Lee Richardson Zoo welcomes male Chinese goral

(Courtesy of the Lee Richardson Zoo)

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The Lee Richardson Zoo welcomed a new resident yesterday from Los Angeles Zoo. A male Chinese goral arrived from Los Angeles Zoo to join the zoo’s small herd of gorals in “Wild Asia”.  

The new male came to Lee Richardson Zoo based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA’s) Species Survival Plan for gorals.  The hope is to support the species population by successfully breeding him with the zoo’s four females.  Nine other AZA accredited facilities in the country work with the goral species.

Goral are small ungulates with both goat and antelope-like characteristics. Native to the rocky hillside and high elevation areas of Burma, China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, this species is well adapted to climbing. Goral are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as populations are dwindling primarily due to loss of habitat.   

Goral can live into their late teens and early twenties.  “Kung Furry,” as the new male is called, arrived at Lee Richardson Zoo in time to celebrate his second birthday with his new family on June 7, 2019. Visual barriers are temporarily in place around the goral’s habitat to help the zoo’s new resident acclimate to his new surroundings, but guests can still view the goral herd in the “Wild Asia” area of the zoo and learn more about this unique species.