Fun Flamingo Facts

 Flamingos are one of the worlds most recognized birds - even if you have never stepped foot in the ocean! The long curvy necks, backward-bending knees, yellow and black bills - and of course their distinctive pink color make this tropical wading bird a favorite of zoos (and lawns) everywhere. But more on that later.

There are six different species of flamingos however, it takes a expert eye to tell the species apart. The Andean, puna, Chilean and American flamingos are all residents of South America. Both the lesser and greater flamingos are found in large numbers in Africa. During the breeding season, greater and lesser flamingos regularly migrate to the Middle East. Near the Mediterranean greater flamingos can be found in the wild along the southern Mediterranean Sea.

Adult flamingos stand four to six feet tall and weigh between four and eight pounds. This surprising lack of body weight is needed for the birds to be able to take flight.

The feathers under their wings, known as flight feathers, are black however, these feathers can only be seen when the birds are flying.

Flamingos feed in muddy flats and shallow water stirring up mud with their long legs and webbed feet. Reaching down, they bury their bills (and sometimes their entire head) into the water gathering up a scoopful of mud and water. A flamingo's beak is designed to remove food before the liquid is expelled.  

One of the questions we are often asked is why do flamingos stand on one leg? Scientists have offered a number of theories but even the experts remain stumped as to why flamingos prefer standing on one leg. You can read several of the ideas here.

Did you know that a flock of flamingos is called a flamboyance? They find safety in numbers, which helps protect individual birds from predators while their heads are down in the mud. In the wild, a colony can number up to several hundred birds. You can see this on a smaller scale at the flamingo exhibit at Wildwood Wildlife Park. The different species of flamingos have their own distinct communal mating rituals. You can read about the individual mating dances here.

The flamingos signature pink color is derived from beta-carotene found in the crustaceans and plankton the birds feed on. Flamingos in zoos will turn white if their diet is not supplemented with live shrimp or flamingo chow that contains the carotenoid pigments.

Known as the seventh species of flamingos, the plastic lawn flamingo (Phoenicopterus plasticus) was introduced in 1957 by Don Featherstone and soon became an American cultural icon. In the 21st century the plastic lawn flamingo was considered endangered. Efforts continue today to revive the art form and in 2009, Madison, Wisconsin, named Phoenicopterus plasticus the city's official bird.

Phoenicopterus plasticus photo by Flickr user Kim Kruse

Zookeeper Week: A Duet of Monochrome, Zoo Style

Today we are featuring Hannah Arnott and Katie Quednow, Wildwood Wildlife Park interns who have chosen their favorite park residents to imitate as part of our National Zookeeper Week.

Hannah is showing off her pearly whites imitating our baby male zebra Zorro - it looks like both of them have something exciting to say about greeting our visitors to the park!

As you can probably guess, the zebra is closely related to horses and donkey but what sets zebras apart is their unique black and white stripes. Did you know that each of the animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints, no two are alike. Theories abound as to why zebras have stripes including: to repel insects, provide camouflage in grassy areas, confuse predators, to reduce its body temperature, or to provide a way of zebras to recognize each other.

Zebras are herbivorous feeding primarily on a variety of grasses. They are also known to eat shrubs, twigs, leaves and bark.

Zebras are born with brown and white stripes, changing to the signature black and white as they develop into an adult. The foals have soft fuzzy fur and are able to walk within 20 minutes following birth and are able to run within one hour. Mares will keep other zebras away from her newborn for the first two or three days until her foal can imprint on her by sight, voice and smell.

Zebras are very social animals and live in large groups called a harem. Sometimes these harms will come together to form temporary groups of up to 30 members. Zebras sleep standing up and while in a group can be warned of danger. If they spot danger zebras will bark or whinny loudly to warn others in the group.

Wildwood intern Katie is striking a queenly pose in keeping with the the regal charm of the park’s black leopard Toby.

Zoologically speaking, the term panther is synonymous with leopard. The black panther is the common name for a black "big cat" with a coloration melanistic gene that causes the beautiful black coloration. Did you know that Toby, like other black leopards are not totally black but rather have a spotted pattern which you can see from a certain angle. Underneath that beautiful fur their skin is a mixture of blue black gray and purple with rosettes. 

