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Alpaca
Born: July 13, 2010
South America Exhibit
Sooner the alpaca is a striking animal. You can easily pick him out from the Milwaukee County Zoo’s herd of alpacas. The 6-year-old male is white, with a large dark patch that covers most of his back. But you might do a double take when you notice a spitting image of Sooner, in miniature, prancing about the yard. That’s not an illusion; it’s Enrique, the son of Sooner and Eleanor, and the newest addition to the South America yard. Alpacas are a common, domesticated species native to mountainous areas of Peru. They are bred for their wool, which is warmer than that of sheep. Enrique is a great example of how quickly alpacas develop. Just an hour and 14 minutes after birth, Enrique (above), “was able to stand up on his own power for eight minutes,” notes Bob Collazo, a South America keeper. And at barely 3 weeks old, Enrique started to taste the hay that is spread out in the exhibit to feed the adult animals. He’ll probably keep nursing until he is at least 6 months old, says Dawn Wicker, area supervisor of the South America yard and of Winter Quarters, where many of the Zoo’s animals spend their nights and live in winter. By their first birthday, most alpacas have reached their full size. Enrique is a very curious little fellow. He’ll race across the yard to say hello to another animal. And hewas spotted sneaking up on an unsuspecting peacock and then nibbling at its tail feathers. The bird left in a hurry.
American Badger
Arrived: April 7, 2010
Exhibit to the north of American black bear yard
Would you guess that one of the Milwaukee County Zoo’s hard-to-find animals is Wisconsin’s state animal? Yes, it’s the badger. You may see pictures of this famous sports mascot everywhere, yet few Wisconsinites have viewed live badgers in the wild. Tink, the Zoo’s new (and only) badger, can be as elusive as her cousins in their native west and central U.S., northern Mexico and central Canada. Named after Tinkerbell, the fairy in “Peter Pan,” our Tink spends much of her time digging in her exhibit. In fact, she sometimes “disappears” underground! The best time to see Tink is at noon, when she is fed, and in the late afternoon,* when she’s more active, says Dawn Fleuchaus, North America area supervisor. Digging is a natural behavior for badgers in the wild, where they’re active mostly at night. One now-famous exception is a wild badger that had wandered into Milwaukee’s downtown post office one morning last May. In fact, Wisconsin is known as the badger state because its early settlers were miners who, like badgers, did a lot of digging. Two researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are now studying badger genetics in hopes of learning more about these animals. For more details or to report a badger sighting, see the link on our Facebook page, facebook.com/zoopass.
Sandhill Crane
Arrived: April 3, 2010
Elk yard
She’s a common crane with an uncommon story. Sandy, a young sandhill crane, came to the Milwaukee County Zoo from the Wildlife Resource Center in Wonder Lake, Ill. Found in the wild, she had somehow broken her wing and wrist. The center treated Sandy, but could not keep her due to space constraints. That’s where Zoo Pride volunteer Diane Tyk stepped in. Tyk also volunteers at the Wildlife Resource Center, which is near her home in Crystal Lake, Ill. She contacted Zoo staff about the crane’s situation in mid-January. Less than three months later, Sandy came to our Zoo. Wild sandhill cranes, the world’s most common crane species, nest and breed in the wetlands of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Canada. For winter, these birds migrate south as far as Florida, Cuba and parts of Mexico. Sadly, Sandy can’t migrate. Though her bones have healed, she is incapable of flying, says Carol Kagy, aviary area supervisor. So the open-air elk yard is a perfect fit for her, since it gives her lots of space to roam on foot. “Having birds in with the hoofstock makes a more dynamic and educational exhibit,” says North America area supervisor Dawn Fleuchaus. And since sandhill cranes are North American natives, Sandy’s new “roommates,” the Zoo’s two North American elk, get along well with her, adds Fleuchaus. Sandy and the elk, Laurie and Comanche, “calmly rest and walk near each other.” But if Sandy’s feathers do get ruffled, so to speak, you can tell. The sandhill crane has a red, heart-shaped patch of bare skin on her face that changes size and shape when she’s excited.
Bonobos
Female born: Feb. 19, 2010
Male arrived: April 19, 2010
Apes of Africa Pavilion
Social dynamics have been shifting lately among the Milwaukee County Zoo’s group of 16 bonobos. These great apes have highly sophisticated hierarchies, with relationships often in flux. So additions to the group always involve adjustment and a lot of attention by the keepers. The group has two new members this year: Ricky, a 15-year-old male, and Kitoko, the baby of an 11-year-old female, Zomi. When Ricky (above) joined the group, the other bonobos treated him to a “honeymoon phase,” says Barbara Bell, the main bonobo keeper. They were all fascinated by him. Ricky was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, which also has a large group of bonobos. So he is “very, very savvy to hierarchy,” says Bell. The attention Ricky gets makes some of the other bonobos jealous, and that makes Ricky nervous because he was a lower-ranking male in Ohio. As Ricky acclimates to the group, keepers hope to breed him with one of the females.
The integration has been less tense and dramatic for Zomi’s baby. “Zomi is a perfect mother in every way,” says Bell. Zomi (left) patiently allows the baby to take fruit from her hand or even out of her mouth and play with it. Look closely, or else you might think Kitoko (which means “pretty”) is just part of Zomi – the mother rarely lets her girl out of her arms. The rest of the group is aware of the little one. They sometimes sit near Zomi and Kitoko, and are quick to respond with a friendly touch when she reaches out to them with her tiny hand. Bonobos are on the brink of extinction, and the Milwaukee County Zoo is home to one of the largest groups in captivity. The Zoological Society is one of the leading research organizations studying bonobos in Africa. For more information, click here.
