Animal News

Arrivals and Departures 

 

Zoo New England participates in Species Survival Plans (SSP) for several of our animals. SSPs began in 1981 as cooperative multi-institutional population management and conservation programs for selected species at North American zoos and aquariums SSP carefully manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a genetically healthy, and demographically stable captive population. Institutions participating in an SSP share their collective knowledge to establish husbandry and reproductive guidelines that secure the survival of the captive population as a safeguard to possible species extinction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican gray wolves make exhibit debut

 

 

Visitors to Stone Zoo will notice several new faces with the addition of five Mexican gray wolves who recently made their exhibit debut. The five new male wolves, all brothers, can be seen in Stone Zoo’s expansive Mexican gray wolf exhibit.

 

Zoo New England, in a unique partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state agencies, several zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other partners, participates in a reintroduction program to release captive-reared Mexican wolves in remote parts of Arizona, New Mexico and the country of Mexico.

 

Since 1998, Zoo New England has participated in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP is a consortium of institutions working together to breed captive Mexican wolves for reintroduction and recovery in the Southwest.

 

Following the recommendation of the Mexican Gray Wolf SSP, in late 2011 two wolves born at Stone Zoo were relocated to facilities in Mexico. In 2012, the remaining two wolves at Stone Zoo were transferred to the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, which in exchange sent the five new male wolves to Stone Zoo. Careful planning and coordination, often requiring months of work, is required amongst institutions to successfully manage all of the transactions and the wolves’ successful adjustments to their new homes.

 

Once common throughout western Texas, southern New Mexico, central Arizona and northern Mexico, the Mexican gray wolf, the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies of the North American gray wolf, was completely eliminated from the wild, surviving in only small captive populations. Throughout the past several decades, great strides have been made in procuring a brighter future for these wolves including the reintroduction of these animals into the wild.

 

In captivity, close bonds between wolves and keepers are avoided because of the reintroduction program. Ultimately, the wolves’ survival depends on active avoidance of human contact. The animals cannot become reliant on people for food. While in captivity, the wolves do not lose their natural instincts, but hunting skills need to be honed before being released into the wild. Wolves that are slated for release are sent to large pre-release centers with some level of native prey. Typically, these wolves and their offspring are released into the wild together as a pack.

 

In 1976, the Mexican gray wolf, or lobo, was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Mexican wolf recovery team was formed, and, as required, a conservation and survival plan was established in 1979. Today, there are approximately 50-60 Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico, and 270 in captive breeding facilities in the United States and Mexico.

 

Photo by Dayle Sullivan-Taylor 

 
 

 Births!

Prairie dog pups can be seen on exhibit at Franklin Park Zoo

 

Visitors to Franklin Park Zoo will notice some new faces. Three prairie dog pups, estimated to be between six to eight weeks old, can be seen on exhibit. Pups are born blind and hairless, and do not make an appearance outside of the burrow until they are about six weeks old. 

 

Black-tailed prairie dogs are not actually dogs at all. They are small, stout, tan rodents with a lightly white or buff-white belly. They have short black tails, small ears, dark eyes and long claws used for digging.

 

Black-tailed prairie dogs are found in short-grass prairie habitats of western North America, from southern Saskatchewan down to northern Mexico. They form complex, widespread underground burrow systems, and avoid areas of heavy brush or tall grass due to reduced visibility. Prairie dogs live in what are called towns or colonies. These colonies are further divided into territorial neighborhoods called wards. Within the wards are coteries, which are family groups comprised of a male, one to four females and offspring under two years old.

 

Strictly diurnal, though most active in mornings and evenings, these herbivores generally sleep in the sun in the middle of hot days and are more active when it’s cool or cloudy. While others are out and about, at least one prairie dog will act as “look-out,” standing on a mound and watching for predators, and calling to warn others back into the tunnels with shrill bark-like whistles if one is spotted.

 

Ring-tailed lemur twins born at Franklin Park Zoo

The staff at Franklin Park Zoo has double the reason to celebrate with the recent birth of ring-tailed lemur twins.


Nebuchadrezzer (Nebbie), a ring-tailed lemur, gave birth on March 21 inside Franklin Park Zoo’s Tropical Forest. Mom and babies, whose gender is not yet known, can be seen on exhibit.