Leopards live in sub-saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China, however, much of their populations are endangered. The leopard is able to hunt and kill animals that significantly outweigh them. These nocturnal hunters are so comfortable with their climbing skills that they often hunt from trees and, using their impressive strength, will drag their kill high into a tree keeping it safe from scavengers such as hyenas.

Leopards can give birth at any time of the year, a typical litter will consist of two cubs. A mother leopard keeps her cubs hidden, moving the cubs frequently from one safe location to another until they are old enough to begin to play, a precursor of developing hunting skills. The cubs will stay with their mother for two years. Other then a cub with the mother, leopards are solitary animals.

Leopard populations are declining due to being hunted for their soft fur which is prized in the production of coats and robes. Poaching and habitat loss are the reasons why the population of leopards are relatively low. These beautiful big cats are in far more danger from humans than we are from leopards. When brought into close contact with human ranches, leopards may prey on livestock. 

Happy Birthday Kya!

It's no secret that the qualifications of a zookeeper is more than just a love of animals. They spend their days being the eyes and ears of the entire zoo no matter what the weather. Constantly getting wet and dirty and being on duty during the weekends and holidays is just part of their day. Our zookeepers also are in constant contact with visitors to the zoo; answering any questions they might have and oftentimes working in the encounter areas of the park. And as you can probably imagine, over time, zookeepers develop a special relationship with one or more of the animals.

During our Zookeeper Appreciation week we highlighted our dedicated and trained zookeepers on our Facebook page and gave them the opportunity to share one of their favorite animals at the zoo. Head Zookeeper Jen Domaszek posed with her Wildwood favorite, Kya the Striped Hyena.

In celebration of Kya's fourth birthday on May 31st, we have selected her as the subject of today's blog post.

Kya is a Striped Hyena, which is one of the three hyena species. The other two are the Brown Hyena which are a near threatened species and the more commonly known Spotted Hyena.

Unlike the Spotted Hyena, that live in clans run by one dominant female, both the Brown and Striped Hyenas are solitary animals. 

Although hyenas physically resemble dogs they are actually more closely related to cats. Hyenas are well known scavengers, but will also hunt their own food. Striped Hyenas like Kya also eat fruit and other plant matter. 

Wish Kya a happy birthday and if you are lucky, you might catch her in the act of enjoying her favorite treat - peaches!

Double Trouble Excitement: Twin Striped Hyenas

Twins! We are excited to announce the arrival of twin Striped Hyena cubs. The brother and sister were born to first time Mom, Kya, on August 29, 2014. 

Did you know that hyena’s are not member of the dog or the cat family but rather, they are so unique that they have a family all their own: Hyaenidae. There are four members of this distinct family: the striped hyena, the “giggly” spotted hyena, the brown hyena and the aardwolf (which really isn't a wolf at all!)

These wonderful creatures are found in North and Northeast Africa, the Middle East and Asia and play a very important role: cleanup crew!

Striped hyenas are smaller than the spotted and brown hyenas and can live 10 to 12 years in the wild and up to 25 years in zoos. Hyenas have dark eyes; their muzzle, ears, and throat are entirely black but their coat may be golden yellow, brown or gray with black stripes on their body and legs. A mane of long hair grows along their back camouflaging them in the tall, dry grass that is found in the rocky brush and scrubland of their native habitat.

Despite their distinctive walk, which makes it appear as if they are limping uphill, hyenas are very agile and can run, trot and walk for long distances with very little effort.

Wildwood Zookeepers report that both cubs and mother are healthy and happy. Eventually the cubs will be placed at another ZAA accredited facility.

Brand New to the Wildwood Wildlife Park Nursery: Baby Eland "Elle"

Here in Minocqua, we have over a foot of snow on the ground and the temperatures have not reached 35 degrees in weeks. But inside our buildings it's warm and toasty, which is especially important during this time of the year when our nursery is starting to get busy.

We are pleased to introduce one of our first arrivals - Elle, the common eland.

The common eland, also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the second largest antelope in the world.

