17 KANGAROO DUNDEE There are two terms you need to know before you learn about the newest kangaroo at the Detroit Zoo: 1. A male kangaroo is called a boomer. 2. A group of 10 or more kangaroos is called a mob. Now that you know the terminology, the Detroit Zoo’s mob has a new boomer. Two-year-old Dundee arrived on May 9. “He’s a breeding recommendation,” says Brightrall, meaning Dundee will help ensure the Detroit Zoo mob is genetically diverse and healthy. “He comes from Busch Gardens in Florida, and we hope we’ll soon have some baby kangaroos.” Before he even arrived, Zoo staff anticipated an easy “howdy” period for Dundee. “This is a mob animal, so he’s going to want to be with them and live in a big group,” Brightrall says. “In general, kangaroos are not aggressive to one another. They’re pretty calm and chill — they like to sit together and sun together.” Oh, and in case you were wondering, a female kangaroo is called a flyer. RED RUFFED LEMURS IRAY AND TELO Detroit Zoo visitors have long loved watching the six graceful ring-tailed lemurs. Now, you’ll notice two additions to the group — and they look a little different. Iray and Telo, both 5-year-old boys, have joined the group. They’re red ruffed lemurs, with rusty red coats and black paws, tails and faces, and their habits differ slightly from their ring-tailed cousins. “Ring-tailed lemurs are terrestrial — they live on the ground, walk on all fours and have long, striped tails, so they can follow each other through the forest,” Brightrall explains. “The red ruffed lemurs are arboreal, which means they live higher in the trees. They can leap, jump and climb. They also have much different vocalization. While ring-tailed vocalizations are sweet and quiet, ruffed lemurs have big, booming voices. They make large calls and growling sounds that can sound scary at first, but it’s just the way they are. They announce themselves to everyone. They make really loud noises to talk about their territory. They wake up in the morning and make really loud calls — it’s cool to hear.” Look for them south of the rhino habitat, not far from the Africa train station. Their outside yard is tucked in between rhinos and snow monkeys and next to the bat habitat. DUNDEE (PICTURED) RECENTLY JOINED THE MOB AT THE DETROIT ZOO. PICTURED ARE IRAY AND TELO.
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