Derek

I am back to write another tribute article, this time of a lovely little coati named Derek. Derek was one of many of his species in our collection, in our special Coati Sector. Derek came to us just a year ago but became a beloved part of the Coati Sector zookeeper's lives.

Species

Coatimundi

Native Planet

Earth

Eggs and Bananas

Derek was OBSESSED with eggs and bananas. He would gobble up any raw eggs you gave him, so every morning I ran down to his enclosure to pop a raw egg in his tiny little hands.

I would also give him a whole banana to eat, peeled of course because he is old and lazy and I enjoy spoiling the animals. As well, because Derek was so old I felt he deserved more treats than other animals. While we do brag about how perfect our animal diets are, we are more lenient with our older folk and let them enjoy more treats once in a while.

Derek's Passing

It's always sad when we lose an animal, especially one who enjoys cuddles. Coatis are very charismatic animals and always leave a lasting impact on our zookeepers, Derek included. Many of the zookeepers who got to feed Derek say he was the cuddliest of all the coatis we had.

A bench next to the white-nosed coatienclosure was built to remember this lovely little animal. I like to sit on the bench once in a while with a nice hot drink and remember the times we shared.

This article is brought to you by Sandra.

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