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Category: Mammals

Masai Giraffe

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Masai Giraffe

(Giraffa tippelskirchi)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to five Masai giraffes, two females Iggy, and Kura, and three males, Olmsted (Olmy), Elliot, and JD. Their habitat is north of the elephant barn in the Animals of the Savanna area. Iggy was born on June 4, 2017 at the Virginia Zoo and arrived at Seneca Park Zoo in August 2018.  Iggy had her first calf, male Olmsted, on April 29, 2022, and second, Pippi born in December 2023. JD came to us from The Wilds Safari Park in October 2023 and was born in September 2021. Elliot and Kura came to us from the San Diego Safari Park in 2024

Animal Facts

Masai giraffe spots have irregular edges covering them down to their hooves, causing them to have a unique appearance from other giraffe subspecies.
Their markings allow them to be camouflaged with the trees where they feed, protecting them from predators.
Giraffes usually only sleep a few minutes at a time, and often while standing up. This helps them to keep an almost constant lookout for predators.

Diet

Giraffes are herbivorous, browsing mainly on leaves and buds from trees and shrubs, especially the acacia tree.

Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Masai giraffe are found in savannas and open woodlands throughout southern Kenya and much of Tanzania.

Endangered due to scattered and fragmented populations that have resulted from poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment.

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Naked Mole Rat

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Naked Mole Rat

(Heterocephalus glaber)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to two colonies of naked mole rats. Their habitat is located inside the new Animals of the Savanna building.

Animal Facts

A common alternative name for the naked mole rat is “sand puppy”.
Naked mole rats are one of two mammal species that are eusocial, living in colonies much like bees and ants, with one queen. The queen must earn the position, and becomes the only breeding female in the colony.
Naked mole rats have adaptations to resist aging and cancer. They are being studied by scientists to see if these adaptations can be applied to save human lives.

Diet

As herbivores, naked mole rats primarily feed on tubers.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Naked mole rats are found in the grasslands of Somalia, central Ethiopia, and northern and eastern Kenya. They dig underground tunnels and can survive with minimal oxygen.

This species occurs in many protected areas throughout their natural range, and has a well-established breeding population in conservation care.

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Naked Mole Rat Range

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California Sea Lion

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California Sea Lion

(Zalophus californianus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to four sea lions, three females and one male. Lily, the oldest female, was born in 2009. She was found stranded on a beach in Los Angeles County and rehabilitated at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. Her male offspring, Bob, was born here at the Zoo in June 2017. Females Mary Lou and Daley came to the Zoo in November 2017 from SeaWorld Orlando.

Experience: Rocky Coast Tour

Animal Facts

A sea lion can dive up to 450-feet deep and remain submerged for 20 minutes without a breath while sleeping.
Sea lions are different from seals in many ways. One difference is that sea lions have ear flaps called pinnea, which seals lack.
Natural predators of the sea lion are orcas and white sharks.
Sea lions move pretty well on land, using their hind flippers and fore flippers as feet.
Sea lions are some of the most gregarious sea mammals. They can form groups on land upwards of a thousand individuals at a time.

Diet

The sea lion eats fish, octopus, squid, mollusks and crustaceans.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

California sea lions live on offshore rocks and beaches on the Pacific west coast of North America from British Columbia to the coast of Mexico.

The California sea lion is a protected species throughout its range. Sea lions are known to damage fishing gear and steal or destroy fish, but can get caught or killed through this type of behavior. Despite conflicts with commercial and sport fisheries, the population continues to increase.

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Canada Lynx

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Canada Lynx

(Lynx canadensis)

The Seneca Park Zoo is home to two Canada lynx: Bianca, a female born in 2013 who arrived here in 2014, and Albert, a male who joined us in 2024 from the Woodland Park Zoo. Bianca is also the mother of Stanley, a male lynx born on June 2, 2022, who now resides at the Trevor School Zoo. The name ‘lynx’ comes from the Greek word “to shine,” likely referencing the reflective ability of this cat’s striking eyes.

