Visit to the Noumea Zoological and Botanical Garden

After exploring the local market, we decided to visit the zoological and botanical garden in Noumea. We were very pleasantly surprised to find an excellent zoo with large, well-kept and rather open enclosures for the animals. The zoo has an affiliation with the World Wildlife Fund and has excellent interpretation throughout. I was, of course, very excited to see a few endemic plants including Araucaria columnaris

and Acacia spirorbis

and a native Dysoxylum species.

The birders on the trip were slightly more excited to see the endemic and much celebrated Kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus).

Not being a birder, my favorite bird of the day was the horned parakeet (Eunymphicus cornutus). We will hopefully see both of these birds in the wild.