FOCUS ON HOT SPOTS
Many "newbies" settled in Chengdu Zoo: Spotted hyenas were introduced for the first time, and there were also chimpanzees from Taiyuan
Published:
2025-04-30
Spotted hyenas, predators on the African grasslands, are not only well-known, but also well-known. They have appeared in the animated film "The Lion King" and countless documentaries.
On April 29, Red Star News reporters saw many "newbies" at Chengdu Zoo. Among them, there are chimpanzee brothers and sisters under the age of 3, lynxes who like to climb high, red foxes with stories, and spotted hyenas, predators in "The Lion King". It is worth mentioning that spotted hyenas are new members introduced and exhibited by the zoo for the first time.
In the chimpanzee exhibition area, two young chimpanzees under the age of 3 are eating under the feeding of the breeder. "This pair of brothers and sisters were just introduced from Taiyuan Zoo this month." Yang Ruilin, head of the enrichment group of the Chengdu Zoo's Animal Management Department, introduced that the male is called "Jinchuan" (meaning Shanxi and Sichuan), and the female is called "Taidu" (meaning Taiyuan and Chengdu).
"The elder brother 'Jinchuan' is bold and lively, often climbing perches to explore high places and unknown areas, while the younger sister 'Taidu' is a little quiet and likes to stay on the ground to play." Yang Ruilin said that in order to welcome this pair of babies, "we have prepared a clean animal house for them, equipped with 3 experienced breeders and 1 full-time veterinarian, and provided various toys and perches, hoping that they can thrive here."
In the small and medium-sized carnivore exhibition area, the reporter saw the prototype of the predator in "The Lion King" - the spotted hyena. It is light black all over and is exploring new areas in the animal house. "Two spotted hyenas were introduced, one male and one female, both less than 3 years old." Breeder Yang Xi introduced that the female spotted hyena is still in quarantine and has not been exhibited to the public.
"This male is more outgoing and often secretly observes the movements of his neighbor, a female wolf, in the bushes. Spotted hyenas have a strong sense of territory. From time to time, they will bite the branches of the bushes, as if to provoke the wolf." Yang Qi said that because this is the first time to introduce this animal, "we are still in the exploratory stage for its habits and feeding methods. We keep in touch with relevant experts to ensure that they can grow up healthily." In the lynx area, the reporter noticed that the perches and climbing frames in this area are divided into three layers, the highest of which is nearly four meters. Guo Xin, a keeper in this area, said that lynxes have high requirements for the height of their habitats. They like to climb and are mainly active at night or dusk. They like to sleep in dense bushes or other hidden places during the day. "In order to help them better adapt to the new environment, the perches and climbing frames are specially set up with three layers to ensure that they have enough safe space."