Zebra
Just as every person has a unique fingerprint, every zebra has a unique black and white stripe pattern. In the wild zebras stick together in herds. At the Monterey Zoo, Jasmine likes to pal around with the elephants! When Jasmine arrived at the zoo she was aggressive, so we thought perhaps the elephant play yard was the best place for her. One of our elephants, Butch, immediately embraced her and they two have been fast friends since.
Miniature Donkey, Miniature Zebu, Zedonk
All part of our education program, Elmo, Dominic and Elsie are a fine example of a mixed species exhibit as they all coexist wonderfully together. Elmo is a miniature zebu, an Indian cattle that was bred in the united states in 1991. Elsie is half zebra and half donkey – a Zedonk! It wasn’t something we did or promote the breeding of but she badly needed a home when we found her and had a home to offer her. Dominic is a miniature Donkey which unlike most miniature breeds, is not a bred-down version of a larger donkey. Their small size is natural.
Camel
There are two types of camels: Dromedary and Bactrian. Dromedaries have one hump, while Bactrians camels have two humps. You can see both types at the Monterey Zoo.
Alpaca
Alpacas are a domesticated species of the South American camelid. They look at lot like small llamas but unlike llamas they are bred for their fiber, which is similar to wool – but a lot softer. Alpacas are curious and full of personality, which are display at the Monterey Zoo every day.
Warthog
Warthogs are members of the same family as domestic pigs, and became very popular with kids after the release of The Lion King. While not the prettiest animal, the animated Lion King character Pumbaa made the warthog loveable. Our warthog Harley came to Monterey Zoo to join our education program. An unusual animal to keep friendly and manageable but the keepers at the zoo are using every trick in the book to keep Harley on track. Check out Harley’s new digs: a new exhibit complete with a pool, waterfall, digging area, heated barn and much more!
Donkeys
Donkeys, also called burros and asses, are found throughout the world. They are members of the Equidae family, which also includes horses and zebras. They look a lot like their cousins, but have long, floppy ears and tend to be stockier than horses or zebras.
Zebu
The zebu is a species of cattle that is native to the jungles of South Asia. The zebu is also known as the humped cattle as it has a very distinctive hump on its upper back – very unusual!
