The Wire with Castor

Throughout the pandemic, there have been reports that zoo animals have been missing the public while zoos have been closed due to lockdown restrictions. News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to two representatives from New Zealand’s zoos about how the Level 4 lockdown has impacted their work and their animals. Jemima interviews Nathan Hawke, the Marketing, Public Relations and Visitor Services Manager for Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, and Harmony Neil, the Team Leader for Primates at Wellington Zoo, about this. 

A large blob of warm water off New Zealand's east coast is causing drought conditions in South America. A recent report says that the blob emerged naturally in the 1980's, but has warmed much faster due to climate change. 

Louis was joined by Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Kyle Clem to talk about the blob, how it was caused, and the impacts it is having. 

According to the latest estimate, there are only 54 māui dolphins remaining. Only found on the North Island's west coast, māui dolphins are threatened by fishing pressures, like trawling and gill nets, and diseases, like toxoplasmosis. 

Louis talked to University of Otago's Liz Slooten and Sea Shepherd's Michael Lawry about the species' current status, the major threats, and what needs to be done to save them. 

Ilena talked to Laura Revell, a senior lecturer in Environmental physics at the University of Canterbury, on the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent announcement that New Zealand will be phasing out its use of methyl bromide by 2033. She talks about how New Zealand stacks up against the rest of the world in the use of this toxic fumigant and what alternatives might be available.