Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden has a new resident, and she’s making herself at home.
Patty, a Sichuan takin, recently joined female takin Dawa and male takin Xing Fu in Mesker’s Asia loop. Patty came to Mesker from Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana.
Patty, age 4, “is a very curious gal,” says Blake Shockley, marketing manager at Mesker Park Zoo.
“She loves to stand on the rocks and stare at our female Amur tiger, Nuri, for hours on end. Her keepers would describe her as very spunky, and she wants to know what they’re doing behind the fence and in the barn,” he says.
Patty is “getting along great” with the exhibit’s two other takins, Shockley says. Her yellowish/white facial features help her stand out from Dawa and Xing Fu.
Mesker, at 1545 Mesker Park Drive on Evansville’s West Side, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Ticket prices for November-February are $9 for adults, $8 for children ages 3-12, and children 2 and under get free attendance. Visit Mesker Park Zoo for more information.
