Bella and Chaka the first Hippos at Auckland Zoological Gardens

Researched and written by Elizabeth Clark 30 November 2012

During the 1920s and 30s Auckland Zoological Gardens had a highly successful
breeding record from its original foundation pair of hippos, the female Bella and
her mate Chaka. Several generations of their descendants carried on throughout
the decades, spanning almost 90 years.
Today, the zoo houses just two animals. Faith a female, and her castrated son
Fudge. We look back on the story of Bella and Chaka the zoos original pair.
In 1923, Auckland Zoo purchased an unnamed two year old female hippopotamus calf
from the Melbourne Zoological Gardens for the substantial sum of 400.1
Bella as she was later named, was born on 23 February 19212, she was the third calf
of the resident breeding pair William and Rosamund.3
The Auckland Star (23 October 1923) described Auckland City Councils purchase
of the young hippo as A young lady of some weight and considered the price a
snip since the elder sister had been sold to Taronga Park Zoo for the greater sum of
500.4
Auckland Zoo set about enlarging the creek coming from the Western Springs lake,
enclosing it with a stone and iron fence to create a space for the anticipated new
arrival at an estimated cost of 850. The young female hippo arrived on the Marama
from Sydney on 11 December 1923. The Auckland Star (12 December) reported the
young animal had suffered from a bout of sea sickness, but overall, was in good
health. She had yet to add two tons to her weight, the report had stated, before she
would be fully grown.5
During January, Auckland City Council took action when visitors were reported to be
throwing objects both at the bears and at the new hippopotamus. An advertisement
appeared in the Auckland Star (16 January 1924)6 advising
Serious complaints having been received that missiles are being thrown at the
bears and Hippopotamus, visitors to the Zoological Park are earnestly requested to
refrain from this practice
In October 1924, Bella was featured in the 1924 Auckland Zoological Gardens guide
book. The Auckland Star (23 October 1924) described her image, (amongst a total of
67 photographs) in the guide book7
... the splendidly hideous hippopotamus (with his gigantic mouth wide open) all
make splendid negatives..
In mid July of 1925, it was announced that a five year old male hippo had been
purchased from the Calcutta Zoological Gardens. Chaka, as he was known, had been
born at the facility, he was described as being about the same size as his future mate
Bella.8

Chaka arrived in Auckland, on board the Kent from London on 19 August 1925. He
had been originally shipped from Calcutta in India, to London where he was
examined by a professor from the Zoological Society of London and once declared fit
for export, was sent on to Auckland.9 The animal was fed by the Kents butcher, and
despite a brief period of stormy weather, arrived in good health. He was transported
straight to the Auckland Zoo on the same day of arrival.10
Chaka though, possibly was older than the age stated. Males, of the species, average
sexual maturity age at around seven years old, with females attaining breeding
capability at five years old.11 Whatever the age Chaka may have been, the pair soon
produced a healthy calf. The birth was announced proudly by the Auckland Zoo in the
Auckland Star (28 September 1926)12
CHAKA - On September 27, in the big pond to Mr. and Mrs. Chaka (nee Bella),
a son. Both are doing well, and everybody is pleased as punch.
On the morning of September 29, however, the newborn was found dead with his
father Chaka lying on top of the body.13 A later examination, revealed that the young
hippo calf had been severely bitten by Chaka resulting in its death.
Whilst the Auckland Star was forgiving in its reporting of the young hippos death,
Wellington based New Zealand Truth (14 October 1926) launched a scathing criticism
of the Auckland Zoos seemingly lack of vigilance on their part.14
Apologists for the management of the Auckland Zoo are never weary of falling
back on the old story of ill-luck. On the other hand, it might be said that the City
Councils zoological venture is run solely on the lines of luck. Bad luck, where
large sums of ratepayers' money is involved, it would seem to be a poor alternative
to forethought and zoological proficiency.
In the aftermath of the loss of the hippo calf a letter to the editor appeared in the Auckland
Star (11 October 1926) written by a Whangarei resident with the non de plume Hard Lines
recalling what a keeper at the Melbourne Zoo had told them.