The common eland is an herbivore, which means its diet is primarily grasses and leaves. Common elands form herds of up to 500 animals, with individual members remaining in the herd anywhere from several hours to several months. They prefer a wide variety of flowering plants such as savannah, woodlands, and open grasslands and avoids dense forests. It uses loud barks to communicate and warn others of danger. They eat in the morning and evening, rest in the shade when it is hot and remain in sunlight when cold. 

The common eland is the slowest of the antelopes. They are capable of jumping up to 8 feet from a standing start when startled. 

The females are smaller than the males; females can weigh between 750 to 1,000 pounds, an adult male is around 5 feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to 1,300 pounds.

Common elands are spiral-horned antelopes; both males and females have these horns. These horns are visible as small buds in newborns and grow rapidly during the first seven months. Can you see the small buds on Elle in the photo on the left? The horns of the male are thicker and shorter than those of the female and a have a tighter spiral. Males use their horns during the rutting season to wrestle and butt heads with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their young from predators. Both males and females use their horns to break off branches that are hard to reach.

Teeke and Twiga: Wildwood Wildlife Park Two Newest Residents

Wildwood Wildlife Park is proud to announce the arrival of two new animals to our Zoo family: a ten-month old male giraffe named "Teeke" and a seven-month old female giraffe named "Twiga."

We've been getting ready for the arrival for the past few years and recently finished construction on their new home. So many of our friends have been asking when to expect the giraffes arrival and we appreciate your patience and understanding that their arrival was dependent upon Twiga being totally weaned and independent.

Teeke and Twiga arrived at Wildwood Wildlife Park on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, from the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in a specially designed trailer built to hold giraffes. Because they are young, the trip from Goddard, Kansas, to Minocqua was made easier than if they were full-grown adults.

Teeke and Twiga are settling into their new home in the zoo's African Serengeti exhibit. The African Serengeti project has been in the works for past two years with the giraffe barn and giraffe yard completion in May 2013.

We would like to thank our proud sponsors of the African Serengeti Project for helping helping our dreams come true:

County Materials Corporation
King Quarry LLC
Quality Heating Inc
Stratford Building Supply Inc
Hartman Well Drilling Inc
Ritchie Lakeland Oil & Propane
Northern Pines Greenery Inc
Friends of the Zoo

During the time when Teeke and Twiga are acclimating to their new home they will be indoors: our guests will be able to view the giraffes through the glass viewing area.

Wildwood Wildlife Park is home to over 1,000 animals so in addition to visiting the giraffes, there is so much to see and do!

Check out the largest interactive animal encounter in Wisconsin where guests can feed goats, sheep, pigs, cuddle a bunny, hug a tortoise, pet a porcupine, stroke a skunk and much more.

Experience hand-feeding Whitetail deer, camel and aoudads or feed our black bears Buddy, Candy and Honey their favorite treat, "Bear Juice."

Everyone in your family will enjoy the Budgie Encounter which is a Free Flight Aviary where the parakeets land on you and enjoy a seed stick which you can purchase.

Families have been visiting our zoo for over 50 years - generations of families have made a visit to our zoo part of their family tradition. Helping you make family memories is part of our mission.

Wildwood Wildlife Park is located two miles west of U.S. 51 on U.S. 70 in Minocqua, Wisconsin. We are open 7-days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Announcing Our First New Arrival!

Please join us in welcoming one of the newest residents of Wildwood Wildlife Park! She is a beautiful Aoudad (African Sheep) that we've named Annabelle.

The weather conditions were much different when we welcomed the Easter time arrival of Aoudad's lats year! We wrote extensively about Aoudad's in last year's post; you might enjoy revisiting the page and learning about these animals that are the only wild sheep indigenous to Africa.

You can see from the recent photographs that our dog Leah has all ready taken a liking to Annabell ... or should we say, she's taking a "licking" to her!

Easter Delivery: Wildwood Wildlife Park Style!

Springtime is one of our favorite times of the year and not just because it means a return to longer days and the absence of substantial snow pack in Wisconsin's north woods.

A special delivery was made to the park on Easter Sunday with the arrival of baby Aoudad's. We were able to take a few photographs of the babies outside shortly after their birth but then we relocated them indoors due to the extreme night time temperatures.

