The Courier has teamed up with Blair Drummond Safari Park to offer readers the chance to win a family pass for two adults and two children each week - and learn a bit more about their residents at the same time.
It’s officially summer, and the return of that season also marks the beginning of a busy time for birthdays.
Last week the park celebrated the birthdays of its two black-and-white ruffed lemur parents Cali and Bemba, red-legged seriema Elvis, highland pony Kyle, its oldest sea lion Poppy, and mummy Mara Francesca. Francesca can often be seen running around Lemurland alongside her four children, Audi, Quattro, Dante and Cobay.
Of all the residents in the park, the group of Patagonian mara are one of the animals the park team get the most questions about.
No one seems to be able to figure out quite what they are, and a lot of ‘out-there’ guesses are often heard.
Safari park education officer Jamie-Leigh Green said: “Although they look a bit like a rabbit with a deer’s legs, they are related to neither.
“Mara are rodents from South America.
“They are the fourth largest rodent in the world and are closely related to guinea pigs and capybara.
“Maras can move in a variety of way including walking, hopping, sprinting or bouncing on all four legs.
“This action of bouncing on all four legs is called stotting.
“They can reach speeds between 30-40mph when sprinting.
“Their feet have a compact, round shape and this can at times make them appear like little hooves, adding to the perception of them being deer-like animals.
“However, they actually have four toes on their front feet and three on their back feet, and each toe has a strong claw for digging.
“Maras are herbivores and mainly consume grasses, although they will also eat vegetables, seeds, fruits and flowers. Interestingly, they are coprophagous.
“This means that they will actually sometimes eat their own dung in order to better maximise nutrient absorption.”
Blair Drummond Safari Park is open seven days a week, from 10am until 5.30pm. Tickets can be booked online at blairdrummond.com.
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