Mammals...

Axis Deer; Chital; Indian Spotted Deer
Axis axis
Family: Cervidae
The deer are native to India and Sri Lanka where they inhabit the sparse forest and grasslands. The axis deer have become established on the islands of Lanai and Molokai. The axis deer were introduced to Hawaii in December 1867 when eight animals were unloaded in Honolulu as a gift to Kamehameha V. In January 1868 the king released these animals on his private Molokai lands. Under royal protection these animals multiplied, and some were brought back to Oahu and released. Deer that were released on Lanai in 1920 also became established. The animals on Oahu eventually died out although a remnant herd was still present in Moanalua Valley in 1962. As game animals the deer are under the management of the State's Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Public hunting on a limited seasonal basis is conducted on Molokai and Lanai.

As is common in other tropical deer species, there is no set breeding season. Estrus in females occurs throughout the year on an individual basis. Gestation is seven to eight months. The males have a similar situation with the shedding of antlers. Antlers are part of the skull arising as outgrowths with a bony core from skin covered pedicels. As antlers grow they maintain a skin covering to protect the soft growing tissue that has a large blood supply. When antlers have attained full size for the animal's age, the blood supply is shut off, the tissue hardens and the skin begins to slough. Antlers are used in mating displays and also as weapons. The first sets of antlers are usually spikes, and develop each subsequent year to their maximum size. In axis bucks this maximum is by their third or fourth year. Only three tines are found on each antler. Antlers are shed when the blood supply to the antler base are closed off. The tissue that holds the antlers to the pedicel dies and the antlers simply drop off. The axis deer retain the white spotting throughout life, and so they are considered to be an older form of deer than the temperate climate deer. These deer actively forage in early morning and late evening while spending the rest of the day resting. They are four-toed ungulates, good swimmers and can be vocal. Life span is nine to eleven years.

Our axis deer were born at the zoo; hand raised and spent time as petting zoo animals. Faline, our female, was born in Oct.1999, and male Cupid in Dec. 2000. Their morning zoo diet is 4 cups of alfalfa pellets, 2 cups corncob, and hay. In the afternoon they get fresh cut tall grass and leafy branches.


White Bengal Tiger
Panthera tigris
Family: Felidae
Our tiger named Namaste` is a male Bengal (Indian) tiger. His ancestors were found in the forests of Rewa in central India. All of the 250 or so captive white tigers are descended from Mohan, a wild white Bengal tiger caught by the Maharaja of Rewa in 1951.

Namaste's striking white coat and crossed blue eyes are due to the expression of recessive genes. He was hand-raised in Las Vegas and donated to the zoo by a magician, Dirk Arthur, who was impressed with our world-class one-acre tiger enclosure. "Namaste" is an Sanskrit word that is loosely translated as "Aloha".

Namaste was born on September 30, 1998 and arrived in Hilo April 16, 1999. He was 7 months old and weighed 80 pounds. He was held in his night house in quarantine until August 14, 1999. The life span of tigers in captivity is 15 to 20 years. Sexual maturity is reached at age 3 to 4 years. Namaste's weight now is over 500 pounds. His diet consists of 3 whole chickens, 10 lb. meat, ground bone and vitamins per day.

Male tigers are solitary animals. Namaste is very happy in his home. He knows everything and everybody associated with the zoo. Some of his daily routines include patrolling, basking in the sun, playing in the water with his toys, sleeping, sharpening claws, posing regally, and stalking Arnie, the water buffalo, in the next enclosure. He is fed at 3:30 every afternoon in his night house where he spends the night and is let out the next morning. He has caught and eaten several jungle fowl and peacocks in his enclosure.

Other behaviors that may be observed are the following:

Chuffing -- a soft "Brrrrr" sound made through the nose and open mouth, a tiger's way of purring.

Sniffing -- a grimace called "flehmen" made with wrinkled nose and tongue out. The scent is analyzed by the Jacobson's (vomeronasal) organ, a highly specialized olfactory area in the head. House cats do this too!

Marking -- both male and female tigers mark their territories by spraying a combination of urine and anal gland material on trees, clumps of grass, etc. They also scratch the ground and vegetation and leave fecal masses lying around. The male tiger will defend his territory.

