Kid Territory: Critters: Springhaas
Kuruka's favorite foods are sweet potatoes and peanuts.
Although she has long, strong legs and feet like a rabbit, the springhaas is actually related to rodents!
Meeting Park visitors up close is one of Kuruka's job as a springhaas ambassador.
Wild Animal Park name: Kuruka
Species: Springhaas
or springhare
Location: Wild Animal Park's Wildlife Education Compound
Her story
Few people recognize this animal when they see her for the first time. Can you guess what animals she's related to? Even though she has feet like a kangaroo and the face of a rabbit, Kuruka is actually a rodent. Her closest relatives are squirrels, gophers, and beavers. Springhaas live in East and South Africa, and are rather common in the wild. Still, most people in this country have never heard of a springhaas!
As an animal ambassador with the Wild Animal Park's Education Department, Kuruka's job is to meet guests and to help them learn about some of the more unusual animals on our planet. She is very good at her work—she's been doing it her whole life!
When Kuruka was a newborn (she was born in February of 1995), her mother refused to take care of her, and the baby springhaas had to be hand-raised by keepers. It wasn't always easy. She needed to be fed every three hours during the day. Kuruka drank a special formula from a baby bottle that had a specialized nipple to fit her unusual mouth. The little springhaas was an active hopper and digger, and very noisy when she was disturbed—keepers say she grumbled and growled a lot!
Nighttime is best
Kuruka still grumbles when it's time to wake up. (Maybe you do, too!) She's nocturnal, so she usually sleeps during the day. But once the sun goes down, Kuruka is a furry ball of energy; digging holes in the dirt and hopping from one plant to another, looking for a midnight snack. In the wild, springhaas eat green grasses. At the Park, Kuruka eats all kinds of vegetables, plus leaf eater biscuits and dandelion greens. Her favorite foods are sweet potatoes and peanuts!
"Kuruka" means "to leap" in Swahili, and it's a perfect name for this animal. Springhaas have to be good jumpers in order to keep away from predators. Just about all carnivores in Africa—from snakes, to owls, to lions—eat springhaas. Even people eat them!
But don't mention that fact to Kuruka. She likes to be around people, and loves it when guests pet her. Guests enjoy it, too, and they find it's a special treat to get up close and personal with such a friendly and unique animal. That's what makes Kuruka such a fantastic animal ambassador!
Where you can see her
Kuruka lives behind-the-scenes at the Park's Wildlife Education Compound. She can also be seen at special animal presentations during programs like our Roar and Snore Camp-Overs, off-site school assemblies, and Kindersafari classes.
More
Job Profiles: Taking
Care of Animals
Animal Bytes: Kangaroo & Wallaby, Lion, Owl, Snake
Wild Animal Park
Education Programs
Roar & Snore Camp-over
