Lake Superior Zoo adds to menagerie

The Lake Superior Zoo introduced two new animals to exhibits last week.

Elmer, a 5-month-old muntjac and Penelope, a 4–month-old North American striped skunk have joined the zoo family.

Elmer’s new home is with Ethel, a 9-year-old muntjac. Muntjacs are members of the deer family, but grow to weigh only 24 to 35 pounds, with a shoulder height between 16 inches and three feet.

Muntjacs inhabit deciduous forests in southern China and Taiwan and, after escaping game parks, now live feral in southern Great Britain.

Elmer will eventually grow antlers between 2.5 and 3.5 inches and small tusk-like canines of about 2.5 inches in length. Muntjacs produce sharp barking noises as a warning against predators or as communication between individual deer.

Penelope, the North American striped skunk, is on exhibit in the Griggs Learning Center at the zoo, but will eventually join another skunk, Petrie, in his exhibit. Penelope weighs only two pounds and will grow to about six to eight pounds.

Visit the new members of the Lake Superior Zoo family soon!

Tags: community, zoo, superior, family, food, fccnetwork