“Undertakers” at the Ark Encounter?

Nzuri and Mrembo are our new female marabou (MARE-ah-boo) storks, the largest living members of the stork kind. Their names both mean “pretty” or “beautiful” in Swahili. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, these storks weigh up to 20 pounds, grow 4–5 feet tall, and have wingspans approaching 10 feet.

Marabou storks are often called “undertaker birds” because their coloration resembles that of funeral directors and because they act as important scavengers in our fallen world.

But why did I introduce them as “undertakers”? Well, marabou storks are often called “undertaker birds” because their coloration resembles that of funeral directors and because they act as important scavengers in our fallen world. Their bald heads keep them clean while eating carcasses, just like vultures. They will also opportunistically hunt anything they can catch, often waiting at the edge of grass fires to grab fleeing animals.

The pink sacs on their necks are called gular (GOO-lar) sacs and help them vocalize, but these birds usually communicate through bill clattering. (Did you know that stork bills can snap shut in 25 milliseconds, one of the fastest reactions of any vertebrate?)

Nzuri and Mrembo live in a habitat with Munch, our 150-pound African spurred tortoise. Zoo staff will provide weekly keeper chats in this habitat so guests can learn more about God’s magnificent design in these African giants!

Plan your visit to meet Nzuri and Mrembo and many other animals, including lemurs, a sloth, a binturong, and more at ArkEncounter.com/visit. Oh, and be sure to follow our zoo page on Facebook for all the exciting updates about Ararat Ridge Zoo!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.