just north of Oamaru (between Dunedin and Christchurch) is the Landon Creek Bird Sanctuary. I've been past a few times without time to stop but in December I finally managed to visit. I had been expecting some good things seeing as how the publicity says it is NZ's largest private bird collection open to the public ("ranging from the beautiful Blue and Gold McCaws [sic] to the amazing array of African Greys" says the pamphlet). The sign outside says there are 144 aviaries. I didn't count them but that seems about right. The trouble was, half of them were empty! The visit started all right with a tame grey parrot in a cage at the entrance (the only specimen of "the amazing array" of this species they appeared to have) and then an aquarium/terrarium section that had a certain home-made charm. There is also a small paddock area with a tame pony, ostrich and emu. The aviary section, however, let down what could have been a child-friendly family place. All the aviaries are in two blocks and they are just the standard bare breeding-cage type aviaries. Many of them didn't even have perches and the parrots were simply clinging to the mesh walls. The only interesting species from my point of view (due to their being uncommon in NZ) were the blue-crowned and peach-fronted conures. And as stated before, about half the aviaries were empty, and most were very unclean. Terrified pairs of greenfinches were cohabiting with macaws and cockatoos! Outside one aviary was a white dove with an open wound on its back. Someone else I talked to later said he had seen decomposing galahs in aviaries there. It appears to be the case that the care of the collection had got too much for the owners and it has been steadily degrading for quite a while. Final verdict: avoid! blue-crowned conure water dragon enclosure one of the aviary blocks. Almost the entire right row was housing pairs of sulphur-crested cockatoos!
a friend of mine visited Landon Creek the day before yesterday and it is just as bad as ever. The SPCA tells me the place is currently under investigation and will be inspected by an animal care specialist next week. I've asked them to keep me updated on the outcome (but we'll see if that happens) PS Landon Creek has its own gallery now with a few other photos in it http://www.zoobeat.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/934
looks like you have discovered NZs closest equivalent to Guzoo ? it will be interesting to see what the SPCA thinks of it . I had to postpone my last trip that was going to include this place in Oamaru , so it looks like I havent missed much .
Yesterday I got back in touch with the SPCA to see what the outcome of their inspection was, and this is the reply they sent back today...
Great stuff Chlidonais..! Good to only have places giving good care open... Hope the animals went to better homes...
re landon creek hi all just thought i would add a note to this ok here i go i live in oamaru and have known pat for a number of years just to clear up a few things please note that it is hard to find workers in this area and the animals were loved and cared for just that when the couples health went down they were unable to lot after what they had. with the number of people 3-10 a week that came thru they could not afford a full time worker to do alot of things i worked there 4 years ago and it was great so sorry to all that have been offended by the state it has got into please note all animals have gone to new homes with people that can take care of them thanks daniel (maybe if they had more people going thru it could have been great) theve had birds here for over 20 years
as I said in the original post: If the owners can't look after the animals and can't afford to hire someone who can, then they should have cut down on numbers long ago. The state of the facilities, and indeed of many of the animals themselves, were deplorable. I am in no way sorry it has closed (although I can certainly see the potential it may have had), but I am of course happy the animals have found proper homes where they can be cared for properly.
i know that but trying to get people whole story as its unfair on them i knew i would up set some but their side had to be told
but they tried to cut down the numbers as you said 144 avairys most empty but who wants 40 cockatoos i dont i took on all the lorikeets and some others
Hey birdmans, as they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions... I agree with Chlidonais' assessment of the situation wholeheartedly, this was a good result although I wish the previous owners the best of luck with their health in the future...
