MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAW) – Each animal at the Wildwood Zoo has their own story their own story on how they got there. It can range from being injured to being a match for an animal already there.
Last week the zoo had to say goodbye to its male cougar, Thunder. This leaves his sister Star, without a companion. Some animals at the Wildwood Zoo do great on their own, so finding the best companion takes time.
Star has the nickname “Princess” at the zoo. She’s the only female cougar and she’s picky with food. So it’s more likely she will also be picky about a new companion. Finding her a match may be difficult so they started early.
“We started getting in contact, filling out all of our permits and our application last year as early as last year. If you know, there an older male cougar that comes up for placement that could potentially be a great fit to introduce to Star already,” Wildwood Zoo Manager Sarah Strorandt said.
Star is turning sixteen years old and cougars under human care are expected to live twelve years. The Wildwood Zoo says Star could be getting a new companion, but she’s perfectly fine on her own.
Before a new animal can meet its companion, first the zoo has if they are the right fit for the animal.
“When a new animal does arrive here they are placed into a 30-day quarantine and that is to ensure that they are not bringing in any diseases, or parasites. They get their first vet check, we run fecal samples and they get up to date on all of their vaccines,” said Storandt.
On Thursday, two male foxes were reintroduced for the third time because the second meeting didn’t go as planned.
“Today was the first day that they came outside together. That was a four-week process, getting them slowly introduced through the fence and things are going great. The goal for the first introduction is basically indifference,” said Storandt.
Luckily, the zoo has never had to take an animal back because it wasn’t the right fit, but if they had to they have lots of options.
“We do have a good network of other zoos that we can reach out to and try to see if we can get you know, the right fit,” said Strorandt.
While the zoo has to think about matches for animals when empty space fills up they think about new species moving in, which is happening soon.
“It will be a smaller mammal and we’re kind of going to wait to share what that exactly looks like,” said Strorandt.
The Wildwood Zoo says the mammal will be arriving either this summer or fall. The new mammal will live where the two foxes are, which means the foxes will be moving to a new location in the zoo.
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