This large and slender cheetah is distributed across more than 25 African countries, boasting a population of around 12,000. However, the Asiatic sub-species is in a critical situation, with only 50-60 individuals remaining in Iran.
Cheetahs utilise various vocalizations for communication. Purring expresses contentment and enjoyable social interactions, particularly between mothers and cubs. Chirping resembles the sounds of little birds and is used by mothers and cubs to call each other. Churring is observed during social gatherings. Growling, hissing, and spitting occur in response to annoyance or danger. Yowling intensifies in situations of heightened danger or fear.
Cheetahs are carnivorous and enjoy small antelope, gazelle and fresh game. Cheetahs only eat fresh kills and prefer smaller fast moving game.
Females Cheetahs can give birth to as many as 9 cubs at once, but usually 3-5 after a gestation period of 90 to 98 days.
The birth weight of a Cheetah cub is between 150g to 300g.
Cub mortality is as high as 90% during the first weeks after birth.
Cheetah siblings stay together in a group after their mother leaves them at 18 months.
The females will leave the group and live and hunt alone, while the males form a coalition and hunt together.
The Spotted Hyena has a spotted coat and is the largest of the four hyena species. The hyena has a large head, large ears, long front legs and shorter back legs with a back that slopes down from the shoulder to the tail. It can be difficult to distinguish the females from the males. Females are also larger than the males.
Hyenas are carnivores and eat a wide range of animals, including wildebeest, zebra, gazes dinesire rebirds. Spotted Hyenas will steal prey from cheetah or even lions if they are in a pack. They are also very good scavengers and their digestive system allows them to eat all parts of the animal—meat, skin and bone.
A Hyena’s gestation period is on average 110 days, with the average litter having 2 cubs. Cub are born with soft brownish black hair and weigh about 1kg. Spotted hyena cubs are born with their eyes open and will nurse for 12-16 months, though they can process solid fools as early as 3 months old and will be participating in hunts within their first year.
Binturongs, with their prehensile tails, dark fur, and mysterious demeanor, appear almost mythical, evoking a sense of enchantment and intrigue. Binturongs are usually gentle animals, provided they don’t feel threatened or harassed. If you get close enough to our Binturong ‘Boogle’, you may notice he smells a lot like buttered popcorn. His scent glands create this unusual smell and are something Binturongs are best known for.
Binturongs are solitary animals, usually only seeking out another Binturong for mating.
Binturongs are omnivorous and eat small mammals, birds, insects, as well as fruits.
If you’d like to learn more about these intriguing animals, Personal Binturong Encounters are available at Mogo Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.
Often called “the happiest animal in the world”, Quokkas are a small marsupial related to Kangaroos. They stand at 40-54cm high, with a 24-31cm tail and weighing 2.7-4.2kg. Quokkas have grey-brown fur and small, rounded ears. Their body is quite rounded, and their hind legs are fairly short. In captivity, Quokkas have a lifespan of 5-10years.
Quokkas are nocturnal herbivores, feeding on fresh, young grasses, leaves and succulents, as well as plant roots, from which they can also acquire water. They have also been known to eat snails on Rottnest Island.
Quokkas live in family groups with a dominant male. Males will occasionally fight over sheltered territories; however groups of up to 150 individuals, consisting of several family groups, have been observed near water sources. In the wild, females generally will not breed between August-January; however in captivity they have been known to breed all year round. After a gestation period of 26-28 days, one joey will be born and make its way to the pouch. One day after giving birth, the female will breed again as a security measure for if the first joey dies. After 175-195 days of development in the pouch, the joey will leave the pouch and remain with the family group. Females reach sexual maturity at around 252 days old, and males at around 389 days old.
One of the most iconic animals known to Australia, Koalas are often mistakenly called the “Koala Bear”. Koalas are not a bear, but are in fact a marsupial. Koalas have thick fur that ranges from very light to very dark grey on the head and body, with white patching on the bottom, chest and ears. They have 5 digits on each hand- 3 work like fingers, and 2 work like thumbs. Koalas also have no claw on their thumb toe, and two toes joined together with separate claws. Koalas have small eyes and a large black nose, and sleep for 18-20 hours a day, primarily waking in the night-time to eat, fight and mate. Males can weigh up to 14kgs, and females up to 10kgs. Koalas have a lifespan of 12-15 years in captivity, and 8-10 years in the wild.
Koalas feed exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves. They have specially designed gut flora that assists in safe digestion without being affected by the leaves’ toxins. Koalas rarely drink water, attaining their hydration through the Eucalyptus leaves. In times of drought or bushfire Koalas have been known to drink large amounts of water, even venturing into areas populated by humans for water sources.
Koalas are fairly solitary animals, but come together for breeding season. A group of koalas living in the same area can be considered a population, with older, stronger males being dominant or alpha-males. Fighting is common, especially between males protecting territory. Males will breed with several females in a breeding season. Females give birth to one jellybean-sized joey, occasionally two- however the occurrence of both surviving is extremely rare. Joeys will develop in the mother’s pouch for 7 months, venturing out when fully developed and riding on their mother’s chest or back. The joey will feed on the mother’s faeces (known as ‘pap’) for 6 weeks to develop the gut flora necessary for digestion. At 12-15 months of age, koala joeys will leave their mother in search of their own territory.
While you can’t cuddle a Koala in NSW, at Featherdale Sydney you can get close to a Koala and possibly event pat one in our Koala Encounter.