Meet the Zoo: Dawn, Kale and Ringo

Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool?  At the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo, the answer is a resounding YES! 

Kale, a young Southdown sheep with a soft wooly charcoal-colored coat, has joined the barnyard animals. This adorable little sheep came to the Prospect Park Zoo from the Central Park Zoo, along with his buddies Dawn and Ringo, a pair of mini Nubian goats. Like most youngsters moving to a new location, they spent their first day getting used to their new surroundings and barn mates, including the zoo’s pair of white Southdown sheep, Fred and Ginger. These sheep are also known as “babydoll” sheep because they remain fairly small as adults. Compared to Wallace and Bonnie, the zoo’s Cotswold sheep, it is obvious why the Southdown are called babydolls.

Dawn and Ringo are another smaller version of a larger breed, the Nubian. They will only grow to about half the size of a regular Nubian goat. This particular breed of goat has distinctive floppy ears which gives them an especially charming appearance.

Dawn, Kale and Ringo have had an interesting time exploring their new home, wandering through the pastures to meet the alpacas, Loki and Pookie; the Baroque Boys, five noisy Sebastapol geese; Franklin the turkey; and Abe and Bogie, the miniature horses. The horses and alpaca have been mildly curious about the newcomers, but the geese have let the youngsters know who is in charge.

The Southdown sheep originated about 200 years ago in England where the breed was developed for meat. The North American breed is a little taller than the original British breed but still pretty short. In fact, this hearty breed is used in California vineyards to graze on weeds since they are too short to nibble the grapes.

Similarly, the Nubian goat was developed in England from a middle-eastern breed. They were developed as dairy goats and have highly social personalities. That is a good characteristic because Dawn and Ringo are learning how to get along with not only their new barn mates, but all of the children who delight in feeding and petting them.

So come on down to the Prospect Park Zoo and say hello to the newest – and possibly the cutest – members of the barnyard gang.