Why should humans have all the fun? Keepers had a ball this silly season coming up with creative ways to treat their furred friends to some festive presents.
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Jalur
The Sumatran tiger tearing apart his Christmas present pictured is Jalur, a ten-year-old male. He’s digging into the best present a king of the jungle could ask for: a cow’s leg, with horse meat rubbed into the paper.
Keepers are confident the meaty gift would be appreciated by the 125kg animal: head keeper of carnivores, Emma Morgan, said he was a “bit of a foodie.” And he deserves a present just for being himself: Jalur is one of only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world.
Jalur has lived at Tasmania Zoo with his sister, Cinta, since July this year. Both of them are settling in well to Tasmania life, the keepers can report. With their heated dens and naturally thick coats, the cats have been able to adjust to the cooler temperatures on the island without a hitch.
“He’s easily pleased, if there’s food around he’ll do anything to get it,” Ms Morgan said.
“He’s a gentle giant, very loving and very nice. [The siblings] are a part of our family, they’re our fur-babies. And Jalur especially is a big sweetheart. He’s definitely one of our favourites.”
Sumatran Tiger Fast Facts
- Found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra – the only place in the world where tigers, rhinos, orangutans and elephants live together.
- Once had cousins – now extinct - on the islands of Java and Bali.
- Kill their prey by patient stalking, followed by a throat bite causing suffocation.
- Critically endangered, due to illegal poaching and habitat destruction.
Marmoset madness
There are two species of marmosets at Tasmania Zoo, the common marmoset and the pygmy marmoset – which is a close contender for the world’s smallest primate. Pygmies average 12 – 15 centimetres and 100 grams in size, but their energy levels are much bigger than their little bodies.
The common marmosets are especially popular for the zoos encounters program, thanks to their habit of jumping all over visitors in their excitement to get their favourite foods – and the fact that they are incredibly adorable.
There are two common marmoset troops at the zoo, one numbering 11 and the other with eight members, while there are four pygmies living at the zoo.
Marmoset fast facts
- Common marmosets are only found in Brazil, and live in the canopies of trees in the Amazon jungle.
- They are not endangered, although they make popular exotic pets.
- There are 20 species of marmoset, and individuals from each all fit in the palm of a human hand.
Meerkat Mob
There are six meerkat residents at Tasmania Zoo, with ages ranging from nine years old to just under two years old.
The gang is bossed around by alpha female Sersi, who is 1 year and nine months old, and is both the youngest and the only girl in the bunch.
Primate keeper Taryn Moore said that the meerkats spend most of their day foraging for mealworms, with one volunteering to stand on sentry duty and watch out for predators.
However, she thinks they’re the happiest when they’re engaged in their favourite activity in nice weather: sunbaking.
Meerkat Fast Facts
- In the wild, meerkats live in social groups of up to 50 members.
- Live in burrows of up to five metres long, containing multiple entrances, tunnels, and rooms.
- When faced with a predator, meerkats will stand together, arch their backs, raise their hair and hiss, to fool an attacker into thinking they are one, terrifying animal.
Julian and Tahiana
Primate keeper Taryn Moore said Julian and Tahiana, the zoos two ring-tailed lemurs, are more reserved than the gregarious marmosets.
“Tahiana can be a little bossy – especially when it comes to mealworms – while Julian is such a sweetheart,” she said.
“They’re very talkative, to each other and even to me when I go in to feed them. They worship the sun, sticking out their forearms to absorb the warmth – it’s so cute.”
Julian, the male, is eight years old, and Tahiana, the female is 15. In captivity, lemurs can live for more than 30 years.
Lemur fast facts
- There are other 100 lemur species, and all are only found in the wild on the African island of Madagascar. They range from the mouse lemur, 27 centimetres from nose to tail, to the Indri species, 64–72 centimetres long.
- Up until about 350 BC there was a also a species of giant lemur the size of a modern-day male gorilla.
- Lemur is Latin for ‘spirits of the night’.
Narky
Narky, a ten-year-old male, is one of four white African lions at Tasmania Zoo: all brothers, and all going through a bit of a teenage boy phase. They have all started growing their manes out after their initial settling-in period in Tasmania, which is accompanied by an uptick of testosterone – and an uptick in the urge to show off.
Head of carnivores Emma Morgan said Narky was a “bit of a naughty boy” who loved to be the centre of attention, and who always kept his brother’s entertained with his boisterous antics. He and the other lions were treated to some delicious cow’s meat for Christmas, rolled in their surprising favourite smell - coffee.
White African Lions Fast Facts
- White lions are extremely rare, only being found in the Kruger National Park region of South Africa.
- Their colour is caused by a naturally-occuring genetic mutation.
- Unfortunately, their unique coats make them all the more valuable to poachers.
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Frances Vinall
Frances Vinall is a journalist at The Examiner, Launceston. Contact her at frances.vinall@examiner.com.au
Frances Vinall is a journalist at The Examiner, Launceston. Contact her at frances.vinall@examiner.com.au
