Jou-Jou Man
Black Beauty Ranch's latest arrival is affectionately known as the Jou-Jou Man -- a South American kinkajou. Kinkajous are nocturnal, tree-dwelling mammals in the raccoon family. They are furry with big eyes and ears (as you can see from the picture above) and they have prehensile tails that can be used for grasping branches.
The Jou-Jou Man came to Black Beauty Ranch after being retired from an education center in Connecticut. While living there he was kept on a reverse sleeping cycle with an artificial lighting system that caused him to stay awake during the day and sleep at night (the opposite of his natural sleeping pattern). When he arrived at Black Beauty, the kinkajou exhibited behaviors common to wild animals in captivity, such as rocking back and forth and banging his head on his enclosure, and we knew we needed to do some creative rehabilitation. We built the Jou-Jou Man a nesting box at the top of an enormous red oak tree near the house and placed a protective fence around its base. We also contrived a rope-ladder and pulley system that allowed us to climb the tree daily to feed and visit with the Jou-Jou Man. This arrangement would allow the Jou-Jou Man to live completely free in a natural environment where he could still be closely monitored while adapting to his new life.
When the spring growing season was in full bloom, we took the Jou-Jou Man to the base of the tree where his new home was located and allowed him to scamper up the trunk and into his nest box. In no time at all, he adapted to his new, natural environment. He began sleeping during the day and coming out only in the evening, he gained weight, and he lost his stereotypic and potentially damaging behaviors.
Now that winter is here and the leaves have fallen from the Jou-Jou Man's red oak tree (making him vulnerable to attack from such predators as the great horned owl), we've moved him to a warmer, safer home in the elephant barn where he has just been joined by a female kinkajou. But come spring time, when the cold diminishes and the leaves begin to bloom, the Jou-Jou Man and his new companion will once again be comfortable nestled atop the red oak tree.
