Fota: Wildlife Park

Agile Gibbon

The male gibbons can be identified as they always have white cheeks.

Bennett’s Wallaby

During its first six months, the joey will grow to 2,000 times its original birth weight.

Black & White Colobus

The black and white colobus is noted for its unique pelt or coat. They have been hunted for centuries for this reason. Until recently, rugs were made for tourists, using 25 skins for a small rug!!

Black & White Ruffed Lemur

When appropriate flowers are available, the ruffed lemur eagerly feeds on nectar by sticking its long nose deep into the flower. During this feeding, the flower is not harmed, but the lemur’s snout becomes coated with pollen, which is then transported to other flowers. Hence for certain species of plants in the tropical forests of Madagascar, the ruffed lemur is an important pollinator.

Brazillian Tapir

Brazilian Tapirs are born with spots and stripes and look like walking water melons!! Tapirs, depending upon the species, are found at altitudes ranging from sea level to 4,500 meters.

Capybara

Capybara skins are particularly prized for making fine gloves because of its unusual ability to stretch in just one direction!!

Cheetah

Despite the cheetah’s ability to reach such high speeds, it can only be maintained for up to 60 seconds.  An increase in body temperature even by several degrees can lead to irrecoverable brain damage. 

Chilean Flamingo

The flamingo has the longest neck of all birds in comparison to its body. It has 17 vertebrae.

Colombian Black Spider Monkey

Spider monkeys fill an important ecological role in South America. These primates often feed on an assortment of fruits and as they travel throughout their environment. As they go, they disperse undigested seeds in their manure within 2-3 hours. The seeds soon sprout to replenish the vegetation that sustains South America's rich rainforests.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo

An extinct species of kangaroo once stood over 3 m tall.

Emu

Emu's love the water and are often seen swimming and playing in it.

European Bison

The present population of 3,000 European Bison are all descended from from 12 individuals (11- Bison bonasus bonasus and 1- Bison bonasus caucasicus). The autumn of 1929 marked the triumphant return of two European bison to the wild. They were placed in a specially prepared reserve in the Bialowieza forest. After ten years, their number grew to 16 individuals.

Grant’s Zebra

Zebras and horses have been crossbred to create a zorse. They are used for trekking in Mount Kenya.

Great White Pelican

The great white pelican is a superb flier and is able to fly for a whole day and night without stopping, covering a distance of about 300 miles.  Pelicans are surprisingly light for their size (5 - 9 kg) because of air spaces in their bones and under the skin, this feature helps the pelican when flying!

Grey Cheeked Mangabey

The Grey-cheeked Mangabey lives in a variety of habitats in the forests of Central Africa. Mangabeys live in groups, called troops, of about 10 to 40 individuals

Harbour Seal

A pup nurses for 4-6 weeks.  It’s mother’s milk contains as much as 45% milk fat, enabling the pup to double its weight by the time its weaned!

Howler Monkey

Humboldt Penguin

Fossilised remains of giant penguins have been found in Antarctica – they were over 5 feet tall!!

Indian Peafowl

The peacock moults his ‘train’ of feathers once a year. This occurs when the females are busy rearing their chicks. The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and is protected in that country. To Hindus, the peafowl is a sacred bird, it is believed that the spots on the peacock’s train symbolize the eyes of the gods.

Lar Gibbon

Their coat colour changes from pale buff to black but they will always have white hands and feet.

Lion-tailed Macaque

Lion-tailed macaques are so well adapted to its forest home that it can not adjust to new habitats created by human intrusion.

Macaw

A macaw’s beak is so strong it can easily crush and open a Brazil nut—or a human  knuckle!

Mara

The Maras are the only members of the rodent family that stay together for life (monogamous).

Meerkat

• The fur on its belly is thin and helps the meerkat to regulate its body temperature - its sits up sunning itself or lies on warm ground to increase its temperature, and reduces it by lying belly-down in a cool, dark burrow

Ostrich

Wild ostriches were nearly wiped out in the 18th Century by feather collectors.

Red Lechwe

Lions wade through the swamps to hunt Lechwe but its greatest enemy is man.

Red Panda

The Red Panda is a relative of the racoon.

Red Ruffed Lemur

When appropriate flowers are available, the ruffed lemur eagerly feeds on nectar by sticking its long nose deep into the flower. During this feeding, the flower is not harmed, but the lemur’s snout becomes coated with pollen, which is then transported to other flowers. Hence for certain species of plants in the tropical forests of Madagascar, the ruffed lemur is an important pollinator.

Red Squirrel

Unfortunately, the red squirrel is slowly being displaced by the Grey Squirrel, an introduction from the US to Longford in 1911. Greys are larger, less specialised, and can eat acorns that are not yet ripe enough for Red Squirrels to eat. Grey squirrels are not yet found west of the river Shannon and are not present on Fota Island. Although globally the res squirrel is least concern they are near threatened in Ireland. 

Ring-tailed Lemurs

Among the lemurs which have recently become extinct at the hands of man were species as large as a chimpanzee!

Rothschild Giraffe

Giraffes can sleep standing up and only sleep for about five minutes at a time so they can remain alert for predators!! Would you believe the giraffe has the longest tail of any land mammal? A giraffe’s tail can be 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, including the tuft on the end!

Scimitar-horned Oryx

The Oryx obtains most of its water requirements through the vegetation it consumes. Oryx can sense rainfall far away and will travel up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) to feed on freshly sprouted vegetation

Siamang Gibbon

The Siamang gibbons mate for life and both parents play a role in rearing their offspring.

White-faced Saki

They display sexual dichromatism. This means the male and female display different colours. The male is black with a white face and the female is brown with white stripes below each eye.

White-tailed Sea Eagle

During the breeding season while they are rearing young, they require 500-600g of food per day. This drops to 200-300g per day during the winter months when the birds are less active