2 Printed in the USA. Habitat is produced quarterly for members of the Detroit Zoological Society. PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT ArborOakland Group CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sarah Culton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Christina Ross CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jennifer Thomas GRAPHIC DESIGN Jen Valente Copyright © 2023 Detroit Zoological Society All rights reserved. PLEASE CONTACT: Detroit Zoological Society 8450 W. 10 Mile Road | Royal Oak, MI 48067 Phone: (248) 541-5717 | Fax: (248) 541-2489 www.detroitzoo.org For questions about membership, please contact: info@dzs.org The Detroit Zoological Society – a renowned leader in humane education, wildlife conservation, animal welfare and environmental sustainability – operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center. The Detroit Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. facebook.com/detroitzoo instagram.com/detroitzoo Linkedin.com/ detroitzoologicalsociety tiktok.com/@detroitzoo twitter.com/detroitzoo youtube.com/detroitzoo HABITAT Celebrating and Saving Wildlife and Wild Places The Magazine of the Detroit Zoological Society In this issue 3 Ask the Expert 4 You Are What You Eat 8 Wild Lights 10 Welcome to the Waddle 12 Prime Mates 14 Giving a Lasting Gift 17 Meet a Belle Isle Star 18 Small but Mighty We’ve had an incredible 2023 here at the Detroit Zoological Society. This year, we celebrated our 95th anniversary with some amazing memories, including: • The birth of Juhudi, a giraffe calf who is thriving thanks to the hard work of our veterinary and animal care teams • The arrival of Tai, a chimpanzee born to longtime troop member and first-time mom Tanya • The welcoming of a new gorilla troop (who you will meet in this issue!) • And so much more Through it all, we’ve continued to further our mission of creating meaningful connections between people, animals and the natural world so all can thrive. We do this through our award-winning educational programs at the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center, the well-being and care we provide to the animals who call our facilities home and the groundbreaking conservation and sustainability work that is helping to save species in the wild. I’m proud to lead such a wonderful organization — one that inspires dedicated supporters like you. Every time you visit the Detroit Zoo or Belle Isle Nature Center, make a donation, participate in a program or read one of our publications, you are helping to make our mission a reality. I can’t thank you enough. With your support behind us, I know we are looking forward to a great 2024. Best, Dr. Hayley Murphy, DVM Executive Director/CEO
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