Cute, however lethal! Rare black-footed cat now lives in Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Utah’s Hogle Zoo acquired a brand new resident and it is fairly lethal. Gaia, a black-footed cat, is taken into account one of many world’s deadliest cats!
Utah’s Hogle Zoo has a furry new resident: Gaia, a tiny, cute however ferocious black-footed cat native to Africa. Don’t fall for these harmless eyes!
Gaia, who arrived at Hogle Zoo from Glen Rose, Texas in October 2023, was born in May 2023 and is just a little over 8 months old. She weighs roughly 2.64 kilos, mentioned Hogle Zoo.
Gaia was quarantined upon arrival, like all different new animals, to allow them to bear a full well being examine and alter after journey, mentioned the zoo, earlier than being launched to the general public. Gaia was introduced in entrance of the general public in late December, in response to a Facebook post by the zoo on Dec. 28.
“She’s a pretty feisty cat,” said Bob Cisneros, Associate Director of Animal Care in a statement, adding that she’s a “mighty warrior”.
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Settling in at her new home
Cisneros said the Gaia is settling in at night when nobody’s around.
“When we all come in, she’s hunkered down in her little cave,” said Cisneros.
Gaia is currently following a very “specific diet” consisting of ground bone, skeletal muscle and organs, said Hogle Zoo, “along with the occasional mouse that’s already been humanely euthanized through the zoo’s distributors”.
About Gaia, a black-footed cat
Born at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Gaia is one of four black-footed kittens born in her litter. Black-footed cats are the smallest species of wild cat in Africa and can be found in the arid eastern parts of Namibia, Central and Southern Botswana, and South Africa, according to Hogle Zoo. They get their name from their black or dark brown soles or pads. The felines are also referred to as “ant-hill tigers” within the Afrikaans language.
With a 60% looking success fee, black-foot cats are thought of to be one of many deadliest wild cats to exist, in response to the Hogle Zoo, in comparison with massive cats, who’ve roughly 20% looking success fee. Black-foot cats kill 8 to 14 meals per evening of their pure habitat and may eat 3,000 rodents a yr.
“These guys are voracious hunters,” said Cisneros about black-footed cats. “They have a reputation for being a very fierce cat, pound for pound.”
Another enjoyable truth about them is that regardless of their small statures, they will bounce as much as 5 toes within the air and 6½ toes in distance, in response to Hogle Zoo.
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Breeding with Ryder
Gaia was dropped at the zoo on the advice of the Black-footed Consortium for breeding functions, although she is but to satisfy her future mating companion. Hogle Zoo mentioned that when Gaia reaches sexual maturity, she can be launched to the zoo’s 3-year-old male Ryder, who lives within the next-door enclosure.
“Gaia is most distantly related [to Ryder], so she makes the perfect match,” mentioned Cisneros.
The consortium hopes {that a} profitable breeding between the 2 cats would considerably add to this system which at the moment has solely 29 black-footed cats in all the consortium.
Black-footed cats are labeled as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Given their nocturnal nature and shy character, it’s laborious for wildlife researchers to gauge what number of exist within the wild. However, a 2016 assessment estimated that about 9,700 had been residing within the wild in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, mentioned Hogle Zoo.
Saman Shafiq is a trending information reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and comply with her on X, the platform previously often known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
