Outdoor Resident Animals

The following are some of the more 'permanent residents of Copper Leaf Crossing.

 

Russell & Sheryl

Russell and Sheryl live outdoors in a large wire corn crib. These birds are siblings and were hatched in captivity on April 25, 2006. Although we typically refer to them as “the crows”, they are not crows. They are the offspring of an African Pied Crow and a Brown-Necked Raven, making them hybrids.

Crows and ravens are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet; many authorities consider them to be even more intelligent than parrots. Like parrots, many crows and ravens can learn to mimic the human voice. Russell is very vocal in the mornings and evenings, and has been heard saying “hello,” or something very close to that.

The ability to mimic is not a sign of intelligence, but tool use is. In the wild, members of the Corvus genus (crows and ravens) regularly employ the use of tools to obtain food. Captive crows not only use tools, but, without any training, have taken the further step and made tools.

Crows and ravens are omnivorous; these scavengers eat a wide variety of animal and plant matter. Our basic diet includes soaked cat food, scrambled eggs and whole dead rodents. We offer a variety of additional treats regularly like corn on the cob, melons, grapes, mealworms, crickets and canned cat food. Visitors can also feed Russell and Sheryl by purchasing salmon treats at The Pet Emporium.

Crows and Ravens have a long history in human mythology, sometimes revered, often reviled. Their appearance was viewed but many cultures as a bad omen, probably a result of the fact that crows and ravens will feed on dead bodies. If fact, a group of crows is not called a flock, but are referred to as a “murder of crows.” Conversely, there is legend that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London in England, the monarchy and the entire kingdom would fall.

We hope you enjoy visiting with these intelligent and amusing birds!

Nuggy & William

Nuggy was the first goat that we acquired. He was one of twins born to a client’s goat. As often happens with twin kids, one sibling fails to nurse. Nuggy, as he would come to known, was only hours old and near death when he arrived at Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Marsh saved his life and the client gave him to Dr. Marsh. She bottle raised him and he became one of her most dear personal pets.

Apparently one goat is not enough. We spread the word that we were looking for another goat. Within a very short time, Connie, one of our staff members, came to work with a goat that wandered onto her farm. We named him William Edward Goat. We’re not sure, but we think William is a Nigerian Dwarf Goat, while Nuggie is a Pygmy Goat.

You will find either William or Nuggie in the goat pen on the parking lot side of Creature Comforts Bed & Bath. You can by them a cone of goat food at The Pet Emporium if you’d like to feed them. They also usually like to be scratched on the top of their heads just behind their horns.

The Chickens

We like chickens and ours have two jobs. One of their jobs is what many chicken breeds are bred for, laying eggs. We feed the eggs to our crows and to our sloth, with the occasional surplus going to various staff members. Their second job is to entertain the cats in the deluxe cat suites of Creature Comforts Bed & Bath. Our four cat suites overlook the chicken yard; you will often see cats perched in these windows and watching the chickens.

These chickens are a heavy breed called Partridge Rocks. We chose them for their beautiful plumage and their reputation as good brood hens. There are two roosters in our current flock. They can be identified by their larger combs and overall larger size.

Indoor Resident Animals

Poco, Agie & JuJu

Poco has been a part of our lives since 1990. He has visited hundreds of classrooms over the years, touching the lives of thousands of students during educational presentations. Although in semi-retirement, we still use him during some of our onsite tours.

Poco and Agie have produced a number of offspring over the years. They have followed in their father’s footsteps as rainforest ambassadors by joining the outreach programs of other zoological parks and nature centers. JuJu, their current offspring, was born on June 28 of 2006. We’ve decided to keep him, and hopefully locate a female companion for him, so we can start another generation of Two-toed Sloth.

The Latin name our sloth species is Choloepus didactylus. Their common names include the Southern Two-toed Sloth and Linnaeus’s Two-toed Sloth. All sloth species have three toes on their hind feet. Some species have three toes on their front legs, while others, such as ours, have only two toes on their forelimbs. Sloth are considered the slowest moving mammals on the planet. They are primarily nocturnal and sleep more than 15 hours a day. They live high in the canopy of the South American rainforests where they eat fruits and leaves. Wild sloth sometimes appear greenish in color because algae often grows in their fur. This camouflage, along with their quiet, slow, cryptic movements, helps them avoid predators.

Bob, Jane & Mary

One of our 230 gallon lobby display aquariums has a trio of Armadillo Lizards (Cordylus cataphractus) called Bob, Jane and Mary. These animals were born in Chicago, but the species is native to southwestern Africa. Our display mimics the rocky outcrops of the dry scrubland in their native habitat.

Armadillo Lizards eat a variety of small invertebrates such as insects and spiders. They in turn are preyed upon by snakes and birds. These highly alert lizards dart into rock crevices to avoid predatory birds. To avoid snakes, they curl into a ball by biting their tails. This forms a very spiky 'donut' which is a difficult shape for a snake to swallow.

Turtle

This is Turtle, one of the smartest cats you’ll ever meet. She, along with her brother Pinkie, were orphaned kittens that were dropped off at Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital. They were cared for by the veterinary assistants until they were ready to be adopted. Turtle and Pinkie were very nice kittens, and we needed a couple of cats for the barn, so we decided to keep them at the stable.

They spent a few weeks in the stable before Turtle started to explore the campus. She invited herself back into the veterinary hospital a couple of times, and then she visited the kennel. One day she tried out The Pet Emporium. Being a very smart cat, she knew there could be no better place for a cat to live than a pet store. We tried to put her back in the stable with her brother a number of times, but she always returned to the pet store.

Now she lives the good life at The Pet Emporium. Her job is apparently trying out all the new cat toys. When she tires of testing the toys, she tries out a few of the cat treats and then reviews the pet beds. She’s one smart cat.