Questions and Updates on Lions and Okapis!
Posted at 3:46 pm October 20, 2005 by Marcia ReddingOne of the things I really enjoy about participating in the blogs is the great questions and feedback I receive from all you out there in cyberspace! I thought I’d take this opportunity to address some of them.
Referring to my entry about Ayana Okapi’s possible pregnancy, Bernice asked on October 14 if ultrasound would be used during her pregnancy. Probably not, unless a problem is suspected. We have used ultrasound examinations with okapis several times, but usually in conjunction with diagnosing a medical problem. One such incident occured last month. An ultrasound expert came and examined three of our animals – Kasai, Makini and Safina. Kasai is grandmother to the other two, and is 19 years old. Makini and Safina are 7 & 8 respectively. For the past two years, Kasai has been in treatment for congestive heart failure. She takes medication every day and is doing great. Our veterinary staff is exploring the possibility that the heart trouble may be genetic, so Kasai’s relatives are being studied. We also have Makini & Safina’s male offspring, Melaku and Shamba. They will also be checked out at some point. Having access to these great diagnostic tools helps us do the best we can for the animals we care for!
An aside on Kasai’s personality – she is sometimes crotchety with humans, but she is a fabulous babysitter for okapis newly received from other institutions. Her company and grooming sessions help the new kids on the block settle in – she seems to have a calming influence during this stressful time. We hope she’ll be around for many more years!
On October 19th, Pam asked if there will be a Lion Cam in case there is a litter on the way at Lion Camp, and how old the cubs would have to be before they could exhibited to the public. A Lion Cam is certainly possible in the future, but there is not enough time to set it up for this litter. If Etosha is pregnant, the cubs could arrive as early as next week!! As for when the cubs would be old enough to be exhibited, it will depend on several factors – Etosha’s comfort level with motherhood in general, and the cubs’ health and well being. Lion Camp is a moated exhibit, so it won’t be safe for the cubs to be on exhibit until they are coordinated enough to avoid the edge. There are other options being explored for public viewing – rest assured, we will find a way for everyone to enjoy the cubs!
Lastly, here is an update on the reactions of the lions to the Balloon Safari. Everyone is doing much better and they seem much less intimidated by the big yellow thing. M’bari & Etosha hardly glance at it anymore. The other group, Izu, Mina & Oshana, is still a little wary, but the three lions have discovered they can’t see the balloon if they lounge on their heated and air-conditioned rock in front of the big viewing window. When they get tired of keeping tabs on the yellow thing, they retreat to their comfortable spot. Very resourceful!
Please continue to ask questions – I will do my best to answer them!!
Marcia Redding is a senior mammal keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
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October 21st, 2005 at 8:37 am
Dear Marcia, Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this great information about the animals with us here in cyber space!! I really enjoy the blog, and I know a lot of other people out there do, too!!
I have a question about the lions and their groupings. I know in the wild, prides are usually made up of one or sometimes two males and a whole lot of females and their cubs. Have you split the Lion Camp lions into two groups because it’s easier to take care of them in smaller groups? And who chose the groupings, you or the lions? I’ve had domestic cats all my life, and I know what strong personalities cats can have. They often have really stong preferences about who they like, and who they don’t like. I was just curious how this worked with the lions.
Thanks! Amy
October 21st, 2005 at 9:43 am
Marcia, While I am a Panda Fanatic, I did click on your blog today and found it so interesting. You guys at the SD Zoo sure pass on your knowledge to the rest of us. So I guess now my boss will come to my desk and catch me checking out 2 cams! (He really doesn’t mind)
Does the male tiger have any role in the raising of the tiger cubs or does he ignore them? Have a great day!
October 21st, 2005 at 2:31 pm
Thanks, Marcia, for the terrific information. I am learning so much and want to learn more. What fun! Some of my questions are identical to Amy’s (Blogger message #1) and I have another one too. Will Etosha and M’bari be lifelong mates? Have other pairings taken place which might result in more cubs–I can’t recall who are siblings, etc. I would suspect that contraception might be necessary in order to avoid problems and that contraception is used rather than spaying or neutering, but I really don’t know. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and time with us through these messages!
October 21st, 2005 at 9:16 pm
Fascinating information! Thank you, Marcia. I know very little about Okapis and was wondering, Do they have a social structure like most herd animals? I raised horses for 40 years, and there was always a boss mare in any group (just like with elephants) so I was wondering if Kasai was the boss Okapi. I had a wonderful old mare (she lived to be 32) who would greet newcomers rather the same way you described Kasai. An Ojibway friend of mine told me this mare was the herd’s ” Dreamtalker” , the one who told stories and taught the young ones manners. As she was always surrounded by foals, I could believe it! Perhaps Kasai is the Okapi equivalent of a Dreamtalker.
October 21st, 2005 at 9:26 pm
Woops! Just read up on Okapis. They’re mostly solitary animals. Strike the previous questions about herd socialization. I guess that makes Kasai rather unusual then, that she would welcome new additions to the group and make them feel secure. Jeepers, maybe she IS a Dreamtalker!
October 29th, 2005 at 3:21 pm
I’ve noticed how you have broken the Lions up into pride groups. Now that Etosha is due any day, are you putting Oshana or Mina out with M’bari or are they being kept with Izu? I assume it was Tomo that was sent up to the old exhibit. I’m interested in finding out if there are any surefire ways of identifying which Lion is which, as I like to indicate which Lion I have photographed when I display the picture in my on-line gallery.