New Animals and New Exhibit at Abilene Zoo

Abilene Zoo fans may hear some wild new sounds in the park this week as the zoo welcomes a troop of howler monkeys. Howler monkeys aren’t the only new things going on at the Abilene Zoo. They also recently opened the Giraffe Safari exhibit, where people can interact with giraffes and see them face to face.

The howler monkeys are a family of four, and they are now on exhibit after arriving from the Cleveland Zoo earlier this month. Black howler monkeys are a threatened species native to Latin America, and this troop is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans, conservation programs that maintain healthy populations of vulnerable animals to help prevent extinction.

“Howler monkeys show lots of personality by exploring and playing, so they are fun to watch,” said Liz Kellerman, the zoo’s animal behaviorist. “And these guys are famously loud. Their howls can be heard three miles away.”

Another interesting trait is the monkeys have sexually dimorphic features. Mature males are black and have large necks and jaws for howling, while females and youngsters are petite and blonde. The troop includes a breeding pair: Dante is a 7-year-old male and Springer is his 13-year-old mate. Their offspring include a 19-month-old male named Yoder, and an 8-month-old female named Hazel. Yoder’s fur will turn black as he matures. The monkeys use the prehensile tails as a fifth limb to grip tightly to tree branches or food.

“The howler monkeys will benefit with an outdoor enclosure because they are going to be able to play in the sun and catch a whiff of the other animals in the zoo,” said Krista Rader, an animal keeper at the zoo. “We also like to keep them active with puzzles and games, and they get into everything because they are curious.”

The howler monkeys now inhabit the enclosure that once housed the Colobus monkeys, who have moved into new digs in the Giraffe Safari area.

The new Giraffe Safari has been long awaited, and finally it is complete and open for people to come and see. The new attraction is a $3.8 million multi-species exhibit. It opened this year, on April 23, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Guests are able to hand-feed romaine lettuce to the zoo’s giraffe herd at eye level from a raised feeding deck, dubbed the Twiga Terrace. “Twiga" means giraffe in Swahili. Giraffe encounters are sold for $4 at this new facility.

Guests were excitedly waiting in line to take their turns for feeding the giraffes Friday. Locals came out and see the magnificent creatures, along with the countless people who come from all around to see the new and improved exhibit. 

Giraffe Safari doubles the space of the giraffes’ old habitat with a total of 30,400 square feet. The new landscape gives the animals more room to roam and display behaviors seen in the wild. The layout designs feature the latest in safety and care standards for the animals, and will allow for a breeding program for the endangered species.

The zoo also added to the herd, bringing the number of giraffes at the zoo up to six: four adult females, Asha, Sunny, Punk, and Jamie, along with one adult male and young male calf, Mesi and Kito. Kito is the baby of the herd and Asha, an adult female of the herd, is “aunting” the young calf.

“I am the veterinarian and I love the zoo job because everyday is completely different,” said Stephanie Carl, one of the Abilene Zoo veterinarians. “You have to think outside the box and on your toes all the time. And so I love it, working with these animals and making sure they stay healthy and cared for.”