Lola is one of our four kinkajous, who unfortunately had a rough start in life. We do not know where she originally came from, but she ended up in a backyard in High Point, North Carolina and was trapped in a trashcan before Animal Control brought her to Carolina Tiger Rescue. Lola is a very nervous kinkajou who takes a lot of time to warm up to new situations. She prefers the quiet life away from the tour path but is always ready to defend her territory when people come by to visit.
Born July 26, 2008
How Lola Came to the Sanctuary
Lola was rescued from a woman’s backyard in High Point, North Carolina. Animal Control arrived to find her lethargic and shivering in the backyard and called Carolina Tiger Rescue to take her in. Lola was understandably very scared; it still takes her a long time to warm up to new experiences and people.
Personality
Lola is very nervous and aggressive around new people. She will often launch herself at the enclosure fence to scare new people away. The keepers are working with Lola’s aggression by doing operant conditioning with her. Operant conditioning helps Lola establish a routine and helps her realize that she will be rewarded when she does things she is asked to do, making it safer and easier to care for her.
Description
Lola is the most reserved of the four kinkajous and the most elusive. She will spend the majority of her day in her den box, only coming out at night and when it is quiet. Lola is off tour due to her nervous and anxious nature. She is frightened easily and quickly becomes aggressive. Lola does enjoy bananas and enrichment, but on her terms.
Where in Sanctuary
Lola is off the tour path due to her nervous nature. She lives next door to Albert Kinkajou in Elm Grove. In the winter, they live inside one of the kinkajou houses. It is better for the kinkajous to be indoors in the cooler months because they are unable to regulate their body temperature in cold weather. In the warmer months, they live in outdoor enclosures attached to the kinkajou house.
Pet Trade
North Carolina is one of four states in the U.S. where it is legal to own a non-native species. In other words, it is legal in North Carolina to own a lion, tiger, or other wild animal. Lola's story is a direct result of this lack of legislation. Due to the ease with which animals such as Lola can be acquired, people are obtaining them as pets and then realizing, sometimes at the expense of a human's life or the animal's life, that this is not a good idea. Animals such as Lola deserve to be respected as the wild animals they are.
Potos flavus
