Misha

Misha was born at the Calgary Zoo on March 30, 1994. The Granby Zoo welcomed her two years later, on March 1st 1996. This beautiful female weighs over 120,2 kg (264lbs)!



Misha's personality is much more feisty than that of Hook, her mate. Although she weighs about 60 kilos less than her companion, she doesn't take that into consideration when she audaciously goes for whatever she wants, including food. She reacts with curiosity and enthusiasm to the attemps at enriching her habitat, especially if these attemps include food! A deer and a goat carcass, herring, pumpkins, etc. are some of the bonuses that have been occasionally added to her regular diet.

Misha rarely visits our on-site veterinary hospital. Since her arrival at Granby Zoo, she has been anesthetised only six times, for routine check-ups. The veterinarian uses this opportunity to clean her teeth on which plaque tends to accumulate. Misha proved to be an exemplary mother to her only litter so far. The keepers couldn't help but notice the surprising gentleness with which she cared for her cubs born on July 27, 1997. Following a voluntary pause of about 10 years, Granby Zoo is now ready to greet a new generation of striped felines and is hoping that Misha will again take part in this adventure with the same devotion.

Léo

Western Lowland Gorilla, (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Date of Birth: February 20,1978
Weight: 153 kg (337 lbs)

Leo, a Western Lowland Gorilla, was born on February 20th 1978 at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. He resided for a while at the St. Louis Missouri Zoo and arrived at Granby Zoo on October 25, 2001 at the age of 23. His weight at the time was 153 kilos (337 lbs). He is presently kept in an enclosure separate from Mumba, Granby Zoo’s other male gorilla, to avoid risks of serious confrontations between the two.

Leo is gentle, shy and distrustful. He is nevertheless curious and will approach any new visitors to study their faces. He is also quick to manifest his dominance over them with repeated gestures of intimidation, for example by running or even knocking on the glass.

As with humans, gorillas have food preferences. Leo doesn’t eat all his vegetables! He puts aside cauliflowers and beets but loves sweet potatoes, lettuce and carrots. He loves water, happily wading in his exhibit’s river and having fun splashing the windows. Keepers have even seen him collecting water in his hands to pour on his back and wet his head! He also dips his nuggets in water before he eats them. A tropical forest climate has been reproduced inside his quarters furnished with boulders, light wells and a river. The temperature is kept at 24°C and the humidity level is regulated. To reproduce the warm rays of the sun, special light bulbs also permit the absorption of vitamin D. Since May 2006, the gorillas have access to a new outside habitat during the summer months.

This species faces many threats in the wild. Commercial hunting and the cutting down of forests are responsible for the diminishing gorilla populations. Despite laws that protect the species, hunting is increasing. Local populations consume bush meat, including gorilla meat. The trade in assorted body parts (hands, feet, fur, skull…) as tourist souvenirs is flourishing.  An ashtray made out of a gorilla’s hand is an awful thing to see. This trade encourages poaching and contributes to the decline in populations. Sadly, the Western lowland gorilla is threatened with extinction.

Kisumu

Kisumu was born at Granby Zoo on Christmas night 1993. She is a tall, timid young lady with a slow and graceful walk. Her large brown eyes have conquered many hearts, including that of her keeper since birth. In the large park she shares with her older sister and the breeding male, she is recognizable by the star on her right flank, formed by markings on her coat.

Always at Kisumu’s side is an energetic young calf, as the gentle female has already given birth three times. Her last one, a male born October 6, 2004, even had his 15 minutes of fame when he appeared on the popular morning show Cafeine on TQS where the hosts nicknamed him Moka. Kisumu is expecting her next baby in the summer of 2007.

Obviously, a height of over 4 metres and a weight of over a ton have many advantages but also their inconveniences! In October 2000, Kisumu suffered a light limp on her right foreleg following a bad fall; in her excitement, the great lady had forgotten the elementary rules of walking on stilts! Happily with no serious consequences, this incident is the only negative incident in the friendly giraffe’s impeccable journey.

Kisumu seems to be on her way to repeating her mother’s glorious past. Valentine will always be a cherished memory to the Zoo’s employees. The young Kisumu benefited from the attentive care of Valentine, now deceased. Valentine’s skeleton is on display at the new elephants’ pavilion. This magnificent giraffe, dead at the venerable age of 26, has been chosen to appear on the logo of Granby Zoo’s animal adoption program.

Mumba

Mumba, a lowland Gorilla, is without a doubt the most famous resident of the Granby Zoo. His story is absolutely charming and the best part is that he is still living at the Zoo. He will be 47 this summer! This is a venerable age for gorillas, as they rarely live past 40 years of age.



His story begins in 1961. Born in the wilds of Africa, probably in Congo, our gorilla arrived in Granby when he was approximately 15 months old. As he had been orphaned and since, at that time, the Zoo could not give him the appropriate care, a Granby family took him under its wing. He received all the attention a baby would require. Back then we called him Dédé. He was raised like an infant, with diapers, bottles and a baby carriage. Constantly solicited by the media, he soon became a celebrity. The Radio-Canada television show La vie qui bat organised a contest to find him a new name: Mumba.

Unfortunately, because of his ‘human’ upbringing, Mumba never identified with his own species. This is partly why he never reproduced. He never seemed to be interested in the female gorillas that were introduced to him.