The future for tigers in their natural habitats is at risk. Of the eight original races three are extinct: the Balinese, the Caspian and the Javan. The Chinese tiger is on the brink of extinction due to having been declared a pest and hunted during the 1960s and 1970s. The Siberian tiger, although protected, is still hunted. There are between 250 and 400 Siberian tigers. The Sumatran tiger numbers about 400. Because they live in five isolated locations the gene pool in each location is limited, possibly causing inbreeding. The Indochinese tiger (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia) is less endangered, numbering between 800 and 2000. In Malaysia, tigers are well protected in the parks, but there is much habitat destruction elsewhere. The situation for the Indian tiger is the best with between 3000 and 5000 tigers, mostly in India but with a few in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and West Burma.

Tigers were openly hunted in India until the 1960s. Then a great effort was made to protect the tiger, which went well through the 1980s. Since that time protecting the tiger has become increasingly difficult. The Indian government does not have enough money to adequately patrol parks and other tiger habitats. Poaching has become a problem. It is fueled by the mystique of the tiger in China, other parts of Asia and the Arab countries. There is a ready market for tiger skins for clothing and decor, bones and other body parts for medicines and virility. Although local and international laws prohibit the sale of these items, the laws are not enforced in much of the world.

Also contributing to the Indian tiger's unpredictable future is habitat loss. Indian tigers are jungle animals, and trees are being cut in record numbers not only for logging operations but also by the local people for firewood. Furthermore, the growing human population of India is expanding into territory that once belonged to tigers.

Tigers are easily bred in captivity, but whether they could then be released into the wilderness is very doubtful. First, will there be a wilderness in which to release them? Then, it is believed that young tigers learn to hunt by observing their mother and following her example. And, despite huge efforts, rehabilitating large mammals to the wild has had a very low success rate. They are now considered an endangered species.


Binturong; Asian Bearcat; Bearcat
Arctictis binturong
Family: Viverridae (civets)
Binturongs are found in southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Palawan Island. They are highly endangered in parts of their range and threatened/ vulnerable in others due to habitat destruction and poaching for use as a delicacy and in medicine.

They are arboreal -- living in the dense forest canopy of the rain forest. Relatively slow-moving and inoffensive, binturongs are mainly nocturnal. They spend the day curled in branches and basking in the sun. Awkward on the ground they are skilled climbers and move through the canopy from branch to branch searching for food. They can also dive, swim and catch fish; and they kill small animals like ducks by jumping on them!

They range in size from 4 - 6 feet including the tail which is almost as long as the body. Weight is 30 - 40 pounds. Binturongs have thick, coarse, glossy black fur, white whiskers and black ear tufts. The prehensile tail is covered with very long thick fur. It is used as an extra hand, holding on to branches or hanging by it to reach food. A scent gland under the tail produces strong-smelling musk oil which is used to mark their territory. The scent resembles popcorn or warm corn bread. They can make loud howls, low grunts, and hisses and when happy, chuckling noises.

Binturongs are fruit eaters, especially of strangler figs in their native habitat. Eggs, young shoots, leaves, birds, rodents and other small animals may also be eaten. They function both as critical seed dispersers and pest controllers in their habitat! Their zoo diet consists of cat food (Meow Mix) and fruit (usually bananas), topped with mice and soaked with water.

Reproduction is non-seasonal but usually peaks during January to March. Gestation is around 91 days; litter size can vary from 1 to 6 but 2 is typical. Although usually tame, they can be aggressive when cornered and bite. They can be easily domesticated and kept as pets. Lifespan in captivity is 20 + years.

Our male binturongs arrived on October 7, 2003. Joker was born May 7, 1994 and Ricky Ricardo April 12, 1999. In March of 2006, a female named Lucille arrived. Her birthday is July 2, 2005, and she will be a mate for Ricky when she is old enough.


Coatimundis; Brown-nosed Coatis
Nasua nasua
Family: Procyonidae
Coatis range from Arizona to Argentina. White-nosed coatis are found in North and Central America but the brown-nosed species is found in South America only. Coatis inhabit wooded areas and forage in trees and on the ground.

Physical characteristics include a long, pointed snout which is very mobile and used to investigate holes and crevices; long, coarse fur; a banded tail which is longer than the body and used for balance; short forelegs and longer hind legs. Length of head and body is about 2 feet and tail is a little longer. Weight is 6.5 -13 pounds. Males are generally larger than females.

