After a voyage of more than 300 miles, five new Patagonian cavies are on display at the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing.
The cavies, which were quarantined for the past month in the zoo, were first shown to the public last week.
The long-legged rodents, a relative of the guinea pig, look similar to a cross between a miniature deer and jackrabbit. With their long legs, cavies are able to jump 6 feet high.
Gerald Brady, director of the Potter Park Zoo, said the cavies are enjoying their new home.
"When you have a new exhibit, or a new animal, you get such a big boost in attendance," Brady said. "All of the other cavies in the U.S. are very rare."
The animals were donated to the Lansing zoo by the Toronto Zoo earlier this summer.
Maria Franke, curator of mammals for the Toronto Zoo, said after learning about the mauling deaths of three cavies at Potter Park Zoo in June, the Toronto Zoo requested to help by donating the South American animals. In June, two dogs sneaked into the zoo and mauled three of the cavies.
"We worked before with the Potter Park Zoo," Franke said. "When we heard about the horrible situation with the dogs, we decided to help."
The Potter Park Zoo worked to prevent future attacks on its animals by adding additional fencing around the exhibit and pouring concrete under several gates in the park to prevent outside animals from trespassing.
Even after inspections by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Brady is still baffled by the attacks.
"All of the places that we thought were weak, we corrected," Brady said. "We still can not find how the dogs got in."
Although three cavies were killed during the attacks, one female survived with injuries, and Brady said it's adapting well with the new additions.
Mark Marquardt, a zookeeper at Potter Park Zoo, said the transition was not hard for the lone survivor.
"We didn't have to do much," Marquardt said. "They got along fine. There were no quarrels — it was happy."
Cavies are a valuable addition to the park because of their adaptability to cold weather, and Brady said even during the winter months, cavies are active.
"They grow an extra hair coat and run around — it is a unique species for a cold zoo," Brady said.
"They like to walk around and eat," he added. "They are very docile and friendly."
