Meet Buffalo Bill Brandon Spikes at the Zoo

The Buffalo Zoo will host a special meet and greet with Buffalo Bills captain Brandon Spikes this weekend.

Spikes is partnering with the Zoo to chair their Adopt an Animal program. To kick off the partnership, he will make an appearance at the Zoo this Saturday, September 20, from 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm.

The Zoo will offer a special adoption package through the 2014-2015 football season, featuring a North American porcupine that the Zoo has named “Spikes” in honor of the Bills player.

Brandon Spikes bottle fed Spikes the porcupine at the Zoo earlier this month.

A limited edition adoption package will be available for only $10 during the event on Saturday. Anyone who purchases the package during the meet and greet will have an opportunity to have their adoption certificate autographed by Brandon Spikes.

The Buffalo Zoo has an annual grocery bill of around $250,000. The Zoo’s Adopt anAnimal program helps to pay for food for the animals throughout the year.

Meet our new Baby Snow Monkey

The Buffalo Zoo’s latest addition, a baby Japanese macaque, is now on exhibit at the Buffalo Zoo.

The baby was born to 16 year old mother, Debbi, on August 30. The baby’s father is eight-year-old Ketu, who has had one other offspring. This baby is Debbi’s fourth.

Debbi is proving to be a nurturing and protective mother. Keepers have not yet been able to get close enough to determine the baby’s gender.

Debbi the snow monkey with her baby.

Debbi and her baby are on exhibit daily in the Zoo’s Vanishing Animals Exhibit starting at 3 p.m.

Japanese macaques are often referred to as snow monkeys because their natural habitat is in the snowy mountain regions of Japan. The wild population of snow monkeys is threatened by the replacement of natural forests in Japan with lumber plantations and other developments.

Luna the Polar Bear Recovering After Fall

Luna the polar bear is recovering at the Buffalo Zoo after falling into a moat over the weekend.

The polar bear fell into the exhibit’s protective moat on Saturday afternoon. Luna was anesthetized, and a team of keepers were able to carry her out of the moat and transport her to the Zoo’s veterinary hospital. The Zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Kurt Volle, took X-rays and determined that Luna had fractured her tibia and fibula above the ankle joint on her left rear leg. She sustained no other injuries from the fall. A pair of board certified veterinary surgeons from Sheridan Animal Hospital performed surgery to repair the fracture on Sunday.

Luna is recovering in the Zoo’s veterinary hospital. Zoo staff reports that she is alert and eating, and that she is able to walk. Luna will remain off exhibit for several weeks to restrict her movement while her leg heals.