The Hattiesburg Zoo recently welcomed its two newest tenants, a mother/daughter pair of African Spotted Genets, who are now on exhibit for visitors.
The genets, named Monarch and Lacey, arrived at the zoo on September 17 and can be found in their multi-level habitat next to the hyena exhibit near the entrance to the Africa section of the facility. The genets come to Hattiesburg from the Columbian Park Zoo in Indiana, where they served as ambassador animals.
“I’m super excited,” said Kristen Moore, who serves as director of animal care at the zoo. “They’re a really fun little carnivore, which a lot of people don’t realize when you see them because they kind of look like a cat/weasel.
“They’re a fun new species that I think people are going to look at. Before (guests) read the sign on the exhibit, they’re going to go ‘what is that?’ So it’s fun to be able to educate the public on something new.”
Genets, which are indigent to Africa, are slender cat-like animals with a long body, a long ringed tail, large ears, a pointed muzzle and partly retractile claws. The small-spotted genet, which is found in more arid regions, is recognized by a prominent dorsal crest that runs from its shoulder to its tail; its spots are round and elongated.
All genets have claws that are adapted to climbing and catching their food, which consists of an omnivorous diet of invertebrates, small vertebrates, plants, fruit and fish. They are equipped to climb trees and can jump three feet from tree to tree.
“They’re a really dynamic species, and most people down here have never even heard of them,” Moore said. “So this is just going to be a really fun way for us to educate the public on some new animals.”
Hattiesburg Zoo officials were able to secure Monarch and Lacy through a network partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science and recreation.
“(With that program), people from other zoos can list animals that they need to find a place to go,” Moore said. “So I saw that, and I had worked with genets before, and they’re just a lot of fun.
“They’re very interactive, so we reached out to (Columbian Park Zoo), and these poor little guys had been off exhibit for a little while because of COVID. They just really needed a place to go, and I just wanted to give them a new space where they could be seen by people because they were behind the scenes at their last facility.”
Although the genets were a little overwhelmed when they were first introduced to their new habitat at the Hattiesburg Zoo, the pair has since taken to their home quite well.
“It’s a pretty big space, but now they’ve settled in,” Moore said. “They’re out there right now crawling around and smelling everything, and tearing up the plants we put out there for them, so they’re having a good time.”
