They’re thankful for …

Hi everyone! Sarah here from our Ambassador Animals Department. With Halloween come and gone, daylight hours waning, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” looming on the horizon, it’s that time of year again. When leaves fall and Georgia remembers it’s supposed to be cold at some point. It’s the time of year when we all gather together and talk about the things we’re thankful for. Of course, us humans usually have answers somewhere in the same vein – our families, our friends, our pets. But have you ever wondered what the Zoo animals are thankful for? I thought it’d be fun to sit down and theorize about that.

The goats are easy. They’re thankful for all of the brushing and scratches they get from guests all day! Those spots on their shoulders are so hard to reach by themselves, so it’s great having people get those itches for them. They’re also thankful for food. The only thing the goats might love more than scratches is food. Especially the browse (leafy parts of trees) we get from Georgia Power and other partners in the metro area, brought to them personally by our amazing Browse Technicians. Those two are the goats’ actual favorite humans. They are certainly thankful for them.

Olaf and Macaroni, two of our Gulf Coast sheep, are thankful for tiny children. They love attention from most anyone, but toddlers are their favorite. Gentle nose pats from a small hand make them happy. The rest of the sheep flock are thankful for the cooler weather, enjoying sleeping outside under the stars now that our nights are on the chillier side. I guess when you have a built-in wool sweater, the fall temperatures are a blessing!

Arya and Stark, our Kunekune pigs, are thankful for mud and soft dirt to root around in. If you’ve ever walked by their area and seen tons of small, shallow holes in the ground, you’ve seen where they’ve gone rooting! While rooting around, they’re getting some snacks – all the leaves that are falling from the trees that hang over their yard bring bugs along with them. Slimy, yet satisfying.

The alpaca boys are thankful for the piles of leaves we rake up for them in their yard. Rolling in leaves is one of their favorite pastimes, and this time of year is when they get to do it the most.  Not only leaves, but also sticks – which the autumn storms knock down plenty of for them to roll on. These are great ways for them to scratch some itches and protect their skin from any late season mosquitos or flies.

And last, but not least, our Patagonian maras. Our maras are thankful for … well, they’re thankful for nothing. Because, as much as I adore these weird little rodents, I can work my hardest and do everything possible to make amazing enrichment for them and they still want nothing to do with it! … or me!

Just kidding. The maras are thankful for all the delicious bamboo and grass that grows in their habitat for them to snack on – obviously superior to the high-quality produce we provide them. Maybe they just like to feel rugged with their diet choices?

I hope all of you have a lovely Thanksgiving, full of food and good people! I know the animals will be having a day full of the things that they’re thankful for here.

Sarah F.
Keeper II, Ambassador Animals