The recent tragedy in hippo circles at the Zoo reminds me of a visit to that at
Melbourne, and the keeper's remark to us visitors, that in a wild state Mrs. Hippo,
plants the young one well away from the naughty papa. They at Melbourne had had
such an experience, but had since separated the pair in time, and saved the offspring.
If we ever have a zoo at Whangarei, 1 trust we shall not require to pay so dearly for
our experience ..
Auckland Zoo management must have taken heed of that advice. In early September
of 1927, they separated Bella with the expectation of a new arrival. By December of
that same year no new arrival had made an appearance.15
The year 1928 brought about a new pregnancy. From around November 1928, the zoo
management arranged for the Chaka to be slowly withdrawn from Bellas company.
In the early hours of the morning of January 12 1929, Pondo arrived as the Auckland
Star16 of the same date had reported:

An eight-stone baby, possibly a boy, now noses round the huge bulk of Bella, the
benign-looking female hippopotamus wallowing in her pond out at the Auckland
Zoo. The interesting event took place early this morning.
The mother is not so bright as usual, but the superintendent (Mr. T. Aldridge) is
quite satisfied with the way things are going. "She is an excellent mother," he
remarked this morning, "and the little fellow has already taken nourishment."
Chaka, the father, who murdered his one-day old infant in 1926, has during the
past three months been discreetly
withdrawn, and has occupied a bachelor pond higher up, but the iron grating
between did not prevent him taking note of what went on in the old home.
"Does he know what happened in the next pond?" said Mr. Aldridge. "Well I
rather think he does; he has been very restless all the morning."
Chaka is only five years of age, while Bella is two years older. He yawned several
times in a most bored manner while the mother and child were getting all the
attention this morning. One of the bystanders, remembering the fate of the last
baby, suggested when Chaka opened about a square yard of mouth, showing teeth
as thick as fencing posts, that perhaps it was not a yawn.
In order to accommodate the little stranger the water in Bella's pond was lowered,
and when he walks round his back is just out of it. Most of Bella's bulk stands out,
even when she is lying on her side, which seemed to be her
favourite attitude this morning, with one half her head
under water, but with the eye in the other half frequently seeking her offspring,
nosing about alongside her.
The baby is a perfect replica in miniature of his parents, and does not give that
suggestion of "all head and feet that a puppy does, for instance.
He was born under water, feeds under water, and will/probably spend the next week
in the same damp manner. When the time comes for his first jaunt ashore he will
make it pick-a-back. The mother will manoeuvre under water until she gets the
little one on her back, and from that elevated post he will survey the scenery, as he
will not have then found his land-legs. No trouble is anticipated when the time
comes to introduce the baby to its father.
The contretemps in 1926 was due to the fact that the parents were left in the same
pondwhich is not correct etiquette in hippo circles This time, things were
managed differently, and it is confidently expected to rear this interesting little
newcomer.
In the June, the baby hippo was officially given the name of Pondo, and was reported
to be making solid progress17. Pondo was later transferred to Perth Zoo at the age of
5 years in late March 1934.18 He seems to have vanished from any mention in the
Perth newspapers after 1941. At the time of writing, no exact death date has been
established.

