EXPLORE WINTER 2023 | 13 Specialists monitored their diet and behavior and gave them slow but steady access to their outdoor space. The new pair also had visual access to Linus and Calvin. Eventually, under the watchful eyes of their keepers, who take their cues from the animals, the four were introduced to each other in their outdoor exhibit. “Thanks to advance planning and preparation by our Wildlife team, the new otters’ acclimation to Perkins has been successful in every respect,” Nemet says. “It’s wonderful for our guests to see four otters interacting and making great use of their habitat.” The Museum’s four coyotes also underwent a careful acclimation process. Charcoal, an adult female, arrived at the Museum in 2012 from a rehabilitation center, which had deemed her unable to return to the wild due to an injury. In 2015, the Museum acquired three sibling coyote pups—a female, Ember, and males Tex and Red—with the plan to house all four coyotes together. After several attempts to introduce the newcomers to Charcoal, the Wildlife team determined that the five-year age difference, combined with Charcoal’s history as a solo coyote and her preference for human interaction, prevented group living. Staff decided to house the three pups together while keeping Charcoal separate. “Red was the alpha male until late 2020, when Tex emerged as the alpha male. However, as the pups matured, he and Red began exhibiting aggressive behavior toward each other—which is not uncommon among males,” says Nemet. “The Wildlife staff decided to create a plan to introduce Tex to Charcoal and leave Red with his sister, Ember.” DIRECTOR OF WILDLIFE JIM NEMET ANSWERS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: W hy can’t every albino raccoon observed within a 20-mile radius of the Museum come live in Perkins? A: E ach spring, the Museum receives multiple calls to rescue young albino raccoons. Unfortunately, we do not have the habitat space to take in each of these animals. In addition, many albino raccoons have health issues, which—going back to the importance of our collection plan—raise concerns about the level of care required. These animals lack coloration but are still normal raccoons, able to hunt and defend themselves. Unless injured, a wild albino raccoon is not a candidate for our collection. Q: W hy don’t animal births take place at the Museum? A: Our animals are not permitted to reproduce because our federal and state permits only allow us to serve as a holding and education facility. When the Museum agrees to acquire an animal, it commits to caring for that animal for life. If the Museum wanted to breed animals, we would need a separate propagation permit, which would allow for breeding but also require that we have the ability to send the offspring to different institutions, or even release them in the wild. Meeko the albino raccoon
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTczNTM=