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photo by woody huband Someone told me, it’s all happening at the She is a Sumatran tiger and is one of five new arrivals to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, having been recently relocated from another zoo in Oklahoma City. Her 12-year-old future mate, Berani, hails from the Akron Zoo in Ohio. Also joining the pair are the trio of endangered Malayan tiger brothers Jaya, Bunga, and Penari, all of whom were previously housed at the Palm Beach Zoo. Land of the Tigers recently opened to the public on March 8 as part of the Jacksonville Zoo and Garden’s centennial anniversary celebration. The 2.5-acre exhibit is a stunning visual feat that offers zoo patrons the rare opportunity to view these giant cats at close range and from virtually all angles. It also gives the tigers the unique panoramic vantage point of their new home and curious visitors. Bob Chabot, director of horticulture and facilities at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, is the mastermind behind the exhibit’s pristine design. The open-air space is less zoo enclosure than it is an impressive playground for these five majestic cats, with a deep pool for swimming and cooling off in the heat of the summer months, a waterfall, and 1,200 linear feet of elevated trail system, which provides the tigers with a bird’s eye view of their space while offering zoo patrons an intimate viewing experience. “The trail system is really the most innovative part of this exhibit. Its purpose is to give these cats tunnels so they can leave their exhibit and travel around the back side and through the people space,” Chabot says. “They are not just stuck in one spot like a typical exhibit. They have the opportunity to make choices.” The $9.8 million exhibit is not just limited to tigers. A breeding pairs of Babirusa pigs, Asian smallclawed otters, three Visayan warty pigs, and an aviary for wrinkled and wreathed hornbills are also featured throughout the spacious new addition. While the tigers are the exclusive tenants in their habitat, the otters and pigs are sharing their new digs. “They are taking to it really well,” Chabot says. “The otters are chasing the pigs around. It is really quite comical.” MITCHELL zooBY LIZA Lucy tentatively taps the water’s surface, seemingly mesmerized by the far reaching ripples. Before she can contemplate the movement in her own reflection, Lucy’s attention is drawn away like any other three year old by a large, round ball floating by with the tattered remnants of birthday wrapping paper still clinging to the wet plastic. She gives it a playful nudge before wandering off in search of new adventures, indifferent to the watchful eyes surrounding her. Typical childish behavior, for sure, but Lucy is not your average toddler. photo by george e. deacon 4 JUNE 2014 | eu jacksonville monthly
Babirusa pigs are originally found on the Sulawesi, Togian, and Baru islands in the Indonesian archipelago where the word babirusa is translated to “pig-deer” in Indonesian. They are excellent swimmers, and the male babirusa are easily identified by their unusual tusks. The three Visayan warty pigs are native to the forests of the Visayan Islands in the Philippines, where the endangered species has become extinct on four of the six islands. The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest--and most vocal--of the world’s 13 otter species. They are capable of making about a dozen calls and are found in the rain forests throughout Asia, including Indonesia, southern China, southern India, and the Philippines. Often confused with the toucan because of their long, colorful beaks, the zoo’s new pair of wrinkled hornbills hail from a completely different family of birds. The wrinkled hornbill is native to southern Thailand, Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The wreathed hornbills are originally found in the forests of Southeast Asia. The gender of the wreathed hornbill is identifiable by the color of their throats. The male’s throat skin is yellow, while the female’s is blue. “The trail system is really the most innovative part of this exhibit...They are not just stuck in one spot like a typical exhibit. They have the opportunity to make choices.” All of the new arrivals were brought into the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens from other zoos. Chabot says zoos typically lend animals to each other depending on the individual needs of each zoo as outlined in a Species Survival Plan. “There is what is called an SSP-–a Species Survival Plan–-and those plans are put together essentially to keep these species alive and keep them from becoming extinct. The coordinators of these programs track and monitor all of the bloodlines and the genetics within a species and make recommendations on which animals to breed based on that,” says Chabot. The pair of Sumatran tigers are planned as a breeding pair, although Chabot says the pair, “have not been formally introduced.” Zoo staff must gradually acquaint new animals with one another, especially in breeding situations to ease the transition and avoid the risk of rejection. “They have seen each other, but there is a whole process of introducing animals,” he says. “It is always a slow, deliberately planned process.” (continued on page 6) photo by woody huband eujacksonville.com | june 2014 5
Page 1 and 2: JACKSONVILLE Jacksonville Zoo & Gar
Page 3: contents JUNE 2014 on the web www.e
Page 7 and 8: Garden Walks at the Jacksonville Zo
Page 9 and 10: The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens ce
Page 11 and 12: Land One if by if by Sea Zoo The Tr
Page 13 and 14: family events go to eujacksvonille.
Page 15 and 16: Downtown Taking Action through The
Page 17 and 18: Victory II More Than a Floating Cas
Page 19 and 20: photos by woody huband Capturing th
Page 21 and 22: Ovinté Locally Owned Dining at the
Page 23 and 24: SILVER COW Riverside’s Craft Brew
Page 25 and 26: theatre events Thru June 8 SOCIAL S
Page 27 and 28: Married to the Comedy Brian McKim &
Page 29 and 30: 2nd Annual Community First Seawalk
Page 31 and 32: music events brought to you by June
Page 33 and 34: DJs Battle for Hip-Hop Glory Event:
Page 35 and 36: Dave Matthews Band UPCOMING CONCERT
Page 37 and 38: Sun-Ray Loves You, Too BY ERIN TUZU
Page 39: FREEDOM TO LOOK YOUNG... AGAIN VOTE

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