Sunday, May 10, 2009

Diggers!

The LA Zoo has two species of animals that burrow as a way of life. The two species are Meerkats and Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. The zoo has two meerkat mobs; one at the Children's Zoo and the other one right by the flamingos. The zoo only has one group of prairie dogs which live in the zoo's Children's Zoo.

The first group of meerkats consist of Chico and Barky, two elderly meerkats. They live in one of the indoor exhibits in the nursery.

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Chico (left) and Barky (right)

Meerkat at the Los Angeles Zoo
Chico's new friend, Barky

Meerkat at the Los Angeles Zoo
Barky coming out of a tube

Meerkat at the Los Angeles Zoo
Barky sitting

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Barky and Chico sharing sentry duty

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Barky and Chico cuddling

The second mob of meerkats at the zoo are new to the zoo and came from the North Carolina Zoo. This mob consists of four (one male and three females) young meerkats. It's easy to recognize the male since he has a shorter tail, but the three females look the same.

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Meerkats exploring their new home

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Doing sentry duty

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
They seem to like their exhibit

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Meerkat's close up

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Chillin' in their exhibit

Meerkat at the Los Angeles Zoo
Female meerkat

Meerkats at the Los Angeles Zoo
Sentry duty on a sunny morning

The zoo only has one group of prairie dogs, which consists of eight (one male and seven females) prairie dogs. The group lives in their big exhibit across from the petting zoo in the Children's Zoo.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs at the Los Angeles Zoo
By the burrow

Black-tailed Prairie Dog at the Los Angeles Zoo
Not sure about coming out

Black-tailed Prairie Dog at the Los Angeles Zoo
Also not sure about coming out

I don't have many photos of the Prairie dogs since every time I go to their exhibit they are inside their burrow.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Selig Zoo Statues at the zoo

The LA Zoo recently put up 4 new (actually old) lion statues that were once on the entrance of the old Selig Zoo.

Selig Zoo Statues information
This is the information on the statues

Lion Statue
Male lion statue

Lion Statue
Lioness statue

Lions Statue
Lioness and cubs statue

Lions Statue
Lion cubs statue

I heard that the zoo had 2 more lion statues and 7 elephant statues that will be later put around the zoo in the future.