 It's
Spring – Babies Abound
Greetings;
It’s
that time of year again when many babies are born here at
Fossil Rim. We already have Blackbuck, Gemsbok, Sable
Antelope, Waterbuck and lots of deer
babies for you to see. Expect more and more to come. With the weather getting
better all the time and the trees starting to bud out this is the perfect season
to come enjoy nature in all its glory.
Another
sign of spring is most of our male deer are shedding their
antlers. This annual phenomenon
starts the spring ritual of a 90 to 100 day process
of replacing
the antlers for the next breeding season. As they grow they are covered in
what is called “velvet”. It is actually skin and hair that offer
protection to the blood vessels that are needed to carry nutrients to growing
or healing
parts of the body.
While driving
through, try to spot a dropped antler.
We collect antlers and sell them to craft-people and flint
knappers
(people who make
arrowheads).
These funds then go to help purchase food for our animals
It is a
glorious time of year to be here at Fossil Rim. Come on
out and visit soon!
p.s. We’re
thinking of doing a photo contest, If your entries are selected,
you may see them on our web site and newsletter. Let
me know if you have any ideas for the contest.
Jan
Bussey
Education Specialist
About
Jan
What's
Gnu?
• We
have a young Grevy’s Zebra female that was born this
winter. It was conceived after a breeding request from the
Grevy’s SSP.
• We
received a male Kudu from the Caldwell Zoo. He is now in
quarantine but look for him to appear in the Buffer Pasture
around the first of April.
• Our
diet studies with the Black Rhino and Attwater Prairie Chickens
are still progressing, as well as a study on hormones to
evaluate cycling in older, unbred female kudu.
Cheetah
Chatter
Max
Update
Fran
Lyon from White Oak Conservation Center in Florida where
our baby
cheetah Max moved last
month reports that max is “alive
and a bit of a pain in the in the” … well,
anyway, Max is doing well. He
spends his days in the company of Zinga, the
young female. There has been some face licking as well
as other
interaction. The staff is pleased this introduction
went as quickly as it did.
At night,
Zinga goes back with her brothers because she misses them
so much. White
Oak
is
looking at placing all four of these young cheetahs
together eventually, but a little more time is needed so
they
can all adjust to one another
Want
to See My Encyclopedias?
Guest
Article by David
Thompson, Fossil Rim Board Member
While
going to school at Southern Illinois University’s Alton-Edwardsville
campuses at night and working at the St. Louis Zoo during
the days, I lived in a trailer park in Edwardsville, Illinois.
It was a two bed room trailer, the front bedroom of which
I used as a study and a place to keep some of my animal friends
of the time. The bedroom was quite small, including a half
bath where you could take care of about everything you needed
to do in there with out having to do more than pivot your
feet.
Answering
a knock on the front door one evening...
Continued >>
 The
Local Scene
If
you are lucky enough to spot one of these, you’ll
observe an oddity of nature
Occasionally,
while doing tours at Fossil Rim, we will see a small, armored
creature scurrying
across the fields. In spite
of possibly having a giraffe or other large, impressive animal
from Africa standing in front of us, the guests will all
focus their attention, as well as many oooh’s and aaah’s,
on this little critter. It is called an armadillo. Now here
in Texas we are used to seeing them...
Continued >>
Friends
of Fossil Rim
We would
like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to the
following people and local businesses who have given so much
to Fossil Rim in the last few weeks.
•
Corsicana Bedding, Corsicana, TX – “Gail Moran
and Staff” – Thank you for 40 forty mattresses
that go to the Lodge, Safari Camp and Wolf Ridge Camp. Thanks
to your generosity, many people will enjoy their night’s
sleep even more.
•
Kelly Moore Paint Company, Granbury, TX “Barry Felts” Thank
you for 50 gallons of paint -
 •
Another great big thanks to young Andrew, Lisa and Peter
Coltman for their kind donation of a futon/bunk bed for
our camp staff
quarters. Andrew wanted a new bed and requested that
his old one go to Fossil Rim. Thanks Andrew, we appreciate
your thoughtfulness.
 Wild
Egg Safari
Saturday,
March 26th is a date to mark on your calendar. We are having
a Wild Egg Safari which starts at noon with egg hunts every
half hour until 3:30. This is not your usual egg hunt as
some of the prizes will be Ostrich eggs and Emu eggs.
We
will have face painting, photo opportunities and snacks
available as well as a good time to be had by all. Come join
us.
The
price is $8 per child.
More
Information
See photos
from our 2004 Wild Egg Safari
Have a
suggestion for our newsletter? Send
us an email.
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make sure you receive our e-mails, please add editor@fossilrim.org to
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are legitimate. Go
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