MAMMALS
DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP
The Navajo Zoo acquired a Desert Bighorn Sheep from the Navajo Nation populations in December 2011, and one more in 2015. We now have one ram and one ewe. These sheep were yearlings when we received them and continue to grow quickly on their grass hay diet. They were brought to the Navajo Zoo because of their cultural significance to the Navajo People, and as part of Dept. of Fish & Wildlife operations to manage our largest wild population.
ELK
The Navajo Zoo has one Elk on exhibit; he is male (bull) that was brought to the Zoo in October 2016 as a calf. He spent the spring and summer of 2016 in extensive rehab by the Southwest Wildlife Rehab & Education Foundation. He was found orphaned and injured in White Mountains of Arizona, and was lucky to be found by hikers!
MULE DEER
The Navajo Zoo has four Mule Deer on exhibit. Our oldest deer is Jasmine, who came to the Zoo in Nov 2012. Our oldest male, Pepsi, was found orphaned in the Chuska Mountains on the Navajo Nation in 2014, Our other two deer are slightly younger, having arrived in 2018 (female named Bella), and a male in 2020 named Hashke Diyinii.
BLACK BEAR
The Navajo Zoo has two Black Bears on exhibit. One is named Bessie, who was received as an orphaned cub in 2000. She was found near Heber, AZ when she was caught in a trap as a cub. In Nov 2012 we received Abbey, who was orphaned outside of Flagstaff AZ in August. Her orphaned brother can be seen at the Heritage Park Zoo in Prescott, AZ.
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
On August 18, 2015, the Navajo Nation Zoo became the 22nd facility in the U.S. to have a live black-footed ferret exhibit. This federally endangered species has been in captive breeding programs since the mid-1980s. Our adult female, Porkroast, was recently retired from the breeding program at the Phoenix Zoo at 4 years of age.
BOBCAT
The Navajo Zoo has two male Bobcats. BJ came to the Zoo as a kitten in July 2004 from Ft. Defiance AZ. Naabahi was also brought to the Zoo as an orphaned kitten, but 5 years later in November 2009. BJ was hesitant to share his enclosure at first, but they now have become best of friends.
COUGAR (Mtn.Lion)
The Navajo Zoo has two Cougars on exhibit. In September 2011 we introduced two new older cubs to the exhibit. One is a male that already weighed 90-100 pounds before his first birthday, and his sister was half his size. Both were orphaned in New Mexico as a young age. The male is named Hunter and the female is named Kay-bah through the Zoo's Adopt-an-Animal Program.
COYOTE
The Navajo Zoo has two Coyotes, named Jack and Lucky Sophia. Lucky Sophia came all the way from Mojave Valley, AZ in February 2012 to live at the Navajo Zoo. Jack was acquired as a young coyote in December 2021 from the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. Both coyotes get along and share their space quite well.
GREY FOX
The Navajo Zoo has two resident Grey Foxes. Their names are Rexxy and Slug. Slug came to the Zoo with his mother Rexy in 2007. They were found just a mile from the Zoo in Tse Bonito, AZ.
MEXICAN GRAY WOLF
The Navajo Zoo had two Mexican Gray Wolves on permanent exhibit. Both were retired to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale Arizona in late 2021. The Wolf Enclosure is now currently under renovation, pending acquisition of two or more new wolves.
RED FOX
The Navajo Zoo houses three Red Foxes on permanent exhibit. Their names are Rexxy Brown, Ally and Papa-Qu'an. Each fox has a different history of being injured or orphaned in the wild that brought them to the Zoo. Like in the wild, these foxes enjoy digging burrows within their enclosure at the Navajo Nation Zoo.
RACCOON
The Navajo Zoo has three Raccoons on exhibit. Chewy is our elder male raccoon that came to the Zoo as an orphaned animal in July 2009. James and Rocket came to the Zoo in 2018 after being orphaned in the wild and needing a home. Like raccoons in the wild, they enjoy climbing (and sleeping!) through the day high in their juniper inside the enclosure.
RINGTAIL
The Navajo Zoo has one male Ringtail (or sometimes called 'Ringtail Cat') on exhibit in our Discovery Center. He was acquired in 2010 from Tucson, where he was found orphaned in the attic of a resident's home. He was given the name 'Hoop' after he had been adopted through our Adopt-an-Animal Program.
RABBIT
The Navajo Zoo has two awfully-cute domestic rabbits that occupy an enclosure inside the Discovery Center. They were acquired as a mom-daughter pair from a local breeder in nearby Gallup NM. They were named "Tibbar" and "Fluffy" when they were first adopted through our Adopt-an-Animal Program.