Meet the Neighbors

Seven-year-old Zinnia arrived at Como Zoo this spring to be a companion to Clover, who lost her long-time friend, 23-year-old Daisy, earlier this year. Zinnia is easy to recognize, says senior keeper Jill Erzar, because of her “beautiful dark face and the cute freckles on her bum.” Though she’s got a laid-back vibe, keepers say she’s very food-oriented and is increasingly curious about the giraffe feeding station. So far, Zinnia and Skeeter, the habitat’s resident male giraffe, are giving each other lots of space. “Skeeter seems to be terrified of her,” Erzar says. “We have no idea what that’s about.”

These spiral-horned antelopes native to southern Africa are known for their eye-catching coats and their gregarious nature. “The nyala are very calm, interactive and engaging,” says Erzar. “They don’t mind crowds either—they’re incredibly chill.” Brought to Como Zoo this spring as part of a species survival plan, the two young nyala may become a breeding pair if the chemistry is right. “We haven’t seen any behavior like that so far, but nyala males have a unique breeding display. The mane along their spine stands completely upright when they’re trying to attract a mate, so that’s something we’ll be looking out for in Stanley.”

The milk crates you see strung up in the former lemur habitat have become a favorite hang-out spot for Ziggy, a 2-year-old male sloth who’s just moved in with his partner Sago, a 5-year-old female. The couple could become a breeding pair in the future, though, as zookeeper Mike Marazzi explains, the courtship process can be very slow. “Sloths are very private about things, so any breeding that takes place is usually going to happen overnight, and when they do have a baby, it could be a bit of a surprise to us since female sloths don’t always show their pregnancies with a visible weight gain,” he explains. Though they’re living in the primate building this summer, sloths are not related to their neighbors the orangutans and spider monkeys. Instead, they belong to the superorder Xenarthra, and share a family tree with anteaters and armadillos.

Photo taken by Zookeeper Michelle Hays.

Houdini, 13, and Mutambi, 5, are part of a species survival plan breeding recommendation for the gray crowned crane, the national bird of Uganda. But so far, Houdini is only doing his courtship dance for his keepers. “Houdini hasn’t quite figured out that his girlfriend is awesome,” Erzar says. You might notice the cranes stamping their feet—a behavior that helps flush insects and other prey out of the grass.