Date:  15 July 2015

Te Anau Wildlife Centre is changing its name to Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary to better reflect its role as a home to birds that are unable to fend for themselves in the wild, or are part of a captive breeding programme.

This week, signs are being installed bearing the Sanctuary’s new name. These signs give visitors information on feeding times and the location of facilities, as well as featuring a guide to the various wild birds that can be spotted in the area.

Department of Conservation Fiordland Conservation Partnerships Manager, Jessie Haanen, said the previous name did not aptly reflect the nature of the Sanctuary. 

“Feedback from visitors to the park indicated that the name ‘Te Anau Wildlife Centre’ gave them the impression that they would see all types of wildlife, and didn’t reflect the reality of their experience, which was limited to viewing birdlife.” 

Te Anau Bird Sanctuary offers visitors the chance to get up close to some of New Zealand’s rarest native birds. A tour of the Sanctuary is run daily and is very popular, with over 3,500 people attending each year. This is in addition to the many visitors who go outside of the tour time.

One of the newly installed signs at Te Anau Bird Sanctuary

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