Coatis are diurnal and roost in trees at night. Their diet includes plant and animal matter; they are almost exclusively frugivorous when fruit is abundant and otherwise forage for small invertebrates. The larger males even catch rodents. Coatis are hunted for meat. They can be tamed as pets. Their life span is about 17 years.

The reproductive season is April to June; gestation is 10 - 11 weeks; the pregnant female constructs a tree nest and has a litter of 2 - 7 young.

Our pair of coatis were three months old when they arrived at the zoo on July 8, 2003. They are named Sugar and Spice. Their zoo diet consists of dog food and bananas and will be expanded to other fruits.

Sugar died in August 2005 and Spice has been taken off display temporarily while we are looking for a new female companion.


Feral Goat
Capra hircus hircus
Family: Bovidae
Related to the Eurasian breeds of domestic goat, the Hawaiian populations of feral goats trace their ancestry to Captain Cook's introduction of goats to Ni`ihau and probably to the other islands in 1778-1779. The original Ni`ihau goats were killed, but goats on the other islands became established.

Because of isolation, populations of goats on each island appear to be evolving characteristics specific to their population. Although the coloration is black, brown, or a combination of these colors, color patterns, horn or hooves have been reported to be different on each island. Differentiation appears to also occur to some degree between groups on an island.

The population of goats increased because of royal sanctions, but goats were also hunted under license for hides and meat to provision visiting ships. Their grazing caused environmental problems, as the endemic plants had no defense against these herbivores. In addition the goats' adaptability to rough terrain caused the loss of many other species adapted to that type of habitat. In many cases the ecosystems have not been able to regenerate themselves due to the continued presence of goats or other feral hoof stock. On the plus side for the goats: they do provide a recreational outlet in hunting as a meat source, and the goats have provided a limited control of the noxious fountain grass and some of the other alien plant pests.

Billy Boy, our male goat was wild born and donated to the zoo in 1993. His zoo diet is ½ bucket feed, 1 ½ scoop alfalfa pellets, 1 scoop barley or corncob and hay in the morning, and cut greens in the afternoon.


Giant Anteater
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
Family: Myrmecophagidae Order: Edentata
Giant anteaters are found in Central and South America in a wide range of habitats from savanna to montane and tropical rainforests. They are in the order Edentata which means "without teeth" and includes sloths and armadillos.

The anteater's mouth is a small opening at the end of a long snout on an elongated head. The ears are short and round, and the eyes are small and sleepy-looking. They have very poor eyesight but well-developed hearing and smelling senses. The body is narrow and can be 5 to 7 feet in length including the thick, bushy tail. They can weigh between 44 and 86 pounds with males being 10 - 20% larger than females. Their fur is coarse and dense with a stiff ridge of bristles along the back. The coat is gray in color with a distinctive black and white shoulder stripe.

The forelimbs are powerfully developed for opening termite and ant nests. The second and third fingers have long claws but the claw of the third finger is the primary digging and defensive claw. Anteaters walk on the outer surface of the last finger -- they appear to be walking on their knuckles, protecting the claws. They are capable of galloping up to 31mph over short distances, are good swimmers, and can be very dangerous. When provoked they sit back or rear up on their hind legs and strike with their claws.

Anteaters are solitary animals. Males and females get together only for mating. Gestation is 190 days with one offspring per birth. After birth the young is carried on the mother's back for up to a year. Maturation occurs at about 2 years; anteaters in captivity live about 26 years.

They are diurnal animals although they may take on a nocturnal cycle if disturbed during the day. They sleep on their side with the head tucked between the forelegs and the tail pulled over them for cover and camouflage.

In the wild, anteaters feed on ants and termites ripping open a nest and harvesting the insects with their long thin grey tongue that can grow up to a meter in length. The tongue is covered in tiny prickles that point backwards and covered in a viscous saliva that makes the ants stick to it when the tongue is inserted into an anthill, which it can do up to 150 times a minute. They also eat worms, larvae, and some fruit.

Our male giant anteater, Spike, is named for the ridge of bristles along his back. He was born on August 16, 2002 in Florida, and arrived in Hilo on April 21, 2003. His diet consists of Meow Mix blended with leafeater diet, and any stray ants he can find. Penny Ant-E, an unrelated female born April 10, 2003 in Florida, arrived in Hilo on August 26, 2003 and joined him in the adjoining enclosure November 8, 2003. She was adopted by schools, classes, and individuals to help with her acquisition and travel expenses.


