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Fallow Deer

Our herd of free ranging fallow deer have all been hand raised and are accustomed to feeding from the hands of our visitors. The name fallow refers to the natural light brown colour of their hide but there are now many variations including white which have been propagated in captivity. They originate from southern Europe but are now farmed world wide with one of the first Americans to farm them being George Washington. While considered a pest species in the wild in Australia we maintain the herd as a great safe opportunity for a hands on experience while they encounter and feed the deer. The deer’s scientific name is Dama dama. Dama is simply the Latin word for deer and related species such as antelope. Their vocalisations include bleats and barks and are made to keep in touch with each other and warn others of danger.

White Rhino

White rhino are the second-largest land mammal after blue whales, and their name comes from the Afrikaans word “wyd” which means wide and refers to the animal’s wide mouth. They lack front teeth and use their large lips like a lawnmower to pluck short grass.

The majority (98%) of the southern white rhinos occur in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. Southern white rhinos were thought to be extinct in the late 19th century, but in 1895 a small population of fewer than 100 individuals were discovered in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. After more than a century of protection and management, they are now classified as Near Threatened and around 18,000 animals exist in protected areas and private game reserves. They are the only one of the five rhino species that are not endangered.

White rhino have complex social structures and groups, of sometimes a dozen cows and calves, may form. Adult bulls defend territories that they scent mark with sprayed urine and dung piles. Cows and calves move freely through bulls’ territories. Bulls competing for a cow may engage in serious conflict that is accompanied by snorting calls and using both their horns and massive size when fighting. Rhino love to wallow in a muddy pool, often for hours. Wallowing is cooling in the heat and covers their body in mud that, when dry, is then rubbed off on rubbing posts removes external parasites such as ticks. Mud also assists with camouflage and acts as a sunscreen.

Brought back from the brink of extinction once before in 1900, now poaching for their horns now threatens the species again. Horns are believed in some Asian countries to have medicinal benefits and they are carved to create expensive dagger handles sold in the Middle East. Figures of 500 or more rhinos being poached each year are not unusual.

Rhino contribute significantly to economic growth and sustainable development through the tourism industry, which creates job opportunities and provides significant tangible benefits to local communities living alongside the rhino. Supportive community members often report poaching threats to law enforcement agencies. The key focus is on protecting remaining wild populations through monitoring, anti-poaching, and the removal of horns. An armed war against poachers is being fought daily by brave rangers, often with trained detection dogs.

Every year rhino are moved from safe breeding populations to establish new populations in private and government reserves where their security can be guaranteed.

Zoos globally provide significant funding and research for rhino conservation programmes for all five rhino species. In addition, zoos have provided animals for release in several countries where they have become extinct e.g., Uganda and Rwanda.

Giraffe

A long, prehensile, sticky tongue enables a giraffe to feed on hard-to-reach leaves, the mouth is protected against thorns – strip leaves between lower teeth and hardened upper dental pad. They are browsers, mostly leaves and shoots; also, seeds, pods, and bark, they prefer Acacia species and fill up on seed pods in Autumn to build body fat that gets them through the cold winter. Ossicone “horns” are only found in giraffe. Their heart is 60cm long and weighs about 11 kilograms and numerous one-way valves in the jugular vein and its offshoots prevent blood from flowing back to the brain. when the head is lowered. They walk alternating two right limbs, then two left (like camels). Gallop alternating two front and two hind limbs (like rabbits). They have excellent vision; they gain information from each other by visual monitoring of behaviour of others in the herd. There is evidence for vocalizations beyond human hearing range; growing evidence of infrasonic vocalizations/communication. Some giraffe “hum” at night. Pregnancy is about 15 months; they give birth standing up which breaks the umbilicus and newborn calves are close to 2m tall. Predators include Lion, hyaena and people. Giraffe can live up to 28 years but most often 18-20. All our giraffe belong to a regional zoological breeding programme.

