Our Animals

fox3 Animal residents at Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary do not tell the typical zoo story. All animals at this sanctuary have been rescued from other locations and have a lesson to teach. They include a tiger who was rescued from a facility that closed; a black bear who came to the sanctuary as a cub when his mother was mistakenly shot by a hunter; a mountain lion who was kept as a pet; and a gray fox who was rescued from a pool.

Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary also has a prestigious role as participant in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Species Survival Plan for the critically endangered Mexican Gray Wolf. After a 20-year absence in the wild, this animal is being reintroduced to its former range following a successful captive breeding program. The sanctuary is a housing facility for wolves not yet ready for release.

Coati

(Nasua nasua)
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Madeira arrived in 2003 from a zoo in Puerto Rico that was closing.

Coatis are found in mountain forests or along streams in the Sonoran Desert. But coatis can also be found in the tropical forests of Central America!
The first coati recorded in southern Arizona was in 1892. However, their range has long included Mexico.
Coatis can survive well in so many habitats because they eat just about anything. They are omnivores, which means they eat both animals and plants. They use their long claws to dig up roots, insects, lizards, seeds, and small mammals from the ground. Their long noses are specially adapted to help them find food under soil or fallen leaves. Coatis will also climb trees to look for fruit, nuts, and birds' eggs.
Coatis live together in big groups called troops. There are usually about 4 to 20 coatis in a troop made up of females and young. An older female leads the troop. Adult males live alone and only join the troops during breeding season. Coatis spend a lot of time grooming. They communicate with calls and squeaks, as well as nose and tail postures. Coatis' long tails help them balance as they climb trees. They are also used for communication. When the troop is out foraging for food, they hold their tails high so they can see each other. An upright tail means a coati is content.

Coyote

(Canis latrans)
Jake-Reno 2011

Our current coyotes, Jake and Reno, both came to us in spring of 2007 as orphans. However, they are not related. Jake was from an urban population outside of Phoenix, AZ. He could not be re-released because coyotes from urban areas have shown little success in relocations.

Reno was found on the side of a road in Prescott Valley, AZ. She was found by some people who wanted to make her a pet. They discovered this was a very bad idea and gave her to their neighbor. After this person discovered the same thing, HPZS was finally called and we rescued the pup. Unfortunately, she had been around people for so long, at that point, that she was imprinted and would not be able to survive in the wild.

Coyotes are found from Alaska , south as far as Costa Rica . They live in grasslands and forests, but are very adaptable and often occupy urban areas.
Squirrels, rodents, and rabbits are their preferred prey, and are hunted alone. Larger animals like pronghorn and deer are hunted by packs. They also eat fruit and insects. Here they are fed dog kibble and a variety of meats.
A typical pack may consist of about 6 closely related adults, yearlings, and young. The young disperse in their first year, and may travel 100 miles before settling into their own territory.
The familiar howl of the coyote popularized in Western movies, is just one of their many vocalizations. Their high-pitched yelps, barks, wails and howls make it difficult to tell how many are in the group.
Coyotes are very important in helping to keep rodent, rabbit, and some other herbivore populations in check.

Common Genet

(Genetta genetta)

Kanu arrived in 2004 after a pet store tried to sell him as a ferret. It is illegal to own genets in Arizona.

Genets live in the forests of East Africa.
Genets eat mice, insects, and reptiles.
Even though they look like weasels, genets are closely related to civets.

Gray Fox

(Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

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Monsoon was found in a pool in Phoenix in 2008 and was rescued by Arizona Game & Fish.

The gray fox occurs throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to northern Venezuela and Colombia. It does not occur in portions of the mountainous northwestern United States, the Great Plains and eastern Central America.
Grey foxes are found in deciduous woodlands, but are occasionally seen in old fields foraging for fruits and insects. Unlike the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), they do not prefer agricultural habitats.
Where red foxes and grey foxes occur together, grey foxes breed 2-4 weeks after the red foxes. Gestation lasts about 53 days; the average litter size is three to four, but can be as many as seven! By 3 months, pups begin to hunt with their parents. After four months, the young have their permanent teeth and can forage on their own. The family group remains together until autumn when the young reach maturity and disperse.
Grey foxes are unique among canids in their ability to climb trees. They have strong, hooked claws that allow them to scramble up trees to avoid predators or to get fruit. They descend primarily by jumping from branch to branch. Grey foxes are nocturnal and den during the day in hollow trees, stumps or abandoned burrows. They are assumed to be monogamous; radio tracking data suggest that family groups maintain separate home ranges.

