Zoo news – December 2024

In December, the park welcomed lots of guest attending ‘Jingle Fest’ and the Zoo saw lots of those guests visiting various animals as well as checking out the Lemur Woods, Petting Farm and a special Christmas experience addition, ‘The Wild Wonders of Winter’. During Christmas our team of dedicated zookeepers worked tirelessly to make sure that our animals were kept safe and healthy throughout the holidays.

Wintery wonderland: Our dedicated zookeepers braving the cold weather to make sure all our animals are safe and healthy during the holidays

While we’re all warm and cozy at home, the zookeepers at Emerald Park are out in all kinds of weather, from hail to snow, ensuring the animals are well cared for every day of the year—even on bank holidays! Being a zookeeper involves more than just feeding the animals. They clean enclosures, monitor health, provide enrichment activities, and build strong bonds with the creatures they care for. Whether it’s a sunny day or a snowstorm, these dedicated professionals go above and beyond to make sure the animals are safe, healthy, and happy. It’s a job that’s never “on pause,” rain or shine!

Image of the carpark during the cold winter days – Photo by Zookeeper Craig Coughlan 

Written by D Deputy Zoo Manager Monica Haroun Izquierdo

New additions to the goat herd: Welcome 3 baby goats

We are delighted to announce the births of 3 new African Pygmy Goats, adding to our established herd here in Emeral Park Zoo. Proud mothers, Coco and Caramel, gave birth to 3 healthy babies over the Christmas period, one male and two females. Now the babies and their mothers have been separated from the rest of the herd to allow the youngsters to get strong and bond with their mothers.

African Pygmy goats are the smallest goat breed in the world, yet they are incredibly hardy and adaptable to lots of different conditions making them a popular breed of goat for farmers around the world.

Two new arrivals settling in well with their mother, photo taken by Deputy Zoo Manager Monica Haroun Izquierdo

Wild Wonder of Winter: The Education Centre Christmas addition

This year the Education Center was transformed into the Wild Wonders of Winter where the Discovery and Learning team showcased lots of the zoos amazing artifacts and told our visitors about some the fascinating adaptations that animals have to survive the harsh conditions of winter around the world.

Migration Lots of animals will move from breeding grounds to warmer areas to feed during the wintertime. Lots of birds will travel incredible distances and stop off in places like Ireland, to rest and Feed on the way. This makes Ireland a great place to spot some amazing species passing through on their migrations.

Did you know?? Each year the Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) flies a whopping 30,000km round trip from the Artic Circle to the Antarctic!

Many of these birds will stop off along Irish coastlines to rest and feed during their journey. That’s why it is so important to make sure that when walking on the beaches not to disturb these incredible birds as they deserve a rest.

Image of Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) taken from Birdwatch Ireland’s website

Torpor: Did you know that some animals will slow right down in winter months?

Torpor is a physiological adaptation that allows animals to conserve energy and survive during periods of food scarcity or extreme weather conditions, particularly the Winter. It is a state of reduced metabolic activity, characterized by a drop in body temperature, heart rate, and respiration. Unlike true hibernation, which lasts for extended periods, torpor can occur daily depending on weather conditions and food availability.

In Ireland, many native species rely on torpor to endure the challenging conditions of winter, like the freeze we’re experiencing now in January. Birds, mammals, and even some amphibians use torpor as a strategy to conserve energy until conditions improve.

Badgers here in Ireland go into torpor, especially during the coldest parts of winter. Although their torpor is not as prolonged as true hibernation, badgers reduce their activity levels significantly, remaining in their setts for extended periods to conserve energy. Hedgehogs and bats are the only species in Ireland that will enter true hibernation. Bats will lower their internal temperature as far as 8-9°C!

Lots of our animals here in the zoo go into a state of torpor during the winter months including Raven, our Raccoon (Procyon lotor). The Zookeepers make sure that Raven has the correct environment to allow her to carry out this behaviour just as her wild counterparts would do also.

Article by Senior Education Officer Ben Iveagh

Raven can be seen throughout the winter atop the tree in her enclosure sleeping!

Thanks for reading. Check back next month for more zoo updates!

The Emerald Park Zoo Team