One of the most exciting things happening around the park is the beginning phase of our Animal Habitat getting back to the way it used to be, with new barn coming and new animals being added.
It’s been a few years now since we had our horrible barn fire which took the lives of so many of our inside animals. Since that time, we have been working to rebuild and repopulate our entire Animal Habitat. We recently already broke ground on the new and improved barn as well as purchased a few new animals for the habitat.
With all of these great things happening, we wanted to jot down a few words about our wonderful Animal Habitat.
Just a reminder here, the current Animal Habitat is open daily from 9:00am until 5:00pm seven days a week. Old favorite animals like Bucky the deer, Shrek the Donkey, Angel the Llama, our goats sheep and all of our longtime outside animals are still here and waiting to love you.
In addition to those beloved animals, we have added a few new animals to our Habitat family. Here is a brief description.
Red Kangaroos
Native to Australia, Red Kangaroos are the largest of the Kangaroos family, sometimes reaching a height of 6 feet. They are marsupials, meaning they give live birth and will carry a baby joey up to year in their pouch. By the way, marsupials are mammals, contrary to what many believe. Their natural foods are grasses and flowering plants. In the wild, their lifespan is 8 to 10 years but have been known to live in captivity 18 to 22 years.
Layla Lou is a 14 month old female . She was orphaned and has been hand raised from birth., She has lived here at the falls since February of 2023. Our second kangaroo is a 15 month old male named Bobby Boo Bobby Boo. He came to us in June 2023. Watching these two play around is a treat. I mean, who doesn’t want to hang out with a Kangaroo?
Squirrel Monkeys
New to our Habitat are the Squirrel Monkeys. We are currently housing two of them in our Habitat. Squirrel Monkeys are a smaller variety of primate than what is usually thought of when the word Monkey is used. They are really small. Originally found in tropical and dry forests of Central and South America, Squirrel Monkeys are usually found in large groups of anywhere from 25 to 500! They are arboreal, meaning they live most of their lives in the treetops, rarely coming down to the ground.
They have a lifespan somewhere between 15-20 years .
Squirrel Monkeys are Omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plant products, insects and fruits. Squirrel Monkeys are one of the smartest members of the primate family. This is more than likely because they have a large brain in comparison to there body size.
They are a new exhibit.
Two-toed Sloths
(Exhibit coming soon)
Native to the Amazon forests of Central and South America, these sluggish tree dwellers move through the canopies of trees at a rate of about 40 yards per day, munching on leaves, twigs, and buds. Sloths have a low metabolic rate and spend about 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping. Their life expectancy in the wild is 20 years, with the longest recorded life span being 43 years.
Temperature is a major factor on housing sloths. Preferably an indoor facility is used to keep the sloths safe. They are being housed in a temporary enclosure till there new habitat is finished and not available for public viewing just yet. They are 3 years of age the male, and 4 years of age for the female Make sure you check back and see them once the gage is unveiled.
I could type all day about the greatness of our Animal Habitat. It is a great place to visit and is only getting better. Check back soon for the pictures that accompany this blog entry.
I would also like to give a shoutout to our crew at the Animal Habitat for all of the amazing work they do. Led by Cindy Jones, her crew feeds, cares for, and nurses every animal we have. It is a testament to all of them that our animals live extremely long and happy lives. You would be surprised at the ages of a few of our animals. Our deer Bucky is about to turn 20. Our senior citizen Coatimundi is older that that!. If you are here in the park and see one of the Habitat staff around, please let them know what a blessing they are to Noccalula Falls.
Thrill-seeking athletes who are not afraid of getting muddy, wet, or pushed to the limit will be taking part in Gadsden’s Barbarian Challenge- a 6 mile obstacle course run through Noccalula Falls Park.
