Two Tasmanian Devils sent to Auckland Zoo from a breeding program in Tasmania have been given new names in the language of the island’s indigenous people.
The young sisters, originally named Krill and Jellyfish, have been renamed Wiri and Wayana, meaning ‘starfish’ and ‘shark’ in palawa kani.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre chose the names through a voting process involving children from Hobart and Northern Tasmania.
Zoo lead carnivore keeper Nick Parashchak says the children described wiri/starfish as “outgoing and mischievous” and liked wayana/shark for a purinina, because both species have sharp teeth.
“I’m particularly fond of Wiri as the female we’ve given this name to really does like to lie under her nest box, spread out like a starfish,” he said.
The two-year-old devils are part of the Tasmanian Devil Ambassador Program and have joined male devil Nita at the zoo.
Parashchak says that while Nita is currently more active during the day, Wiri and Wayana are starting to venture out during daylight hours.
“As a non-breeding group Nita and the females are in separate areas but have the positive stimulation of being relatively close and can see, smell and communicate with each other,” he said.
He says recent enrichments for Wiri and Wayana have included blood and meat ice blocks, placing ungulate poo and some of Nita’s distinctive smelling straw bedding in their habitat and giving them an infertile ostrich egg to investigate.
The devils arrived at the zoo on September 4th, bringing the total international population of Tasmanian devils to 54.