Animal Facts

The paws of Canada lynx are webbed, heavily furred and work like snowshoes, distributing the lynx’s weight and helping it move in the snow.
The name ‘lynx’ comes from the Greek word “to shine.” This may be in reference to the reflective ability of the cat’s eyes.
Females and young sometimes hunt for hares cooperatively by spreading out in a line and moving through relatively open areas. Prey scared up by one animal is often caught by others in the line. This method can be successful and is a learning opportunity for the young.
Lynx are mostly crepuscular, but hunt any time of day or night, nocturnal activity is next most frequent, then diurnal
The lynx’s survival in the U.S. is primarily jeopardized by habitat destruction and fragmentation. Attempts to reintroduce lynx from Canada into New York’s Adirondack Mountains failed, mainly because the cats were hit by cars and trucks

Diet

Snowshoe hares are a primary food source. Populations of the two are known to fluctuate in linked cycles with periods of about 10 years. They may also eat rodents, birds and fish. If they can find a deer, or other large ungulate that is very weak or sick, lynx will kill and eat it. They also feed on carcasses left by human hunters.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Major populations of Canada lynx are found throughout Canada and Alaska, western Montana, and in nearby parts of Idaho and Washington.

Small populations are found in New England, Utah and possibly Oregon, Wyoming and Colorado. Lynx usually live in alpine coniferous or mixed boreal/deciduous forest. They can also be found in more open forests, rocky areas, or tundra. Males occupy distinct territories; home territories of females may overlap.

Lynx are listed in CITES Appendix II. In March 2000, they were listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened in the lower 48 states. The state of Michigan lists the Canada lynx as endangered.In Canada and Alaska, trapping is regulated through closed seasons, quotas, limited entry, and long-term trapping concessions.

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Domestic Goat

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Domestic Goat

(Capra hircus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to two goats – Harley and Bianca . They reside year-round in the Zoo’s A Step Into Africa area.

Animal Facts

A group of goats is called a trip. Captive trip size varies greatly, but wild goat trips are typically 5 to 20 individuals.
Goats can produce up to 1,500 pounds of milk in a year.
The Maasai people view livestock as a sign of wealth, with bovine stock being the most valuable and small stock (i.e. goats and sheep) being less valuable.
Livestock is often exchanged in social situations, such as a dowry in a wedding, or exchanged as an act of good will in disputes.
Goats communicate through sounds called “bleats.” Goats bleat when stressed, hungry, or calling to another individual. Goats also communicate through body language.

Diet

All sorts of plant materials: grasses, leaves and twigs from trees and shrubs, and vines.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Domestic goats are found throughout the world in a variety of habitats. In some areas such as Australia they have become an invasive species. The range of the domestic goat’s wild ancestor, the wild goat, is in the Middle East in mountainous habitats.

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Domestic Rat (Ambassador Animal)

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Domestic Rat

(Rattus norvegicus)

Domestic rats are a part of Seneca Park Zoo’s ambassador animal collection.

Animal Facts

Rats are now found on every continent in the world except Antarctica. They are the most successful mammal on the planet!
The terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific, but are generally just differentiated by size.
Some rat species are island endemics, and have become endangered due to competition with the black, brown or Polynesian rat.
Rats are very important as food for many animals, including reptiles, mammals, birds and even some amphibians!
Rats have an incredibly strong sense of smell.

Diet

Rats are excellent foragers. They feed on many types of food including food discarded by humans. They also eat mice, chicks, birds, small lizards, and occasionally fish.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Norway rats are originally native to northern China. These rats were native to forests and brushy areas; today however, they prefer a habitat right alongside the rapid expansion of human populations.

Norway rats are common. They are subject to persistent pest control due to the damage they cause and the numerous diseases they spread.

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Gray Wolf

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Gray Wolf

(Canis lupus)

The Zoo is home to two gray wolves, Timber and Willow. Born in April 2014 at New York State Zoo in Watertown, NY, the brother and sister pair came to the Zoo from Buffalo Zoo in March 2016. Wolves are intelligent, social predators. Their complex social structure divides responsibilities, allowing packs to better raise young, patrol territory, and secure prey. By controlling prey populations, wolves balance the ecosystem and promote biodiversity.

Animal Facts

Very social animals with complex communication, including body language and sounds; tail, ear, body and head positions are important, as are facial expressions.
They howl to assemble the pack for a hunt, to locate pack members, to warn other packs, and sometimes for no apparent reason at all!
Wolves typically mate for life, although if one of the pair dies, they will accept another mate.
They can run at speeds up to 40mph
Often times other carnivores eat from kills wolves have made

Diet

Carnivorous. Gray wolves eat large animals such as deer and elk; occasionally smaller animals, and carrion.

