See the penguins at the Little Rock Zoo
F
What’s new at the zoo
Growing by leaps and bounds
Cool cats live at the Little Rock Zoo.
46 HEIGHTS & HILLCREST • 2011
rom tuxedoed penguins and naked mole rats to the oh-so-tiny newborn bush dogs and retired circus elephants, the Little Rock Zoo in Midtown was busy over the last year making room for new residents. After much anticipation and fanfare, the $2.3 million Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe—starring a waddle of South African penguins—opened last spring. The exhibit was the combined effort of the zoo and Arkansas Zoological Foundation, and offers above- and under-water viewing. “Because of the under-water viewing, which is unique, it’s considered one of the best penguin exhibits in the country,” says the zoo’s Marketing and Development Director Susan Altrui. “It’s so much fun to watch the penguins swim through the water like little torpedoes.” The Asian elephants are among the most popular exhibits at the zoo. “The elephants are our top attraction and are very interesting animals,” Altrui says. Two new retirees, Zina and Jewell, joined the zoo this year and were donated by the Ringling Brothers Center for Elephant Conservation. Mary the elephant, a long time zoo resident, died of cancer in May, and her faithful companion Ellen passed away shortly after. Five newborn bush dogs—Eggbert, Jesus, Cadbury, Lily and Peep—joined the Little Rock Zoo family last spring. Bush dogs are a “close relative of the maned wolf, and are about three-feet tall when grown and found in Central and South America. Visitors seem to enjoy watching the playful pups, Altriu says. Of course, bush dogs grow quickly so Altrui encourages a visit this fall before they reach adulthood. Also new in the African Outpost nursery are a couple dozen naked mole rats. These are burrowing rodents—thus the name mole rat—that live underground and behave much like ants or bees living in a colony with a queen and each member an assigned task. In early 2012 the zoo personnel expect to welcome three cheetahs to their growing animal community. For more information about the Little Rock Zoo, call 666-2406 or visit the website, www.littlerockzoo.com.