Our new female red wolf has arrived. She came to us from Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center in Chattanooga, TN. She is 5 years old and is part of the federal Species Survival Plan (SSP) for red wolves, one of the most endangered species in the world. Although she arrived at the Museum on Thursday evening (11/3), she is currently spending her time in the kennel area of our Red Wolf Enclosure while she becomes accustomed to the sights,Read more
Posts filed in: Mammals
All in a Day’s Work
It was midday on a hot, muggy day in June. There were four juvenile raccoons on an island thirty or so feet from the boardwalk where I and two museum visitors stood watching them. An adult raccoon (I assume the mother) was in the lead. She was trying to coax the little ones into the water. What were the raccoons doing on the island? There’s a wood duck nest box on the island. It was installed about five years agoRead more
Howl, Howl, Howl
Since I last reported on the howling of our wolves, how, up until recently, I’ve heard the male wolf howl perhaps three times over the past year, he has changed his routine. I now hear, and see, him howl on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times each day that I’m here on duty. I’m told, that the female had joined in on at least one occasion within the last few days. So, if you’re out and about in Explore theRead more
‘Tis the Season
This is our female red wolf (1794). It’s now breeding season. It seems as though she is spending more time out in the open than she had been in the most recent past. The male, as is usual, gets excited at her appearances, perhaps even more so now that the season for breeding is upon us. He follows her, walks past her as she’s rests, glancing over at her as he goes, and sniffs the air around her as ifRead more
Red Wolf Howl
We don’t often hear our red wolves howl. Since he arrived in the fall of 2014, I’ve heard the male howl perhaps three times. I’ve not heard our female howl. Previous wolves that have resided at the Museum, particularly the pair we had prior to our current residents, howled frequently. Nearly every ambulance or fire truck that passed by on their way to some emergency, or had been making the delivery of patients to the hospital just a 1/4 mile toRead more
Quick Look at Red Wolves
A pair of white tail deer legs were tossed into the red wolf enclosure by the animal keepers last weekend. The legs were donated by an employee here at the Museum who also happens to be a hunter. The wolves seemed to enjoy the treat. The female, lured out of her den by the smell of meatballs (typical daily offering – the keepers had just been in the enclosure), and perhaps the odor of deer, found one of the deer legs andRead more
Pumpkins for the Wolves
The animal keepers here at the Museum often place objects in the animal exhibits as enrichment. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Behavior Scientific Advisory Group defines enrichment “as a dynamic process for enhancing animal environments within the context of the animals’ behavioral biology and natural history. Environmental changes are made with the goal of increasing the animal’s behavioral choices and drawing out their species-appropriate behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare.” Enrichment can be anything from food or browse, wool, balls or otherRead more
Maypops
I noticed a partially eaten maypop on the ground as I walked past a passion flower vine in Catch the Wind. Except for the fruit high up on the vine, the maypops have been steadily disappearing from this vine. I didn’t know at the time whether people had been picking the fruit or local animals were filling up on the green ovate shaped passion fruit. I now suspect it was the local fauna. Curiously, this particular fruit, or maypop, was onlyRead more
A Weasel in Our Midst
This past Saturday, I was standing at the northwest corner of the Wetlands gazing out through the shrubs, trees, and grass between the edge of the water and myself. Something moved in the brush, a mammal. It was deep, dark brown in color. At first I thought it a muskrat. I’ve seen muskrat in the Wetlands before, rarely, but muskrat was the safest bet for a small dark mammal plying the Wetlands during daylight. As it moved closer I realized it wasRead more