Trunkline Magazine (Louisville Zoo) June 2018 - Page 22

The Boma African petting zoo STORY
As you adventure through the Africa Zone, you will see lots of awe-inspiring wildlife like zebras trotting, addax lazing
in the sun, a roaring lion and even elephants playing in the sun. Just beyond the elephants, a small structure appears
on the path, resembling a hut in a Kenyan village — and inside you can meet and touch the animals! This area is
called “Boma,” which is another word for a village (specifically one that has livestock enclosures) in Kenya. Learn
more about the animals and people who bring our Boma to life, as well as some of the inspiration for the exhibit.
A Very
Special Animal
Ambassador
If you’ve ever watched the morning news, you
may have been introduced to one of the Zoo’s
most popular animal ambassadors. It’s not a crane,
or a meerkat or even a wallaby… It’s a goat!
Jenny Perkins with Titan the Goat
T
itan the goat is 4 years old.
You may recognize him as
the smallest goat in the
herd at Boma, our pet-
ting Zoo in the Africa Zone. Titan
is black with a white spot on his
head, white patches on his front
hooves and white hair at the base
of his ears – just like his mother,
Mabel, who also lives in Boma.
Titan is described by the staff at
Boma as a spunky goat who is as
curious about his guests as they
are about him. “Titan is nosy and
smart,” said Boma Supervisor Jenny
Perkins, who has been working in
the area for 7 years. “He wants
to see what his guests are up to,
and sometimes he may even take
a nibble of their clothing.” When
Titan isn’t hanging out with people,
he’s lounging in the shade, playing
with a puzzle ball or just having an
afternoon mosey around the yard,
hopping on and off logs.
You may be wonder-
ing, “what’s so interesting
about this goat?” You’d
never imagine by looking at
Titan that this friendly goat actually
has a rare condition. Louisville Zoo
Senior Veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi
explains, “he was diagnosed with
diabetes mellitus in his first year of
life. The main outward clinical sign
he demonstrated was stunted/poor
growth. Diabetes is rare in small
22 • Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Summer 2018
ruminants like sheep and goats —
there are very few case reports de-
scribing successful medical manage-
ment. The anatomy and physiology
of a goat is unique and very differ-
ent from other species that can be
diabetics (like dogs, cats, humans)
which complicates treatment and
management. Titan’s medical condi-
tion is managed with twice daily
insulin injections and periodic blood
glucose monitoring.”
This insulin is injected by his
keepers every morning and evening.
Jenny, who was trained to admin-
ister the morning injection, also
talks to the guests about his condi-
tion—hoping to bring awareness
to the health challenge of diabetes.
“The thing that is really touching
to me”, Jenny explains, “is seeing
kids and families who come in and
hear about Titan’s condition, and
they are so excited because here is a
goat that has shots and sugar issues
just like they do — and he’s still