Keeping Cool at the Zoo

During late summer the zoos began with annual checkups for our ring-tailed lemurs and our binturong, Rikki. Every summer, all 200 animals get physical exams from our specialized veterinarians. Many of our animals are trained for husbandry behaviors to participate in their own health care. For example, they’ll walk onto a scale to be weighed, hold still for injections, or pick up their feet for hoof trims. Training husbandry behaviors can reduce stress on the animals and the humans involved. For the last several months, zookeepers have been training the lemurs and Rikki to voluntarily go into their crates. On the day of the vet visit, they all calmly crated and allowed our vet to give them vaccines and examinations. Our zookeepers were thrilled!

During late August, we had the hottest week of the summer, with heat indexes over 100 degrees. Zoo staff provided as many opportunities for our animals to cool off as they could. Popsicles made with fruits and veggies are a huge hit with our animals! Our Aoudad sheep kneel down and rub their necks in mud puddles to keep cool. Ostriches Elah and Jezreel love being sprayed with water! KuneKune pigs Thorin and Gimli enjoy soaking in the sun in their pools. Just like people, the pigs must wear sunscreen to protect their sensitive skin. They also had fun hunting for refreshing fruits in their new snuffle mat.

However, the weather was perfect for our heat-loving reptiles, so the Ararat Ridge Zoo’s tortoises went on adventures! The Russian tortoise Orion explored the porcupine yard, where there’s lots of dirt for digging. Despite his tiny size, Orion is actually 26 years old! Tortoises are the longest-living land animals, often living over 100 years. Munch, our nine-year-old African spurred tortoise, went on a walk throughout the zoo. He is only 96.5 pounds right now, but he will grow to be 200–250 lbs! Munch is trained to follow a target, a red ball on the end of a stick, so his keepers can lead him around the zoo safely to explore.

Speaking of targeting, the savannah monitor Joanna is learning how to target too! Since she’s brand new to it, she’s still learning to follow it while inside her enclosure. Monitor lizards are extremely intelligent—studies show they can count, solve puzzles, and work together in groups to solve problems. That’s why it’s so important for her zookeepers to exercise her mind as well as her body.

Back at the Eden Zoo, our four alpacas Alfonso, Bilbo, Samwise, and Frodo are learning to paint. Our zoo staff uses nontoxic washable paint, so it is safe to contact the animals. First, our alpacas learn to target objects with their noses. Next, they learn to accept paint being applied to their snouts. Finally, zookeepers combine the behaviors—they’ll paint the alpacas’ snouts, and the alpacas will touch their noses to the canvases. Who knew alpacas could be artists?

Alpacas

Tune in next week to catch up again with our zoo animal friends!