In early October 1930, the zoo became aware Bella was expecting again and made
preparations for the birth of her third calf.19 The calf was born in the early hours of
November 3. It was first noticed by the night watchman at 2 a.m. in the morning
swimming in the water. By 5 a.m., however, the calf appeared to be in trouble. It was
removed from the water but was found to be dead. Curator Griffin upon reporting to
the Parks and Reserves Committee of the Auckland City Council advised the mother
hippo had either rejected the calf, or had killed it.20
Bella gave birth to her fourth calf Zulu on New Years Day 1932. The curator at the
time, L.T. Griffin told the Auckland Star (2 January 1932), the successful breeding of
the hippotamuses was due to the clemency of the climate, and the splendid natural
facilities at the zoo. He also commented I doubt there is any zoo in the world where
conditions are so favourable.21
Zulu, like Pondo his elder sibling, was transferred to Adelaide Zoo in early January of
1934.22 He was renamed Newsboy and remained one of the Zoos most popular
exhibits until his death at the age of 45 years old in August of 1977.23
A fifth calf was born on November 9, 1935. The Auckland Star (9 November 1935)
reported the birth, and the good progress of the mother and new born calf.24
...There was a tranquil air about the pools this morning. Chaka, immobile and half
submerged, nestled against the iron bars of his pool glancing from one half-opened
eye under the bridge to the next pool, where Bella and her baby lay in shallow
water.
The young one frequently reared half its body from the water in an apparent
endeavour to climb upon its mother's back. Unsuccessful, it then settled back to
recline in comfort with its head alongside Bella's rough hide, which to it may have
been as comforting as an eiderdown.
It looked fat and healthy, and probably as good a specimen as the previous arrivals,
which at birth weighed in the neighbourhood of 901b. Owing to the necessity of not
disturbing the mother and baby, the authorities have not yet identified its sex, but it
is hoped that the sequence of "boys' has been broken, for female hippos command
a bigger price than males, and already its market value is being assessed. .
The jubilation of a fifth hippo calf in seven years, however, was cut short, when on
the evening of Saturday November 23, the two week old calf died. Flooding had
occurred and the calf had been crushed up against the bank of the enclosure by flood
waters.25 The necropsy revealed the cause of death was from broken ribs and internal
injuries.26
The sixth and final hippopotamus calf was born to Bella on 11 February 1937.27 He
was later named Dimizulu, and was paired with a 2 year old female hippo named
Nada in 1939, that was bred at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney, Australia.28

Tragedy struck the prolific breeding pair of hippos on 13 October 1937, when Chaka
the male, died after a painful illness, resulting from the swallowing of a rubber ball,
which was found in his gut during the necropsy.29
Of this news, the Mayor of Auckland, Sir Ernest Davis, at the time when it was
reported at a meeting of the Auckland City Council (1 November 1937) commented
A very serious loss.30
Bella possibly died sometime in the 1950s according to Auckland Zoological
Gardens, at the time of writing no definitive death date of this hippopotamus has been
established.

Auckland Star 23 October 1923, page 7

Argus (Melbourne), 23 February 1921

Worker (Melbourne), 10 July 1924

Auckland Star 23 October 1923, page 7

Auckland Star, 12 December 1923, page 4

Auckland Star, 16 January 1924, page 6

Auckland Star, 23 October 1924, page 9

Auckland Star, 13 July 1925, page 5

Auckland Star, 19 August 1925, page 1

10

Auckland Star 21 August 1925, page 9

11

San Diego Zoo Website San Diego Zoos Animal bytes: Hippopotamus
November 2012 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-hippopotamus.html
12

Auckland Star, 28 September 1926, page 8

13

Auckland Star, 29 September 1926, page 10

14

New Zealand Truth, 14 October 1926, page 8

15

Auckland Star , 5 September 1927, page 6

16

Auckland Star, 12 January 1929, page 11

17

Auckland Star, 11 June 1929, page 6

18

Auckland Star , 27 March 1934, page 12

19

Auckland Star 10 October 1930, page 6

20

Auckland Star, 3 November 1930, page 6

21

Auckland Star, 2 January 1932, page 6

22

Auckland Star , 27 March 1934, page 12

23

Hippos WorldDatabase Newsboy Retrieved 2 December 2012

http://www.hipposworld.de/tierdetails.php?ISBN1=01881049
24

Auckland Star, 9 November 1935, page 10

25

Auckland Star, 25 November 1935, page 8

26

Townsville Daily Bulletin (Queensland, Aus.) 9 December 1935

27

Auckland Star, 11 February 1937, page 6

28

Evening Post, 13 March 1939, page 10

29

Auckland Star, 14 October 1937, page 6

30

Auckland Star, 2 November 1937, page 6

Retrieved 28