In 1997, he was transferred to a superb enclosure at the newly built Afrika Pavilion. In the daytime, his surroundings include a small river running down among rocks, tree trunks and lianas. When Mumba needs quiet time he has several hiding places at his disposal. We have even duplicated the climate of a tropical forest with the temperature averaging 24°C and controlled humidity. The sun shines up to 14 hours a day in the tropics. To reproduce the warm rays of the sun, we use special light bulbs whose light also provides vitamin D that is absorbed through the skin.

Mumba has had several gorilla companions over the years. For the past few years he has been co-habiting with Léo, a male from an American zoo. The two gorillas do not share the same living quarters however because of the risks of aggression.

Mumba has his special little habits from living on his own for so long. Food wise, he especially likes vegetables. He also adores tea and herbal teas! Each day he gets surprises such as popcorn, hard boiled eggs, gelatine fruit, cottage cheese… Mumba and Léo even get to eat cake, specially baked for them by the Zoo’s chef. It’s a secret recipe that includes oats, molasses, oil, grapes and gelatine. Mumba knows his keepers well and the reverse is also true. When the keepers arrive at the Afrika pavilion in the morning, Mumba vocalises his greeting. When they leave the area Mumba calls out to them with a growl.

His medical file reveals that Mumba was put under general anaesthesia seven times since 1994; this was necessary for his annual examinations, his transfer and an attempt at eletroejaculation.

Nairobi

Nairobi is a male lion born on August 15, 1995, at the Orono Exotic Cat World in Ontario. Nairobi was raised by the keepers of that zoo who bottle-fed him for several weeks. He arrived at the Granby Zoo on April 17, 1997.



He was last weighed on March 28, 2002 when he was under general anaesthesia. His weight was then 161,9 kg (354 lbs)! The Zoo veterinarian took this opportunity to give the big feline a complete physical exam. He took samples for blood tests. Checked his body temperature (38,4ºC). The tartar from his canines and upper molars was removed. He received a rabies shot. He was dewormed. His claws were trimmed and his anal glands were emptied.

Nairobi has several children including Kao, born in the summer of 2002. At barely 8 months of age, Kao was already a celebrity. She made the front page of a magazine with Eric Lucas, the boxer (his adoptive parent).

Nairobi once had to wear a cast on his front left leg for four days. Luckily, nothing was broken; it was just a temporary limp. The keepers in that sector have a lot of fun stimulating Nairobi and the other lions with all sorts of unusual objects. One day, they hanged a jute sack filled with straw and food in the lion’s enclosure. Our male hurriedly unhooked the sack and took off with it, then lied down beside it. Nairobi is indeed the king of the lions at the Granby Zoo!

Polita

Polita is a female hippopotamus born in June 1997 at the Centro Ecologico de Sonora in Mexico. She was raised by her parents there.

She arrived at the Granby Zoo on July 24, 2000 from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida who had purchased her a few years earlier. She cost $2,000 to have her transported here. From a very young age Polita was a great big traveller!



When she arrived at the Granby Zoo, Polita was already pregnant. Her first young was born on November 22, 2000. Her second baby arrived on February 9, 2003, a cute little female that visitors were able to see the following summer. On December 28, 2003, surprise! Polita gave birth to her third baby.

August 11th 2005, she gave birth for a fourth time. The young calf flew to Calgary Zoo at the end of November. Young Alcide, rechistened Splash by the Calgary Zookeepers, reunited with his grandparents there. His grandmother took very good care of him. He came back to Granby in April 2006 to occupy a new habitat. The Zoo's youngest hippo was born on Halloween Day 2006.

The hippopotamuses have been enjoying a brand new habitat since the spring of 2006.

A huge 360,000 litres water bassin is the new playground of these amphibien pachyderms. Thanks to a heating system powered by geothermal energy, these hippos can play in the temperate water of their pool in summer as well as in winter.

In the wild, mating can occur anytime during the year. It is the same at the Zoo as the most intense mating periods were observed in June 2002 and April 2003.

Would you believe that the combined weight of the two hippopotamuses at the Granby Zoo exceeds 4 tons?

Toutoune

Toutoune is a female African Elephant. She arrived at the Granby Zoo on September 30, 1985 from Montreal’s Jardin des Merveilles (a zoological garden that is now closed). When she was last weighed, in April 2005, she tipped the scale at about 4,300 kg.



In the course of its fifty years, the Granby Zoo has been home to about 10 elephants. Today, it is Toutoune and her friend Sarah (23 years old, 3,300 kg, born in Namibia) who delight visitors during the summer. You should know that our two female African elephants do not share the same tastes when it comes to pastimes. Toutoune loves to play with a big tire while the more delicate Sarah prefers her small ball that she often places between her feet. Toutoune eats over 68 kg of food daily! Her diet consists of hay, dry food, vegetables and fruit. Her keepers reveal that she especially loves pumpkins, celery, apples and melons. Her keepers have taught Toutoune about 30 commands. This makes it easier for them to interact with this mastodon. For example, if they want the elephant to move, they simply give her the appropriate command (ex: right, back, etc.). The commands are always given in the international language of English. Keeper tells us that it is very difficult to make an elephant lie down. This is necessary in order to examine the animal closely and to take blood samples…from its ears!

This is because blood vessels are highly visible there. Would you think that Toutoune likes water? She loves to take a bath in summer. However, a shower with the watering hose is not her favourite pastime.