Bison

The American bison was named the national mammal of the United States where they are the largest land mammal. American bison were nearly driven to extinction by hunting but initially through captive propagation followed by introductions to national parks and most recently private ranches, their numbers can now be considered secure again. Male bison can grow to be over 1,8m tall 4m long. The lifespan is about 25 years and calves are an orange-red color until they are a few months old. Both sexes grow horns and they are able to run faster than horses. Bison have been integral to North American Tribal culture, providing them with food, clothing, fuel, tools, shelter and spiritual value. Established in 1992, the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to transfer bison from national park lands to tribal lands.

Barbary Sheep

The Scientific name Ammotragus translates to ‘Sand Goat’ in Greek but are in fact more related to sheep than goats. Barbary sheep are native to rocky mountains in North Africa where they graze and browse grasses, bushes, and lichens. They are able to obtain all their metabolic water from food, but if liquid water is available, they drink and wallow in it. They are very agile and can achieve a standing jump over 2 metres and are well adapted to their habitat, which consist of steep, rocky mountains and canyons. Both males and females have horns with the male’s horns being much larger. Males can reach a height of up to 100cm and a weight of up to 140kgs with females being slightly smaller. Barbary Sheep escape predators by sprinting at full speed and coming to a complete stop remaining motionless, confusing predators and blending in with their surroundings. Males compete and fight for the right to breed by running at each other at 50-60km/h for a head butt. Lifespan: 15 – 20 years.

Tahr

The Himalayan Tahr is adapted, with a very shaggy winter coat, to life in a cold climate with rocky terrain, which allows them to be found in mountainous areas such as the Himalayas where they are mainly found on slopes ranging from 2,500 to 5,000m. Males and females differ, with females being smaller in weight and in size and having smaller horns. The horn is curved backwards, preventing injury during mating season when headbutting is a common mating ritual among males. Research has shown that the females prefer males with the lighter coloured coat. The average male Tahr usually weighs around 73 kg, with females averaging 36 kg and is shorter in height than in length.[ The hooves of the Tahr have a rubber-like core which allows for gripping smooth rocks while keratin at the rim of their hooves allow increased hoof durability, which is important for traversing the rocky ground. This adaptation allows for confident and swift maneuvering of the terrain. During the night, they move to locations with lower elevations to have better access to resources such as food and water, whereas during the day, they move to locations with higher elevation to rest and avoid predators. This mobile behaviour not only allows them to seek refuge from predators, but also allows them to have access to resources over a large area.

Water Buffalo

The Asian water buffalo originates from India and Southeast Asia. They were domesticated about 6000 years ago and in many countries where they are farmed and even milked. The global water buffalo population is estimated at over 200 million and they have been introduced to several countries including Northern Territory in Australia where they are a declared pest species. In uncontrolled circumstances, water buffaloes can cause environmental damage, such as trampling vegetation, disturbing bird and reptile nesting sites, and spreading exotic weeds. Their horns grow outward and curve in a semicircle, but usually remain on the plane of the forehead. They range in weight from 300–550 kg but weights of over 1,000 kg have also been recorded. They are reliant on some permanent water for both drinking and wallowing which assists in thermo-regulation. They feed on a variety of grasses and reeds and in flooded areas they will even reach below the water to take a mouthful of vegetation which they then chew above the water level. Water buffaloes are the ideal animals for work in the deep mud of paddy fields because of their large hooves and flexible foot joints. They are often referred to as “the living tractor of the East”. They are the most efficient and economical means of cultivation of small fields. They contribute 72 million tonnes of milk and three million tonnes of meat annually to world food, much of it in areas that are prone to nutritional imbalances.

Elk

Also known by the Shawnee people’s tribal name of Wapiti. Male elk only have antlers in summer and shed them in autumn. In spring new antlers grow at a rate of 2.5 cm per day. The antlers are covered with “velvet,” a soft layer of skin that sheds over summer.

Males lock antlers in battle with other males both to build strength and to win the attention of females. They also use their high-pitched roar, called bugling, to attract mates during their breeding seasons.

They are mainly grazers but also browse on trees, which helps control tree numbers ensuring forests are not too dense. Naturally wolves play a vital role in ensuring elk numbers do not increase to the point that sees forests destroyed by browsing pressure. The elk and wolf relationship impacts all their habitat and species such as birds and beavers that rely on the habitat as well.
Calves are born with almost no scent to avoid attracting predators and have white spots that help with camouflage.