Kinkajous
Potos flavus
Family: Procyonidae
Commonly called "honeybear" and in Belize, "nightwalker", kinkajous range from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. They are nocturnal arboreal animals living in the upper canopy of the tropical forest foraging at night and spending the day in hollow trees or lying on limbs. Agile and fast, they travel quickly along tree tops and jump noisily from branch to branch.

Kinkajous are small mammals with a body length of 16 – 30 inches and a tail as long as the body. Weight is about 6.5 pounds with males being a little larger. Their fur is soft and woolly, yellowish-brown in color, with dark brown faces and large brown eyes. The major physical features are a rounded head, long narrow tongue, sharp claws, and prehensile tail which is used to balance and hold on to branches.


Kinkajous are noisy animals. They scream shrilly when feeding and bark when disturbed. They eat mainly fruit and insects but also nectar and small vertebrates.

Maturity is reached at about 2 years of age. Reproduction is non-seasonal. Females nest in a hollow tree and usually have only one offspring. Gestation is 112-118 days.

Kinkajous are sometimes hunted for meat and fur. The meat is said to be excellent, and their pelts are used for wallets and belts. Young animals can be tamed and make good pets. Their lifespan is about 23 years.

Our kinkajous arrived at the zoo on August 5, 2003. They are named Lilo and Stitch. Lilo, the female, was born March 1, 2003 and Stitch, the male, was born January 1, 2003. Their zoo diet consists of monkey chow and bananas.

Pua`a; Feral Pig
Sus scrofa
Family: Suidae
The original pigs introduced by the Polynesians were of the Asiatic type. They were small in size and probably resembled the wild pigs still found today in Asian countries. These pigs were raised by the early Hawaiians as a food source allowable only to the men, for use in religious ceremonies, and as pets. The pigs were not confined but had free run of the premises, and this practice probably contributed to the establishment of feral stock in the forests.

The English breed of pigs was first introduced by Captain Cook in 1778 when he left a boar and sow on Ni`ihau. Additional stock was introduced on the other islands by subsequent European visitors. The European breeds were mixed into the existing feral populations when these newer introductions either escaped captivity or were deliberately released to improve the feral populations as a food source. With the infusion of European breeds, the original Asiatic lines were diluted so the present pigs resemble Eurasian pigs and are similar to the "razorbacks" of the mainland United States. The usual color is black but other color patterns are commonly found.

Feral pigs are found on all the other islands with the exception of Lanai and Ka-ho`olawe. They are found in various habitats from sea level to upper elevations. They cause considerable damage to vegetation with their foraging behavior of rooting, and their hoof prints and wallows become catchments for water. These in turn become breeding sites for the mosquitoes that are vectors for avian malaria or other diseases devastating to native birds. In some areas hunting pressure has managed to keep the pig populations at levels where damage to the forests are not severe enough to inhibit regeneration of native plants; however, the regeneration does not keep pace with the damage being done.

The pigs are fed hog grower, whole fruits and fresh cut greens. We have two females, Eenie who is also the mother of Piggy Girl (who really lives up to her name!)


Two-toed Sloths
Choloepus didactylus
Family: Megalonychidae
Sloths are native to the rainforests of South America. They range from Nicaragua, Columbia, Venezuela, the Guianas to north central Brazil and northern Peru. The most successful large mammals of the tropical forest, they are unusual and interesting animals. Sloths certainly live up to their common name – they hold the world's record for the slowest moving land animal. Sloths are arboreal leaf eaters that spend most of their time hanging upside down from tree branches. In this position they feed, sleep, breed and move around. They seem to have invented the concept of the hammock.

Sloths have extremely coarse hair; mop-like and musty smelling. It is gray to brown in color but usually tinted green due to the presence of algae. Beetles and moths also inhabit their hair. The hair grows backwards, parting down the center of the chest and stomach, ankles and shoulders so rainwater drains away as they hang -- an adaptation to an upside-down life. Long, curved claws are actually hooks, which lock onto branches making hanging effortless. Movement among the branches and vines of the forest is smooth and agile due to loose wrist and ankle joints. Sloths are also excellent swimmers and can escape from predators by falling into the river.

Sloths are nocturnal and are active only about 7 hours out of each day. Metabolism in these animals is very low, about half that of other similarly sized mammals. Low body temperature and sluggishness conserve energy. Sloths warm up in the morning by sunbathing.

