Orana Wildlife Park Opened Its Gates – 25th September 1976

On 25 September 1976, New Zealand’s first and only open range zoo opened. Only 16 hectares in size on opening day, 10 of these were the Drive-Thru Lion Reserve, which closed to cars in March 1995. Today, Orana is 80 hectares and houses roughly 400 animals – from New Zealand natives to African wildlife. For …