Porcupine

(Erethizon dorsatum)

Ms. Quilber the porcupine came to HPZS in 2003 after being found near Phoenix.

Porcupines are herbivores and eat leaves, twigs and green plants. Ms. Quilber's favorite foods at the Sanctuary are strawberries and roses.
Contrary to common misconception, porcupines do not throw their quills, but rather back up into potential predators.

Rabbit

(Oryctolagus cuniculus)

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Onyx and Fufu both came from private donors.

Most of the rabbits that come to HPZS are former pets that owners can no longer care for. Rabbits are popular pets, but require much more care and space than most people realize. HPZS strongly encourages people to fully research any animal before considering them as a pet.
While the rabbits at HPZS are domestic breeds, their ancestors are endemic to Northwest Africa; introduced to the rest of the western Europe 2,000 years ago and then Australia, New Zealand, and South America.
They prefer sandy terrain with scrub and bushes; coniferous woodland.
In the wild, rabbits eat grass, herbs, roots, bark, and cultivated plants. At the sanctuary they eat fruits, vegetables, alfalfa pellets, alfalfa hay, and hardwood sticks for chewing.
Rabbits have long ears, long hind legs, and large eyes placed on the sides of their heads (give them a better view for danger).

Raccoon

(Procyon lotor)

"Lilly" and "Huck" arrived at HPZS in 2005 at age one. "Scamp" arrived in 2010 and "Stella" arrived in 2011.

Raccoons are found in North, Central and South America . They have been introduced into parts of Europe and Asia . Some other members of the raccoon family include the coati, ringtail, and even the red and giant pandas of China .
Raccoons live in many habitats, from desert to mountain forests. They are often found in urban areas. Large groups of raccoons have been observed. They are thought to be family members, with no more than one adult male.
They are omnivores and will eat anything from frogs, crayfish, fish, birds, eggs, small rodents, insects, fruits, and vegetables. Their hunting style of feeling through water for aquatic prey has led people to the mistaken belief that they wash their food. Here they are fed dog kibble, fruits and vegetables, an occasional egg or goldfish.

Ringtailed Lemurs

(Lemur catta)

Crash, Fio, Bungee & Kinsa.

Status: ENDANGERED

Our collection began from surplus lemurs living at another zoo that no longer had room to keep them. It has grown from there.

Lemurs are prosimians, which are primitive primates. They are only found on the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Their name in the local language means "spirit of the forest."
Ring-tailed lemurs are gregarious, which means that they like to live in groups. These groups range from 5 to 30 individuals. Males and females maintain their own dominance hierarchies, but females are usually dominant over males.
They have scent glands which they use to mark territories and even each other. In aggressive encounters, they will wave their scent-smeared tails at their rivals.
Lemurs are vegetarian and eat a wide variety of plants and fruits. We feed them commercially prepared primate biscuits and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Since the arrival of humans on the island, about 2000 years ago, as least 14 species have become extinct. 22 species of lemurs remain. Habitat destruction is their greatest threat.

Bobcat

(Lynx rufus)

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Kenny and Cleo arrived in 2009. They were each in separate litters that were both abandoned. Dena Lee and Sir Daphne were both rescued in 2010.

Bobcats eat rabbits, ground squirrels, gophers, mice and rats.
Bobcats have the greatest range of all cats in North America.

Cotton Top Tamarin

(Saguinus oedipus)

MG 6014 8X10 MG 6022 8X10 MG 6037 8X10 Quick and Andy arrived in 2008. They were part of a study at Wisconsin University that was closing down. Quick is Andy’s mother.

Tamarins eat fruits, vegetables and insects.
Unlike most primates, tamarins have claws instead of nails.

Red fox

(Vulpes vulpes)

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Rusty arrived in 2011. Rusty was raised by a family and was destined to be an animal actor in commercials until the loss of his tail as a baby to a raccoon.

Red foxes are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants.
Red foxes are found over most of the northern hemisphere.

Bennett's Wallaby

(Macropus rufogriseus)

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Wally came to HPZS from William’s Deer Farm. Bennett’s Wallabies are sometimes called the red-necked wallabies. They inhabit coastal Australia and the islands of Tasmania and the Bass Straight Islands. They are herbivores and eat mainly leaves, grasses, fruit and vegetables.