Exploring the Wildlife in New Zealand. Are they really wild?

As you may have seen in my previous posts, many of the stops we made in New Zealand were agriculturally based. I certainly did mind this, having a livestock interest. But those were not the only kinds of places we went to study human and animal interactions.

In the states, I know I love to visit the zoo. I grew up with the Toledo Zoo only 25 minutes away and have visited the Columbus Zoo while living in Columbus and attending Ohio State. I have always been interested in exotic animals and for quite some time, wanted to pursue a zoology degree. So, it is always a pleasure to see these wild animals when I can.

My group visited the Orana Wildlife Park in New Zealand. We learned about some of their native species like the Kiwi and Tuatara. We also saw some of the animals they have from around the globe.

You're Killing Me... Humanely?

Humans do not like to talk about death. No one looks at it gracefully, even though everyone and everything experiences it. In the animal industry, it is also looked down upon. I'm not just referring to euthanasia for overpopulated animal shelters putting to sleep puppies and kittens. I'm talking about harvesting livestock for food consumption.

I had never actually been into a processing facility until traveling to New Zealand. This was a completely new experience that not only enlightened me on some concepts I didn't understand before, but what the Kiwi culture values in processing meat. 

We went to the Alliance Group Meat Processing Pukeuri Plant. Because of risk that the public might misconceive what they see, we were unable to take any photos at the facilities. It isn't that they are trying to hide anything, but they want to maintain the integrity of their business.

This was the largest plant in the south island, processing 10,800 sheep, 560 slaughter cattle and between 500-2,800 veal calves per day. This is an expansive business and I determined their two top priorities: safety of their workers and animal welfare. (Reader, beware of descriptive content ahead.)

Oh Deer! A New Zealand Niche Market.

The U.S. is overpopulated with deer. These wild animals have a tendency of running out into the middle of a country road or being hunted by sportsmen and sportswomen in the fall and winter seasons. In New Zealand, there is a different market for the lean mammals.

Don answers questions about raising his trophy deer.

The OSU crew stopped at Deer Genetics NZ to learn about his business in raising red deer for trophy stags and velvet production. Don, owner of this profitable business, shared some secrets and facts to his success in raising the deer.