![]() ![]() “It feels like a pencil eraser, and you can actually see the pores. They look almost flat, because the orientation of their limbs is different.” One of a KindĮven up close, “A platypus’s bill looks as though it’s been glued on,” says Luis. ![]() Luis compares their size to a cat-“but without the long legs. When he finally met one at the Taronga Zoo, “My first thought was that they are a lot smaller than I imagined.” From the rubbery beak to the tip of the pudgy tail, most platypuses are between 16 and 24 inches long and weigh less than 6 pounds. Like most of us, Luis had never seen a platypus before. His training covered feeding, care, and handling protocols. Safari Park senior mammal keeper Luis Ochoa spent eight weeks in Australia, training with the expert platypus keepers at the Taronga Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and the Melbourne Zoo. “Experienced platypus husbandry staff also traveled with the animals from Australia, to monitor them during and after the transport. “They can adapt to many different environments, but we knew it would take them time to acclimate to their new environment after an overseas transport,” explains Meredith. (Photo © Nick de Vos) Planning and Preparationīefore the platypuses arrived, Safari Park animal keepers and Meredith Clancy, DVM, veterinarian at the Park, traveled to Australia to learn how to care for them. Meredith Clancy, DVM, gained firsthand experience examining and treating platypuses, learning from expert veterinarians in Australia.
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