Thursday, April 29, 2010

Please come and welcome...


Please come and welcome the newest member of our Brookgreen Gardens family! On April 26th, zookeepers were pleasantly surprised to find a new baby cow in their pasture. It is a male Red Devon calf, and it was probably born in early morning hours.



The Lowcountry Zoo does not exhibit any male cows, but the mother was recently loaned in from a larger herd.



The new calf has been sleeping, learning how to walk, sleeping, nursing, exploring his new home, sleeping, meeting his neighbors, and sleeping. It is hard work to be a baby cow.

Did you know that the mother cow has horns? Red Devon cattle are a very old breed. In heritage breed cattle, it is common for the females to have horns.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Black-crowned Night Heron Chicks






The Black-crowned Night Heron chicks are out and about. They are exploring the world beyond their nest, and some of them can even fly short distances.



The chicks are still depending on the mothers for their food. One unfortunate mother has four mouths to feed! Her job is difficult considering that the chicks are almost the same size as the adults.



These chicks will keep their brown speckled plumage for about 2 years. After that, they will have the black, gray, and white plumage of the adults.



Come and see our new animals at the Lowcountry Zoo! The Mother Nature's Cafe tour runs twice a day in April, and the guide will feed the aviary birds on the tour. The Mother Nature's Cafe tour is free with garden admission.