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Welcome to our all new Curator's Corner!

Hello zoo guests and welcome to the Curator's Corner! This is a new addition to our website that I hope you find it informative, entertaining, and educational. First off let me introduce myself and define what a curator does, as many of you may not know. My name is Kristy Eaker and I’ve been at the zoo for a little over a year now. I oversee the animal department staff and, along with our excellent keeper team, provide proper care, enrichment, medical treatment, nutrition, and anything and everything in between to the animals in our collection. As you can imagine, our work is never complete as animals do not take days off. This job is very rewarding and I cannot imagine being in any other field of work!

I welcome you to check our website each week for updates and for the weekly featured animal. Each week a new animal from our collection will be pictured and you can learn personal facts about your favorite animals. Be sure to check out our keeper blogs (coming soon!) as they provide fun and personal facts, such as births and new animals being added to our collection.

Week of March 1, 2010: Mona Guenon

This week is a very special week for the zoo and to me personally as we are celebrating the 1 year birthday of our female Mono Guenon “AC.” AC was hand raised by the keeper staff after her mother refused to feed her due to a difficult birth. AC is very playful, curious, and loves attention. She still receives at least 2 bottles a day but does receive a solid diet and enjoys her favorite treats: grapes and peanuts. For her birthday, AC received a banana flavored cupcake and lots of new toys. AC still resides in the zoos vet clinic but we hope to eventually place her out on exhibit with her 2 year old brother. AC’s parent are on exhibit located next to the Otter Oasis.

Mono Guenons are an old world monkey that comes from western Africa. There is little known about this primate in the wild other than they do live in family groups with one adult male, several females, and their offspring. They live among the treetops and eat mostly fruits and insects. There are 20 different species of Mona Monkey and they all have distinct facial coloration that is used for communication. They have very long tails to help them with balance and they are good swimmers. They are not considered endangered but do suffer from loss of habitat.

Week of February 2, 2010: Black and White Lemur

This weeks featured animal is the Black and White Ruffed Lemur. All Lemurs are from Madagascar and are critically endangered due to loss of habitat. Approximately 90% of Madagascar’s original rainforest has been destroyed and while conservation of lemurs in Madagascar is a high priority, the country's poor economic situation and the lemurs' limited range make it an uphill battle. These Lemurs live high in the tree canopy of the rainforest and have a very complex social structure. They live in family groups and exhibit female dominancy. They use loud screams and the body language of their tails to communicate with each other. Ruffed lemurs are the largest of the true Lemurs and are diurnal meaning they are mostly active during the day.

The zoo’s black and white ruffed lemur’s name is Romeo and he is a 30 year old male. We are proud to have this guy around as the average age for lemurs in captivity is about 25 years. Romeo loves attention from his keepers and enjoys soft foods and fruit smoothies as a treat. Efforts have been made to find Romeo a mate, however with his older age and the fact that lemurs are hard to come by, it has been a challenge. We welcome you to come visit Romeo at the zoo and see this beautiful animal as one day these animals may not be around for us to enjoy.

Week of January 21, 2010: Leopard Tortoise

The zoo celebrated the birth of 8 Leopard Tortoises this week. Watching the eggs hatch is such an exciting event so they are our featured animal of the week. After our adult tortoises laid eggs, they were dug up and placed in an incubator to increase success of hatching. The eggs incubated at 88 degrees for ~105 days and after hatching, the baby tortoises were placed in a heated holding area in the zoos vet clinic. The babies are born with an attached yolk sac that they will slowly absorb over a week’s time. Only after the yolk is absorbed, will we begin giving the tortoise’s water and grass to eat. As they grow they will slowly be introduced to other foods.

Some general information about the Leopard Tortoises:

They are found throughout the savannas of Africa and are the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world. Typical adults reach about 18-inches and weigh about 40 pounds.  They generally have a life span of 100 years!  They can actually move very fast for a tortoise and climb over rocky terrain and can go underwater for up to 10 minutes. In the wild, healthy populations still exist in rural areas and sanctuaries; however, it is a staple food item in the diets of many local people of Africa. In areas of significant human populations, the leopard tortoise is considered vulnerable. Perhaps the popularity of this animal is because it is associated with strength and immortality. In many cultures, people believe that the tortoise possess qualities that they associate with central themes of faith. The Chinese view the animal as a revered creature, and Native Americans believe that the tortoise supports the world, and that earthquakes are signs that the tortoise is moving.

Week of January 10, 2010: Scimitar-horned Oryx

The first animal chosen for our featured animal of the week is our Scimitar-horned Oryx. This animal is located in our African Savanna and is a very important member of the animal collection here at the zoo. This animal is considered critically endangered and completely extinct in the wild. It once lived on the plains of North Africa but was hunted for its beautiful long horns, that both the male and female have, as well as suffering from habitat loss. Only through captive breeding and reintroduction will this animal ever exist in the wild again. The Zoo of Acadiana is lucky to have a very healthy and nice sized herd that is successfully breeding. The zoo recently celebrated a calf being born and is the animal featured in the photo. The calf is now 2 months old and enjoys playing with our two female Zebras that share the exhibit. The Zoo of Acadiana is proud to do our part in the conservation of these beautiful and rare animals.