Dr. Chloe Wilde is our wildlife biologist. She studied ecology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Her favorite topic of study is conservation. Dr. Wilde is passionate about learning about and teaching others about how they can help wild cat populations, including reducing their use of products with palm oil in them. Though Carolina Tiger Rescue does not have any, Dr. Wilde’s favorite animal to study is the clouded leopard.
Dr. Wilde’s Blog 2/10/21
Our kinkajous and coatimundi are indoors for the cooler months. Their native range, meaning their usual habitat in the wild, is in warmer climates than we get here in North Carolina. Kinkajous are from Central and South America and Coatimundis are from the Southwestern United States as well as Central and South America. While these species can handle winters in their native range, winters in North Carolina are too cold for them and they struggle to control their body temperatures.
Our keepers monitor the weather and when temperatures drop in the fall, we move the kinkajous and coatimundi to their indoor winter enclosures. In these spaces, we can control the temperature and humidity to keep them comfortable until the warmer weather returns. Albert, Baxter, Lola, and Wednesday Kinkajou and Daisy Coatimundi have been enjoying the warmth inside for several months now. Keepers are sure to give them plenty of enrichment, including climbing structures, while they are indoors. As temperatures rise in the spring, we will prepare their outdoor enclosures for their return. One of my favorite days in the sanctuary is the day the kinkajous and coatimundi are moved back outside in the warm spring weather!
