam engaged in a noisy “song duet” when the Times visited yesterday. “They’re pretty good at cuddling together to keep warm.
Miss Mudford said although Iuri and Itam have been used to Auckland’s warmer climate, they would soon become acclimatised to Hamilton’s chilly winter mornings. It always becomes normal for these guys, whatever situation they’re in. “They’ve been together about 23 years now, and are hard to separate.”
Miss Mudford, who worked with the siamangs for several years, said they were “a doddery old couple, like you see walking down the road”, who stuck close together and often showed their affection with a bit of canoodling. . They are pretty active, and still play, but just not as often as younger ones would. “It’s all gone a lot better than expected, and they’ve settled in really well.
Miss Mudford was pleased with the ease of their introduction to Hamilton Zoo. They’re pretty people-friendly, and they’ve got a nice little corner of the zoo all to themselves. They’re pretty people-friendly, and they’ve got a nice little corner of the zoo all to themselves