Franklin Park Zoo has an active group of 10 lemurs in its animal collection, including the new babies. Zookeepers describe Nebbie as a protective mother, and they note that she does let the twin’s siblings get very close to see the babies.


These births come as part of the Ring-tailed Lemur Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Zoo New England is an active participant in this program. SSPs are designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species.


Ring-tailed lemurs are listed as a vulnerable species in their native Madagascar. This island off the southeast coast of Africa is the sole home of lemurs in the wild. Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to the survival of all lemur species. 


Zoo New England has exhibited lemurs since the 1970s. Lemurs are noted for their wide-round eyes and their white and black, long banded tails. Ring-tailed lemurs are unusual in that they are active during the day. They inhabit dry brush, scrublands and closed canopy forests of Madagascar. These small primates are one of 22 species of lemurs, all of which share a common ancestry with Africa’s apes and monkeys.

 

Photo: Copyright Robert Michelson

 

Grant’s zebra born at Franklin Park Zoo

While the snow piled up outside, Cheyenne, a Grant’s zebra, gave birth to a male foal inside the zebra barn at Franklin Park Zoo. Because he was born on February 9 – the day of the blizzard, staff named the foal Nemo.

Nemo is the offspring of Cheyenne, age 14, and James, age 18. During his well-baby examination, he weighed in at 88 pounds and is reported to be in good health.

 

Bongo born at Franklin Park Zoo

 

On February 13, a male bongo was born at Franklin Park Zoo. The calf, which is not yet named, is the second offspring for Annakiya, age nine, and Junior, age seven. Bongos are the largest, and often considered the most beautiful, forest-dwelling antelope found in the rainforests of equatorial Africa.

 

Zoo New England participates in the Bongo Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. SSPs are designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species. This birth is the result of a recommended breeding between Junior and Annakiya. Franklin Park Zoo has played a key role in growing the North American captive population through successful breeding. The new calf is the fifth born at Franklin Park Zoo throughout the last 10 years.

 

Bongos are temperature sensitive, and visitors will be able to see the calf on days when the temperature reaches above 40 degrees.

 

Prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Stone Zoo


A prehensile-tailed porcupine, born on February 16, can be seen on exhibit with its parents Comica, age 14, and Elvis, age six, inside the Windows to the Wild exhibit space.

 

Zoo New England participates in the Prehensile-tailed Porcupine SSP, and this birth is the result of a recommended breeding. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are born with their eyes open and a functional, prehensile tail. Infants have a dense coat of reddish hair and sharp natal quills about 15 millimeters long. There is very little direct contact between mom and offspring except for short periods when the baby nurses.

 

Prehensile-tailed porcupines are primarily arboreal, nocturnal animals native to Central and South America with an excellent sense of smell and hearing.

 

And her name is … Henrietta!

Henrietta selected as the name for the giraffe calf at Franklin Park Zoo

 

 

Henrietta has been selected as the name of the female Masai giraffe calf.

 

More than 1,100 name suggestions were submitted throughout December and January to the Baby Giraffe Naming Contest. Excitement over the calf’s birth reached far beyond Massachusetts and submissions were sent in from as far away as Alaska, California, South Carolina, Oregon, Texas and many other states.

 

The five most popular names submitted were Savannah, Giselle, Bella, Henrietta and Gina.

 

Henrietta was born inside the giraffe barn on November 27 to parents Beau and Jana. Giraffe calves typically nurse for 9 to12 months and begin eating solid foods at around four months. At a little over two months old, Henrietta has already started to eat solids. She likes to eat leaves from her mom’s browse branches and she also likes leafy greens. She has recently shown interest in butternut squash, but so far most of the butternut squash pieces have ended up on the floor. The zookeepers, who describe her as determined and brave, have been working to familiarize her with all of the spaces in the giraffe barn, and she is doing well exploring.

 

Beau and Jana were bred as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Zoo New England is an active participant in this program. SSPs are designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species. Since 2006, Beau and Jana have had four successful births including the new calf.

 

Giraffes are more temperature sensitive than other savannah animals. At Franklin Park Zoo, the giraffes are kept inside their warm giraffe barn when temperatures drop below 65 degrees. Therefore, the public will most likely be able to first see Beau, Jana and Henrietta in the spring of 2013.