National Bird Day

Do you know what today is? Haven’t you heard? You Mean You haven’t heard? Click this link if you haven’t heard! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184

Yes that’s correct, the bird is the word! It’s National Bird Day! Now if only we can figure out what that is?!?!? Luckily we have www.nationalbirdday.com to help us understand what’s going on here and January 5th is a time for us to appreciate and show our respect for the inspiration that birds bring us and understand what birds need from us in general. Here is a direct quote from their site.

“National Bird Day is on January 5 each year, as it's scheduled to coincide with the end of the annual Christmas Bird Count. The Christmas Bird Count has been going on for more than a decade. It lasts three weeks and is the longest running citizen science survey in the world that helps to monitor the health of our nation’s birds. Birders and the public go out and count as many birds as they can see during the count.

The reason National Bird Day falls on January 5 is that, for three weeks, the country is focused on native birds and wild populations. Once that period ends, we begin to focus on captive birds (who mainly consist of bird species that are native to other countries, but who are kept in captivity in the U.S.). January 5 is the new beginning for captive birds!”

You can find more info about national bird day on their website!

Happy National Bird day. Nationalbirdday.com for more info

Adopt A Rescue Bird Month

We all consider adopting both dogs and cats from animal shelters when we are seeking a companion. Well the month of January is “Adopt A Rescued Bird” month in the animal world. It’s a chance for you to give a home to a feathery friend who wouldn’t do so well in the wild. Here is a link to research how you can help give a bird a home if you’re in Wisconsin! http://www.feathered-friends.com/

The Pygmy Goat of Timbavati Wildlife Park

Greetings friends of Timbavati Wildlife Park and Happy New Year to you all! This week we are talking about the Pygmy Goat which is a native of West Africa. It was developed from the West African Dwarf Goat which is mostly found in the Cameroon Valley. They were taken to Europe during the Colonial Era and brought over to the United States in the 1950’s.

Pygmy Goat colors can be gray, white, brown or black, let’s just say the they can be any barnyard animal color for no apparent reason, you know why? Because everything I have read and all the time I have spent with these animals, I cant tell you why they’re the color that they are, they just are.

Now why do they have rectangular eyes? This is something we can look at a bit more scientifically without getting lost in so many combinations. There is a predator/prey divide in the shapes of pupils and apparently this eye shape gives them a visual advantage. It’s a panoramic view for the one defense mechanism the pygmy goat has which is skedaddling!

Now for the who? Who are they running from? Pygmy goats typically will have beef with canines. Domestic dogs, coyotes, wolves and foxes are all reasons for vigilance. Bears and mountain lions are also on the avoid list for pygmy goats as well.

Most people don’t think about it but goats are great jumpers. If they were basketball players you’d say they have “hops”, they’re capable of getting enough air to land on the hood of your Toyota (i.e. small car). They can swim too, these guys are all kinds of Johnny Weissmueller when it comes to getting in the water. I don’t think they would do much to an alligator like Tarzan would, but hey with those panoramic pupils they will see it coming sooner and can skedaddle!

Watch this week’s video for more fun facts about the pygmy goat!

The Zebra of Timbavati Wildlife Park

Getting back into the discussion of the animals at Timbavati Wildlife Park, this week is all about the zebra!

As you may know zebra are recognized by their beautiful coat of fur! Their stripes are much like the uniqueness of fingerprints. Though they all have them (whether they are black and white or brown) no two are exactly alike.

Zebras are very social animals living in small-large herds. They feed almost entirely on grass though they will eat sparingly plants like shrubs, herbs, leaves, bark and even twigs. They have a digestive system that allows them to sustain diets of lower nutrition.

Zebras have excellent hearing. With larger and more rounder ears than horses, they can turn their ears in almost any direction. Along with their great sense of hearing is their eyesight. They are able to see at night though not as well as some of their predators.

The female zebra is also called a "mare." Mares will give birth to one baby zebra or foal once every twelve months or so. She will then nurse said foal for up to one year.

Stop in and visit with our majestic zebra at Timbavati Wildlife Park!

Upgrading The Safari Train Ride

Timbavati Wildlife Park is regularly undergoing improvements to your experience. With our fourth season finally in the books. We are happy to discuss some of the improvements that we have made this year. One major project that we took on this year was the automation of our Safari Train Ride Gates.

The Safari Train Ride takes our guests on a ride through our pastures where they have personal interactions with some of our larger hoofed grazing animals. You can barely see any remnants from the previous incarnation of our grounds, the old Riverview Waterpark. This transformation has taken place one improvement at a time and the investments in improvements are ongoing.

This week’s video actually allows us to walk and talk with owner Mark Schoebel as he takes a walk through the park and checks in on the gate automation installation. The smiles are genuine the work is the best our craftsmen have to offer and the result is the experience that our guests have when they attend regularly and share our growth with us.

Sable Antelope

This week we are talking about the majestic sable antelope. The Sable Antelope (scientific name hippotragus niger)  is from the southern savanna of Africa. They live in  a combination of grasslands and woodlands. They avoid extensive open lands.

The sable antelope in the wild can live up to sixteen years and travel about a mile a day. During the dry season they will travel less than a mile.  They are nocturnal and diurnal (active during the day). They prefer to feed just until dark because of a high risk of predation at night. Their natural predators are animals like lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, crocodiles, and wild dogs.

These animals are specialized grazers. They will feed on herbs and grasses which typically make up ninety percent of their diet. They seek water at least every other day. None of these antelope are known to travel more than 2 miles from a water source.

Male antelopes grow slightly bigger than the female. They have incredible horns that can reach to 165 centimeters, can weigh around 530 lbs and have a height of about 5 ft.  A female's horn is much shorter around 102 cm, have a weight around 485 lbs and are a pinch shorter than males.

Stop in to Timbavati Wildlife Park and say hello to our friends the majestic antelope!

Cockatiel

Cockatiel also known as nymphicus hollandicus are native to Australia! They can be found in pairs or small flocks throughout the wild. Cockatiels like to nest in hollow tree limbs or trunk holes located near water.

The cockatiel's average weight can be anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds and they can be as long as 12-14 inches long. Cockatiels like to feed on fresh fruits and vegetables. They will also eat seeds and pellets. Though they are related to the birds who can imitate the human voice these specific birds much rather imitate whistles.

The breeding season for cockatiels lasts from August to December though they are able to and do breed year round. When nesting a typical cockatiel will lay 4 to 7 eggs. These eggs are laid every other day and have an incubation period of about 18-21 days.

Stop in for a whistle or two from our cockatiel friends at Timbavati Wildlife Park!