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Virginia Zoo MammalsMeet some of the popular mammals living at the Virginia Zoo. In addition to these favorites, we have lots more mammals, too, so come see us soon. For information about special Behind the Scenes tours, click here. African elephants (South African Bush Elephant)
Elephants are the world’s largest living land mammals, and are best known for their enormous size, social behavior and longevity. Their trunks, which are unique among other mammals, are versatile, enabling elephants to manipulate tiny objects or tear down huge tree limbs. Their wide, padded feet allow elephants to walk quietly, despite their size. Large, flappable ears, create built-in fans, enabling the animals to cool off. African elephants live in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They live wherever they can find plenty of food and water with minimal interference from people. African Lion
African lions are found throughout the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. Lions are the only truly social cat species, and the only cats that live in large family groups. They spend their lives clustered into groups called prides, which consist of a single dominant male and several closely related females. Females hunt as a team to kill a communal meal. Males eat first, then the females, and finally the cubs. The male lion’s mane serves as form of intimidation by making him seem larger, and it also protects his throat from enemies. A lion is a “digitigrade” or toe walker – that means his heel does not touch the ground. Bongo
The bongo is the largest and heaviest forest antelope. The bright chestnut color of its coat becomes darker with age until old males are almost black. The body is highlighted with 12 to 14 narrow white stripes on the shoulders, flanks and hindquarters. The large ears are believed to sharpen hearing, and the distinctive coloration may help bongos identify one another in their dark forest habitats. Both males and females have spiraled horns. Bongos are found in rain forest with dense undergrowth in the Lowland Rain Forest of West Africa and the Congo Basin to the Central African Republic and Southern Sudan. They are timid and easily frightened. They will move away after a scare, running at considerable speed, even through dense undergrowth. Mandrills Although the Zoo has three mandrills, you will only see two at a time on exhibit. All are opportunists, and will eat whatever they find. They stuff food into cheek pouches to save for later. Their favorite breakfast is cereal, but they also love playing with phonebooks stuffed with peanut butter. Their home range is in Africa from Cameroon to Guinea. They live in rain forests with little ground cover. Mandrills spend most of their day on the ground, and only go into the trees to sleep or escape danger. In the wild, our group would be all females with one dominant male. Additional males would follow the group and challenge the leader. If they win, they can take over the pack. If they lose, they move back with the followers. Mandrills are very shy and like to turn their backs to you. But if they like you, they will smile and smack their lips.
Billy the Kid, the tallest giraffe at the Zoo at 16 feet tall, also is the only male. The females, Keana and her half- sister Imara are 14 feet tall. A baby female giraffe, Willow, was born October 21, 2009. Her mother is Imara and Billy is the father. Giraffes are the tallest land mammals, and that height allows them to see danger sooner than smaller animals. They also have excellent eyesight. They frequently are the first to start running when they sense danger is near, which is a signal to other animals nearby. Like most mammals, the giraffe has seven neck vertebrae. However, each can be over 10 inches long. Their tongues are over 18 inches long, and they are blue. The color helps prevent the tongue from being sunburned when they use it to pluck leaves from trees. Red Panda
Red pandas, which resemble raccoons, are about 42 inches long with a long, bushy tail. Their soft, dense fur covers their entire body – even the soles of their feet. Red pandas use their long, bushy tails to help them balance when they are in the trees. They also cover themselves with their tails to keep warm in the winter. Red pandas live in the cool temperate bamboo forests in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in China, the Himalayas and in Myanmar. They share part of their range with giant pandas. Red pandas eat bamboo leaves, berries, blossoms, and bird eggs. Red pandas are endangered due to habitat loss. There are Slender-Tailed Meerkats Slate, a male, Pat, and Rosie (both females) weigh about 2 pounds each and are very territorial. They are enthusiastic diggers, and their exhibit features extensive tunnels. Their other favorite pastime is to bask in the sun. Their favorite food is meal worms. Meerkats live in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. They live in grass-lined burrows that they share with ground squirrels and yellow mongooses. However, they are very territorial with other meerkats and will fiercly defend their homes from other meerkat gangs also known as mobs. They are close knit with their own mob, and live in extended family structures. Security is an important concern, so they stand sentry and send out emergency calls to each other. Squirrel Monkey
In the wild, squirrel monkeys live in big groups that include more than one male and lots of youngsters. Mothers carry the babies around on their backs. Their home range is east of the Andes from Columbia and northern Peru to northeastern Brazil. They live in forests and in cultivated areas, usually along rivers and streams. Squirrel monkeys’ tails are the same length or longer than the length of their bodies. They find safety in numbers by feeding in large groups that are too great for the larger monkeys to chase from the trees. White Rhino
White rhinos are highly endangered, with less than 3,000 living in the wild. Their horn is made of keratin, a fibrous protein that makes up human hair and nails. Rhinos have poor vision, but a very keen sense of smell. The white rhino is more placid and sociable than other types of rhinos. As the second largest land animal, typically a rhino yields only to an elephant. More Mammals Click here for a list of the mammals that live at the Virginia Zoo.
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Baby Emma was gorn at the Zoo on July 26, 2010. Our adult females are Esi, Juni and Betty. Thunder is the only adult male in the herd. He was born in April 2006 and is sire to the calves that were born in the fall of 2008.
Masai Giraffe
Born in 1968, Alfred is one of the oldest animals at the Virginia Zoo. Alfred weighs 4,200 pounds and loves to play with toys like a large ball and barrel. He also enjoys wallowing in the mud. Alfred eats approximately 20 pounds of grain and 2 bales of hay per day.