Animal Diaries Archive

Cheeky Kiara

6 May 2005

Early in the morning is always the busiest time for the keepers here at Kids Zoo, because it's when we do all our large-scale cleaning in order to get all the pens clean and looking lovely for the big day ahead! Lately, one of our animals in particular has developed a tendency to try and help us out... unfortunately, her method of 'helping out' often makes things a little more complicated! The culprit is one of our two resident calves, going by the name of Kiara, and her 'cleaning' antics often have us rolling with laughter, even if she's not being terribly helpful. If she's not sticking her head inside the old sawdust bins, she'll be pushing them about and having us going in circles to chase them up! And when it comes to laying out their special non-slip mats, it's not uncommon to feel gentle nudges from behind... and it's always Kiara, trying to push us on faster and faster! But her favourite trick of all is to pick up the mats in her mouth and take off with them, what a cheeky girl! Kiara is one of the most easily distinguished animals here at Kids Zoo, with her beautiful bold black and white colouring. Many guests who come to see her recognize these very typical 'cow print' splotches, and correctly label her as a Friesian calf, a very well-known and popular dairy breed. These lovely patterns actually came about many years ago when the breed was just beginning to be created, using black cattle and white cattle from different European stock, which we now see in Friesians all over the world. It's no wonder that Kiara is such a popular calf, getting lots of attention from everybody that comes through Kids Zoo, so don't hesitate to call her by name and give her a stroke under the chin whenever you come around to visit!