2016 is a leap year! To celebrate Feb. 29’s once-every-four-years visit, why not pop in to see some of the hoppin’ critters at The Creature Conservancy? This Ann Arbor nonprofit houses 72 species of rescued animals.
“A lot of the animals came to us as exotic pets,” says Kim Ellis, curator of mammals. That includes these creatures that do, in fact, leap.
Red Kangaroos
These marsupials are naturals at getting air. Tulip, 7, and Maybelline, 7 ½, stand three feet, weigh 50 pounds and can leap four feet up and 10-15 feet across, Ellis notes. Find these gals in the ‘Roo Room.
Parma Wallaby
This dude, Benny, is 7. “He’s just a little tiny guy,” Ellis says. “He’s also a member of the kangaroo family, so he is a much lower hopper.” This small fry can spring about five feet out and clear two feet.
Giant Toads
This species gets up to four pounds. “They are mostly crawlers,” Ellis says. “They do hop a little bit, but they are so big that they don’t hop very high.” Still, they can bounce about 18 inches.
Cougar
Harper, the 1 ½-year-old cougar, delivers the leaps. “She couldn’t do it herself personally, but the record for a cougar is about 18 feet vertically,” Ellis says. “We’ve seen our cougar leap about eight feet vertically.”
The Creature Conservancy
- Address: 4940 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor
- Phone: 734-929-9324
- Hours: 1-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays Feb. 7-28
- Cost: $6/kids 2-12, $8/ages 13-plus
Photo by Kim Ellis
