Capy Mother's Day!
PUBLISHED 17/03/23
As families across the UK plan special treats and days out ahead of Mothering Sunday, keepers at a Sussex Zoo wanted to organise a moment of appreciation for some furry mamas too!
Keepers arranged carrots, sweet potato, herbs, and greens into sweet little edible bouquets and presented them to some of the zoo’s fantastic animal mums along with specially made animal-themed cards.
First-time mum Clementine, the capybara, enjoyed a munch on her bouquet and a curious sniff of her card with her first-born Satsuma – the first capybara pup welcomed at the zoo in over a decade.
Head keeper Gemma Romanis commented: “We are so proud of Clementine and how naturally she has taken to motherhood. Satsuma was born in June last year and from the minute she arrived Clementine’s instincts kicked in beautifully, she manages the right balance between being protective when she feels it’s needed, and letting Satsuma explore the world around her, making Satsuma a wonderfully confident little girl who the keepers all adore. We hope Clementine will expand her little family more in the future!”
Red-handed tamarin, Isla, also enjoyed investigating a specially designed bouquet of green beans and carrots with her rainbow baby, Bowie, by her side. Isla and her partner Tiwa sadly lost their first-born in 2021, so the arrival of Bowie was extra special to keepers and Isla is proving to be the sweetest mum.
Gemma continued: “Isla is such a gentle, sweet mama and it’s lovely to watch the amazing bond she has with Bowie. They spend lots of time playing and climbing together and always snuggle up for naps, she’s absolutely taken her new role in her stride and exceeded all our expectations as a parent, showing Bowie how to be a lovely little monkey!”
Colobus monkey mum of three, Adaeze, was also gifted her own bouquet of veggie goodies and card as her boisterous offspring swung off each other’s tails in celebration! Adaeze is an accomplished mum to Arlo, Yoyo, and Domino with dad Maarten.
Gemma continued: “Adaeze is a wonderful mum and is particularly loving and affectionate which is lovely to see. Even now her youngest baby Arlo is around 18 months old, and fully independent, she still takes any opportunity to wrap her up in her arms and nap together and will constantly groom and care for them all. She’s a super mum!”
And finally the most experienced mum at the zoo, Tamu the meerkat, was gifted a special card and a cockroach feast surrounded by her huge brood of 17 babies!
Gemma said: “Tamu is a true matriarch – strong and feisty, which is essential for keeping such a large number of children in check! She takes being a mum very seriously, and knows exactly how to handle her excitable bunch, whilst still managing to give them all individual attention. I certainly wouldn’t be able to handle that many children as well as she does!”
Not forgetting the human mums, visitors to the Zoo on Mother’s Day can take advantage of half price for mums (for those purchasing a ticket at the admission gate, on the day), so families can treat the mum or mum-type person in their life to a day of magical family memories.