Good Night, Sweet “Faith”
Zooniversity lost one of its most precious teachers today, our sweet 10-year old fennec fox named "Faith." Faith spent years traveling to schools, libraries, and private events, teaching people about this elusive, and beautiful, desert species. She spent the last seven years with us, battling many obstacles — juvenile cataracts, glaucoma, prosthetic eye surgery, and in her final year, cancer. Faith lost her battle today against the spindle-cell sarcoma that crippled [more...]
Introducing “Tuck” — The South American Armadillo
Yes, we’re a Texas wildlife company, but this is NO Texas armadillo — this is Tuck, a La Plata or 3-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus) from the dry, grassy Chaco region of Paraguay in South America. This armadillo species is a favorite of wildlife educators throughout the world for its tame, gentle nature and especially for its unique ability to do something other armadillos cannot do. This is the only armadillo species to be able to retract, or "tuck," into a [more...]
Meet Baby Sheila, the Joey Wallaby
Ahhhh…meet our newest baby, little Sheila. She is a 7-month old joey wallaby that we’re fostering until she is big enough to return to her mob at another wildlife educator’s Texas ranch. She is still a pouch baby and travels with us everywhere. She sleeps most of day still, but will remind us that it’s bottle time with some gentle chirps. We’ve introduced her to her first grass and hay, [more...]
Name the Hyrax!
This is Zooniversity’s newest animal ambassador, a yellow-spotted hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei) who needs the perfect name — and we’re asking our Zooniversity friends to name him! Something, cute, yet dignified, that suits his species and his personality. Here’s a bit more about him to give you some creative inspiration…
This 8-pound, football-shaped, herbivore was sent to us by another wildlife educator who just didn’t have the time to work with him. He is usually found in the savannahs and jungles [more...]
Cancer: Exotic Animals Battle it Too
The big “C”—cancer, that erroneous fluke in cell division that multiplies, invades, and eventually destoys normal cells. Unfortunately, most of you have all had loved ones who have bravely battled this dreaded disease. Some of you have even had cats and dogs that have fought it. But, have you ever considered that wildlife and exotic animals get cancer, too? They do.
Here at Zooniversity, we’ve accepted donations of animals with all [more...]
“Sydney,” Journey of a Joey Wallaby, Part 2
I’d like to be a joey wallaby. I’d spend long hours sleeping peacefully in a fuzzy pouch, stretch my oh-so-big feet upon waking, guzzle milk when I was thirsty, delicately nibble on hay and grass when hungry, hop-hop-hop faster-faster-faster at play time, and “huff” for my humans to give me some always needed attention and cheek rubs.
Such is the life of our little joey wallaby, “Sydney,” who came to Zooniversity [more...]
“Sydney,” Journey of a Joey Wallaby, Part 1
Life is tough when you’re this little. Life is even tougher outside the security of Mommy’s pouch. Life is really tough when formula replaces Mommy’s milk and you’re surrounded by tall, strange-looking animals without fur or tails or pouches. Meet baby “Sydney,” an orphaned Bennett’s wallaby joey, who came to Zooniversity for foster care. This is Part 1 of her story.
Sydney was born about 7 months ago. Like all wallaby [more...]
Blind “Faith,” the Fennec Fox
No, this is not a chihuahua. Meet "Faith," named for the phrase "blind faith." Yes, she’s blind. Faith is a fennec fox, usually found in the Sahara desert of North Africa and up into the Middle Eastern deserts of Saudi Arabia. Faith used to be one of Zooniversity’s most traveled and popular educational animals. She starred in thousands of stage programs, met hundreds-of-thousands of children and adults, had her [more...]
