Animal Happenings at Lee Richardson Zoo
Lee Richardson Zoo is happy to announce the birth of a baby girl goral. On Thursday, August 16, Ping, a four-year- old Chinese goral who resides at the zoo gave birth to her first offspring. Six-year-old dad, Kung Pao, watched the birth attentively along with other members of the herd.
The newborn was under 4.5 pounds and had a bit of a rocky start. Staff tube-fed her twice during her first 24 hours to ensure appropriate nutrition. Based on regular weights and observations, staff are optimistic that mom and baby are doing fine now. This is the third generation of goral born at Lee Richardson Zoo.
Goral are native to extreme southeastern Burma and western Thailand, and are known for their agility. In the wild, they stay near cliffs where their climbing ability helps them avoid predators. Their coloration also provides camouflage, helping them stay safe by blending into the environment.
While zoo staff are excited about the addition to the goral population, they are concerned about the location of one of the Luzon bleeding heart doves that lives at the zoo. After a thorough search of the habitat, staff regretfully concluded that the dove is missing from the Wild Asia flight.
Inspection of the flight revealed no flaws (no holes in the mesh), and she isn’t hiding anywhere within its protective walls. The Asia flight has two doors at each entry/exit, so she either walked out while both doors were open or someone took her out with them. Her mate is still in the habitat, so hopes are that she is still nearby and will be found in the near future.
This species of dove likes to spend time on the ground but may also be perched in a tree. If you see a wandering bleeding heart dove, please call the zoo at 620-276-1250. The herd of goral, including mom and baby, is viewable in their Wild Asia habitat at Lee Richardson Zoo from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily.