The digestive tract of sloths is long and complicated like other herbivores. A multi-chambered stomach contains bacteria to digest and ferment the fibrous plant material. Meals may take up to a month to digest. Sloths urinate and defecate only once a week. They descend to the base of the tree to deposit their wastes. While the sloth defecates moths jump off its fur to lay eggs in the fecal pellets and jump aboard again before the sloth climbs back up the tree. The moth larvae will feed on the fecal pellets.

It is puzzling that sloths would make such an arduous trip down to the forest floor to eliminate wastes rather than release them from high in the canopy as the monkeys do. Sloths are very vulnerable on the ground. They cannot stand upright so they drag themselves around awkwardly. The fecal material of herbivores is rich in nutrients. It is thought by some researchers that the sloth is fertilizing the tree that it inhabits, thus recycling the nutrients that it has consumed.

The two-toed sloths are silent creatures. They may hiss when disturbed. Our sloths have been heard grinding their teeth, and they will bite when handled!

The South American Harpy Eagle feeds largely on sloths. These eagles are the world's heaviest eagle and have thick wrists and long talons. The algae in the sloth's fur is thought to help camouflage them from harpy eagles. Also, hanging motionless upside down makes the sloths resemble termite nests. Other predators of the sloth include weasels and cats and the local humans who hunt them for meat.

There are 5 species of sloths. The larger two-toed sloths inhabit higher elevations while the three-toed sloths are found at lower elevations and can be seen in the treetops near rivers.

Notes: Both the two-toed and three-toed sloths actually have three toes on their hind limbs; the two-toed sloth has two toes or "fingers" on their forelimbs instead of three. Sloths share the Order Edentata (meaning "without teeth") with armadillos and anteaters...however, sloths do have teeth: crushing molars to chew leaves.

Our sloths were named Jeckle (male) and Lolohi (female). Jeckle was born April 1, 1999 and arrived in Hilo December 15, 2000 from Florida. He weighed about 20 pounds. Lolohi arrived in June 2002. Lolohi means “slowpoke” in Hawaiian, but she is definitely not slow, especially when it’s feeding time! In March of 2006, Jeckle died of heart failure. In 2007 another pair have joined Lolohi on exhibit.

Their diet consists of Melochia leaves, sweet potato, and sloth chow pellets. Life span in captivity is about 31 years. Gestation is 304 days producing one offspring, which is carried around by the mother for several months before it starts foraging on its own.


Variegated Tropical Squirrel;
Ardilla Tricolor; Chiza
Sciurus variegatoides dorsalis
Family: Sciuridae
These beautiful members of the rodent family are native to southern Mexico and South to the Panama Canal. In Spanish they are called “chiza”, or “ardilla tricolor” for their long soft fur with light grey tail and sides, and patches of black and coffee color on their back. They weigh about one pound, and are 19”-22” long with 10”-12” of that being the tail length.

They are common in and around towns in the Panama Canal Zone where they are larger than the red-tailed squirrel which prefers the humid wet forests. The variegated squirrels are more likely to inhabit the dry deciduous or mixed forests. In Costa Rica this squirrel is among the most commonly seen animal as they excitedly defend a favorite tree (like a coconut tree) against all competitors. In the dry tropical forests of Nicaragua they share their habitat with two and three fingered sloths, kinkajous, coatimundi and king vultures. These squirrels are found from sea level to over 8,000 feet.

They are diurnal and have large territories where they will choose a tree for their compact nest which they construct with leaves high in the branches. It is uncommon to see them in groups especially during mating season. The female can give birth throughout the year to 2-8 young, with an average litter of four. Predators may include large snakes, predatory birds, and capuchin monkeys who may go after the nestlings.

While many kinds of squirrels like hard seeds and nuts, the variegated squirrel prefers soft fruit, tender leaves, flowers, pod fruit, insects, and bird eggs. One of the fruits eaten is the orange and pulpy fruit of a rubber tree, where they crush the fruit, eat its pulp and drop the seeds. In Costa Rica they may compete with capuchin monkeys for cacao beans.

Our two original squirrels, Josephine (9/99 - 5/05) and Napoleon, arrived in December of 2000. After Napoleon died, a second pair joined Josephine in November of 2003. The new male is named Guapo (Spanish for handsome/good looking) and the female’s name is Chiza.

Shy Chiza…

and ever curious Guapo

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