By Annie Kelley / For Black Squirrel News
BATTLE CREEK — Binder Park Zoo opened on Earth Day. The good weather over the weekend had the animals out and active – especially the giraffes, who wanted lots of romaine lettuce.
Here are seven fun facts about the animals at Binder Park Zoo:
- Al the tortoise and the lions are neighbors at the zoo. But which one is bigger? A male lion weighs around 416 pounds, while Al weighs 550 pounds.
- The three black bears are siblings: sister Taima might be the smallest, but she’s also the trouble instigator. Brothers Achak (largest) and Koko like to wrestle. Black bears are great athletes – they can run up to 30 miles an hour and swim for a mile.
- Don’t worry, despite its name, the blue poison dart frog isn’t poisonous in captivity. The poison comes from bugs they eat in the wild.
- Linne’s two-toed sloth lives in the trees – except for once a week, when it climbs to the ground to poop.
- Red pandas, like Garnet and Justin, have low metabolisms. They’re almost like sloths.
- A giraffe heart is 2 feet long and weighs 25 pounds.
- Ring-tailed lemurs establish dominance in “stink fights,” where they use the scent glands on their wrists, rub it on their tails, then waft the scent toward other males.
Binder Park Zoo is open 9 to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are free for ages 2 and younger, then range from $16.95-$19.95. Parking is $4.
