Sassy and Bety
the North
American Black
Bears
The Birmingham
Zoo recently
rescued two
female North
American black
bear yearlings. So far, the two female
bears, Sassy and Bety, are adjusting nicely
to their transfer to the Birmingham Zoo.
They will be temporarily on display at the
Predator building until their new home, the
Barbara Ingalls Shook Black Bear Trail, is
ready. Currently, Sassy and Bety appear
to enjoy playing with one another while
they familiarize themselves with their new
environment.
Fred and George the Red Pandas
The Zoo’s red panda
cubs have been growing
up fast! On May 31,
Fred and George
celebrated their first
birthday together.
Named after the red-
haired Harry Potter
characters, Fred and George Weasley, the two
cubs have passed several significant milestones
throughout their first year of life. George was
ahead of Fred in the learning curve to like
biscuits and bamboo, which might be attributed
to his outgoing nature. He’s also usually the first
to rush over to his keepers for fruit! Fred, on the
other hand, takes a more laid back approach,
seeming to wait patiently for his share. Though
they were born at the same time, Fred has a
much smaller frame and darker markings around
his eyes than George. See if you can tell them
apart on your next visit to the Predator Building!
Lara and Karina
the Giant River Otters
Did you know the
Birmingham Zoo is one
of only seven zoos in
the country with giant
river otters? These
large, semi-aquatic
mammals are the
longest otter species
and can grow to be up
to six feet in length. This dynamic species
is endangered in the wild, with only a few
thousand left in existence across South
America. The Zoo’s two female otters, Lara
and Karina, are sisters from different litters
that arrived from Zoo Miami. Lara and Karina
are 3 and 2-years-old, respectively, and fully
grown at around 50 pounds. At the Zoo,
they enjoy a diet full of trout, catfish and
tilapia. Both females have distinct throat
markings that are unique to each giant river
otter, much like human fingerprints. Lara
and Karina spend most of the day playing,
swimming, napping and training with their
keepers. Come see them in their new exhibit
in the Primate Building!
Batman, Luna, Pepper, Raven,
Striker, Swiper, Thalia, Thor and
Tony the Dwarf
Nigerian Goats
The nine newest
members of the
Children’s Zoo Barn are
year-old Dwarf Nigerian
goats. The boys’
names are Batman,
Striker, Swiper, Thor
and Tony; the girls’ names are Luna,
Pepper, Raven and Thalia. This breed of
goat is best known for its small stature
and milk producing capabilities. Dwarf
Nigerians may be small, but they grow
up fast. Within their first six months,
these goats grew to their full adult size of
22
inches tall. Dwarf Nigerian goats are
smart and very agile creatures, capable of
maneuvering many types of terrain. Zoo
guests will have the opportunity to interact
and watch these goats as well as the
older Dwarf Nigerian goats and other barn
animals. The Children’s Zoo animals also
perform in various demonstrations in the
newly renovated Activity Yard.
Griffin the Reticulated Giraffe
On January 1, 2014 at 12:12 am, the
Birmingham Zoo
welcomed a new
reticulated giraffe
into the herd! After
a Facebook voting
contest, the public
chose to name him
Griffin. He was born
at six-feet two-inches
tall and 140 pounds. Since then, Griffin has
been growing fast and is currently eight-feet
tall and over 300 pounds. He is getting
along with the other giraffes in the herd
including mom, Willow, and dad, Jalil. When
everyone is together, you can see he has
inherited dad’s spots and his mom’s nose.
He loves to run around the Savanna Yard
and the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter, where
he can feel the sunshine. His favorite foods
are carrots and bananas. Griffin is on exhibit
every day (weather permitting) so make sure
to step by and say, “hello!”
Rhea the Ostrich
Rhea, the youngest
ostrich at the
Birmingham Zoo,
hatched on May 24,
2013.
Even from her
first few days, keepers
could tell that she had
a lot of personality.
Rhea’s name is very unique. Ostriches are
part of the family of the “ratites” animal
group, a family of birds which also includes
emus, cassowaries, kiwis and rheas. Because
the Zoo’s ostrich chick is smaller than the
other two females, she was named after the
smaller ratite bird species. Rhea loves to eat
peas, carrots and kale. She is always active
and curious about the other species that are
housed near her. You can tell her apart from
the other ostriches by her petite size and
white feathers at the tip of her wings, known
as her “baby” feathers.
Nairi the Sumatran Orangutan
Nairi, the two-year-old female Sumatran orangutan, is continuing to grow
and change as quickly as any toddler. She turned two in December, but
she will stay with her mother, Lipz, for another four to six years to learn
the skills she needs to grow into a successful adult orangutan. She now
weighs around 15 pounds, and her weaning process continues. While
she is able to eat primate biscuits, vegetables, greens and fruit with the
adults, she occasionally nurses. Nairi is starting to spend more time
independently climbing around the exhibit and indoor rooms; however,
she generally rides on mom when moving across the exhibit. She is curious about new things
and quickly figures out novel toys. Come watch her play and grow in the Primate Building!
Meet The Baby Bunch
5
SUMMER 2014 ANIMAL TRACKS
