Auckland Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world. I first went at the age of ten, when my family had just moved to New Zealand. When we lived in England, we were regular visitors of Chester Zoo, so Auckland Zoo had a tough act to follow. And it performed magnificently.

I remember the joy of standing on a balcony high over the giraffe enclosure to feed them celery. I remember the amazing elephant encounter with their really dedicated keepers. I remember crawling through the tunnels below the meerkat enclosure and peering up at them through the plastic bubbles. I remember the kiwis mating.

It looked like a Fluffy Football bouncing on top of another fluffy football.

Me at the zoo a few years ago

Since I was a kid, Auckland Zoo has just got better and better. The tiger enclosure has improved dramatically. Instead of just staring…