New River Zoo Welcomes New Monkeys And An Eland By Fawn Roark The New River Zoo in Fleetwood has several brand new additions from a pair of Japanese snow macaque monkeys to an eland who is a member of the world’s largest species of antelope. Owner Keith Stroud of the New River Zoo is very excited about the new animals and how they can help promote awareness and education for people. The snow macaques came from a zoon in Mississippi and are a young, healthy pair of monkeys that Stroud hopes will have a baby after the male reaches his sexual maturity. Tiki, the female, is four years old and Meeka is three years old. These two new Japanese snow macaque monkeys, Meeka and Tiki (shown here) are sure to be a big attraction at the New River Zoo. “These monkeys came from an area in Japan that is covered with snow most of the year and I think they are going to be a great addition to the zoo. I actually have more species of primates than a lot of other zoos around the area because I have five different species,” Stroud said. “I think people will really enjoy these monkeys. They are like Marie and JC – in that they are great for people to watch so they can see how the monkeys interact with one another. I think they are a great exhibit and it will be great for people to see.” Marie is an eight-year-old macaque, and long time resident of the zoo, who recently got a new friend, JC, a six-year-old macaque. JC even holds the door to their house open for her when they go in and always waits for Marie to eat before he starts eating, Stroud said. The two monkeys are now expecting their first baby. The most northerly nonhuman primate in the world, the Japanese macaques like Tiki and Meeka, live on three of the four main islands of Japan and on a few small outlying islands. Stocky and heavily furred, the species has earned its common name, snow monkey, by surviving in areas with harsh winters, according to the National Wildlife Federation’s website found at www.nwf.org. The monkeys, reddish-brown animals that weigh up to 33 pounds live in troops that sometimes exceed 200 individuals. They generally sleep at night in trees but by day often come to the ground to look for the plant foods that make up the bulk of their diet. They also eat insects and small vertebrates and, in winter, feed on bark. The macaque has been favored in the Japanese imagination for centuries and the subject of scientific study for 50 years. The Tendai sect of Buddhism, for example, used the Japanese macaque as the model for its famous three wise monkeys—the ones that see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, the website explains. Some of the scientific research has helped shape the way in which biologists and anthropologists think about society and culture. In the 1950s, anthropologists believed that humans were the only animals that pass on learned behaviors from individual to individual and across generations, a process called cultural transmission. Studies of the Japanese macaque revealed that they, too, engage in cultural transmission. Ian is the newest addition to the zoo who just arrived and is a four-year-old eland. Eland are common in areas of greater rainfall, like the Central African Republic; however, the entire Kalahari/Namib/Karoo complex is has many eland, ranging from true desert to semidesert. They have special adaptations for maintaining moisture along and in the driest areas of Africa, Eland are typically the only other antelope species besides the Oryx. Eland can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and their shoulder height can reach six feet, according to information found at www.chaffeezoo.org/animals/eland.html. New River Zoo’s mission is to provide the best possible care for the animals. Many of the animals were rescue cases will live out the rest of their lives at the New River Zoo. Some were unwanted pets of private owners that were no longer able to provide care for the animal while others like Marie were research animals that found their home here. The New River Zoo was opened to the public in the fall of 2001 by naturalist Keith Stroud. Stroud started building the facilities for the zoo in the summer of 1997 after moving to Ashe County from Charlotte where he worked as a zookeeper at the Concord Zoo. Prior to working at the Concord Zoo, Stroud attended school at Lees McRae College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a naturalist concentration. Through working with zoos and nature preserves, he realized the ongoing need for homes for unwanted or displaced exotic and wild animals. For directions or for more information about the zoo, call 336-877-9219 or go to the website at www.geocities.com/newriverzoo/.