The pair are bonding in an area behind the scenes and will make their debut in mid-to-late March. Zoo visitors can see Garrett and the calf’s grandmother, Shirley, as well as an Abyssinian ground hornbill named Karl at the Cheetah Conservation Station. Lesser kudu are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

4. Animals in the Snow

A snowstorm brought a blanket of snow to the Zoo Jan. 12 to 13. Many of the Zoo’s animals who enjoy colder weather enjoyed being outside in the winter weather. Giant pandas Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN), Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and Bei Bei (BAY-BAY) all played in the snow — tumbling, sliding and rolling down the hills in their yards. Pavel, the Zoo’s male Amur tiger, also spent some time lounging in the snow. Amur tigers are native to Russia.

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5. Primate Behavior

Primate staff at the Great Ape House and Think Tank noticed that the orangutans and western lowland gorillas were well-aware of the lack of visitors and hyper-sensitive to staff presence during the shutdown. Because it was not possible for the apes to watch and interact with visitors, they interacted with staff walking through the public space more than they normally would. On several occasions, the gorillas and orangutans reacted to staff by displaying — moving in a way to demonstrate strength — or by not shifting from one exhibit enclosure to another when asked by a keeper. These behaviors are atypical for both species. Adult orangutans spent more time resting in their nests than they normally would.

Meanwhile, 2-year-old Bornean orangutan infant Redd was as rambunctious as ever and sought extra attention from his keepers. Western lowland gorilla Baraka — who is normally laid-back and acts as peacemaker of the troop — was a bit cranky, according to keepers. They observed him barking more and taking food from his troop members. His behavior was surprising given that the gorillas received their normal food portions and enrichment items. However, because all primate keepers reported for duty at the same time rather than the normal staggered arrival, the timing of food and enrichment offerings was condensed to the morning and early afternoon.