LAKE ARIEL, Pa. — Xerxes and Ramses are the two newest wild cat additions at Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park near Lake Ariel.
The caracal brothers just made their debut.
"Very excited to have them. Again, they're very active, so I think they're going to be kind of a crowd favorite. I think people are going to love watching them," said Pamela Voglino, the head zookeeper.
Voglino says the cats are four months old and are getting used to their surroundings. It has been a big transition for both the animals and zookeepers.
"We have to monitor how much they're eating, make sure they're going to the bathroom, and we also want them to kind of get to know us a little bit, so while they're young enough, we do go in there with them," Voglino said.
While the two brothers are small for now, and this is their nursery, the zookeeper says they're preparing for a much larger enclosure for them in the future.
"They get to be somewhere around 30 to 40-ish pounds. So smaller than a mountain lion, bigger than a bobcat or a serval. Very long and lean, very active," Voglino said.
Caracals are native to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia and are best known for their large, pointy ears.
That's why the zookeeper says it was important to add the brothers to the zoo's family.
"Most people are not familiar with a caracal, and a lot of people have never seen one in real life, so we thought that might be interesting for people to come to the zoo and see something that never seen before."
There is still time to visit the caracals.
Boo at the Zoo will take place this year on Columbus Day weekend. If you dress up in a costume, you'll receive a discount on admission. The animal parade will also take place.
For information on dates, click here.
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