Status in The Wild

  • Least Concern

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Gray Wolves inhabit a variety of habitats including: deserts, plains, forests, and tundra. Their range is throughout the Northern Hemisphere, generally in areas with fewer humans.

Because of the diversity in climate, topography, vegetation, human settlement and development of wolf range, wolf populations in various parts of the original range vary from extinct to relatively pristine.

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Amur Tiger

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Amur Tiger

(Panthera tigris altaica)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to one female Amur tiger, Katya, who was born here in 2005. Amur tigers were formerly known as Siberian tigers, but these tigers are not native to Siberia and actually inhabit the area around the Amur River Valley. The name change occurred to accurately reflect the true origin of this large cat.

Animal Facts

Amur tigers are the largest of all living cats.
They grow to be 14-feet long, males weigh up to 400 pounds and females weigh up to 300 pounds.
The hind limbs of these animals are longer than their forelimbs. This is an adaptation for jumping.
Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh only 2 to 3 pounds at birth.
The uneven black stripes on the cats’ orange coats act as shadow marks and make for excellent camouflage.
Tigers are solitary animals except during the mating season. A male’s territory may cover 400 square miles, with several females within that range.

Diet

Tigers eat deer, elk, antelope, and wild boar.

Status in Nature

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Amur tigers can be found in Coniferous and taiga forests and bush mountains in southeastern Russia, northeastern China and north regions of Korea.

Amur tiger population is estimated to be fewer than 500 individuals. In accordance with the Species Survival Plan (SSP), Seneca Park Zoo seeks to conserve the Amur tiger in human care through preservation of breeding populations. In the United States, 137 such tigers are part of the SSP.

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African Lion

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African Lion

(Panthera leo krugeri)

The Zoo is home to three adult African lions that arrived in December 2011 from an animal park outside Pretoria, South Africa. There is one male, Chester, born in September 2010 and two females: Zuri, born in September 2010 and Asha, born in January of 2011.

Animal Facts

Lions roar in chorus. This may be a form of social bonding and the roars can be heard as far as five miles away!
In the wild, most male lions live between five and nine years, while females live until 15 or 16 years. In the Serengeti, females have lived up to 18 years.
Individual lions can be identified by their unique whisker spot pattern, similar to how our fingerprints are used.
Most cat species are solitary, but lions are social and live in groups called prides
Females do most of the hunting in a pride, sometimes in a group. Hunting typically takes place at night.

Diet

Large ungulates, birds, rodents, fish, ostrich eggs, amphibians and reptiles. Lions also actively scavenge, taking cues from hyenas and vultures.

Status in The Wild

  • Vulnerable

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African lions are most common in plains or savanna habitat.

African lions are protected under CITES Appendix II. They are part of the Zoo’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program. It is believed that during the past two decades, the lion population has declined by nearly 30 percent. Main threats listed by IUCN are indiscriminate killing by humans and prey base depletion. Other problems include habitat loss, agricultural expansion and geographic isolation of different groups.

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African Elephant

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African Elephant

(Loxodonta africana)

Three female African elephants reside at Seneca Park Zoo. Genny C and Lilac were born in South Africa in 1977 and 1978, respectively, and came to live at the Zoo in 1979. Moki was born in Zimbabwe in 1982 and joined the Zoo family in April 2015.  All of our elephants respond to, and understand, more than 50 verbal commands. To date, they are the only African elephants in New York.

Experience: Elephant Encounter Tours

Animal Facts

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, slightly larger than their Asian cousins
Upper incisor teeth develop into tusks and grow throughout their lifetime.
One way to tell an African elephant apart from their Asian counterparts is by looking at their ears
Elephants are highly social animals living in groups led by the oldest female, made up of cows, their calves and young males
Sounds, touch and posture are all ways they are known to communicate with one another

Diet

Elephants eat leaves, branches, fruit and grasses. They consume 300 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water every day.

Status in The Wild

  • Endangered

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

African elephants can be found in open forests and grasslands in Africa.

The biggest threats to African elephants are the ivory trade and habitat destruction. Poaching for meat and ivory significantly reduced the population of African elephants in the 20th century. The African elephant has governmental protection, but such poaching is still a serious threat to the species. In Africa, some people have resorted to culling large amounts of elephants to help sustain the ecosystem and reduce the elephant population. The Seneca Park Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for the African elephant.

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