Aoudads, the only wild sheep indigenous to Africa, were originally native to the Barbary coast including the areas of Morocco, the Western Sahara, Egypt, and Sudan. These beautiful animals have been vulnerable to extinction in their native land but are making a remarkable comeback.

Aoudads have tan-colored thick, shaggy coats with a hint of red that become darker as the Aoudads grow older. They can grow to a height of 2-12/ to 3 feet at the shoulder and generally are 4-12/ to 5 feet in length. Aoudads can weigh anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds.

Mating takes place throughout the year but generally will occur from September through November so the babies will arrive in the months of March through May: the gestation period is approximately 155-160 days.

Fun Facts

Aoudads are grazers, chewing their cud. They have a four-chambered stomach that allows them to ruminate. 

Can you name another animal at the zoo that has a four-chambered stomach?

A male Aoudad is called a ram.

A female Aoudad is called a ewe. 

Wildwood's Newest Resident: Kya, a Female Striped Hyena

Wildwood Wildlife Park welcomes Kya, an adorable Striped Hyena. 

Did you know that hyena's do not belong to the Canid (dog) or felid (cat) families? Instead, they are so unique that they have a family all their own: Hyaenidae family. 

These magnificent animals are sometimes called the scourge of the Serengeti but they play an important role as the "clean-up crew."

Striped hyena's are native to North and East Africa, the Middle East and Middle, Central and Southern Asia. 

Striped Hyena's have broad heads with dark eyes, thick muzzles and large pointed ears. The most striking feature on the hyena are their legs: the front legs are much longer than their hind legs. This gives them their distinctive walk. Hyenas are agile and can run, trot, and walk with ease.

Hyena's can hear sounds that human ears cannot, and they can listen for sounds from other predators miles away. Hyena's have a built-in communication system: an anal glad to mark its territory. Each hyena leaves its own unique scent.

Hyena's are solitary animals and are primary nocturnal; they typically only make themselves visible in complete darkness, and are quick to return to their lair before sunrise.

What's New at the Zoo!

Everyone at the park is understandably over the moon about our new arrivals. We hope you'll plan a trip to Minocqua to visit. See you soon!

A recent photo of our black leopard Teeah. You can see how big she has gotten since she was first introduced a few short weeks ago. Teeah is very inquisitive and loves to explore her surroundings.

The goats are one of our park's more popular residents. Here is a photo of a mother goat with her babies. Children of all ages love to get up close and personal with the goats.

Aren't they adorable? These two Canadian Lynx kittens are just too cute for words. The Canada Lynx is found in northern forests across almost all of Canada and Alaska. It is a threatened species in the contiguous United States. The adult Canada Lynx has a dense fur that is silvery brown but in summer becomes a reddish brown color. It has a short tail with a black tip and has long furry tufts on its ears. Its long legs with broad furred feet help the lynx to travel through the deep snow.

These beautiful birds are Ring-Necked Doves, otherwise known as Cape Turtle Dove that can be found living in the Savannah's, farmlands and woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. Their name comes from a black patch of feathers on the back of their necks. The rest of their feathers are a beautiful pale brownish-grey, with darker colors on their backs. They also have white tips on the end of their tail feathers. Doves usually lay two eggs which incubate in about 15-days. The males sit on the eggs during the day, and the female at night. Ring-Necked Doves rest in the treetops during the night; they feed mainly on seeds but they will also eat insects.

Black Leopard One Of The New Babies At The Park

We are pleased to announce the arrival of black leopard, Teeah, born on April 20th.


While she may not look like one of the 'big cats' everyone loves to visit, it won't be long before she'll be following in her parents paw-prints and will grown up to be a graceful animal.




Leopards are closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.


The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kill into tree branches. By keeping it aloft, the leopard hopes to keep their meal safe from scavengers such as hyenas. Leopards often hunt from trees where their spotted coats allow them to blend into their surroundings.


Leopards are strong swimmers and are very much at home in the water. They are oftentimes seen eating fish or crabs.


Most leopards are light colored with distinctive dark spots that are called rosettes because they resemble the shape of a rose. Black leopards, which appear to be almost solid in color because their spots are hard to distinguish, are sometimes called black panthers.

Teeah's proud mother is Tenzin

and her father is Toby.