Kid Territory: Critters: One-eyed Winky

Winky is a favorite with visitors to the Wild Animal Park's Petting Kraal.

Early mornings are time to run and play!

Having just one eye has not slowed Winky down at all!

Name: Winky
Species: Persian goitered gazelle
Location: Wild Animal Park's Petting Kraal

Her story

Winky was born at the Wild Animal Park in May 2003 and bottle-fed when keepers saw she was not nursing properly. Winky then broke her jaw when she was just seven months old. Exactly how the injury occurred is still a mystery, but you know those young and wild bouncy gazelles!

While recovering from her injury, veterinarians discovered that she had a disease in her left eye called glaucoma and decided that the eye should be removed. Because a missing eye could cause problems with larger animals in the huge field exhibit, and because she had such a sweet disposition, keepers decided she would make an excellent addition to the Petting Kraal! She recovered from her health issues and was moved to the Kraal in July 2004.

So soft

Winky had a rough start, but she’s doing marvelously well now! She is healthy and has a very soft coat. One visitor said, “This one is so soft!” Her eye has healed and doesn’t hurt anymore. She doesn’t even seem to mind having only one eye. Keepers thought she might be more timid, but she is actually more tolerant than other Persian goitered gazelles and doesn’t scare easily.

Food is fun!

One of her keepers says that Winky (also known as “Winkers”) is a “really good girl” and “smart” because she always knows where the food is! Winky is fed a variety of foods: Bermuda and Sudan hays, high-fiber pellets, acacia, and folivore biscuits are on the menu. Her favorite treats are acacia leaves and folivore biscuits hidden in her hay.

One of Winky’s favorite pastimes, other than eating, is playing in the water and investigating new soil provided by her keepers. Early in the morning, she enjoys having a light water bath and standing under the misters. When piles of new soil (a mixture of sand and granite) are provided, she loves to sniff and taste it. To make sure that Winky doesn’t get bored, keepers will hide her favorite treats so she has to find them.

Morning workouts

In the early mornings, Winky and the other Persian goitered gazelles like to run around the Petting Kraal, head-butt, jump around, and do something called stotting (jumping straight up in the air). It may seem like they’re just playing, but in the wild these behaviors are very important when it comes to not getting eaten! Stotting and jumping let predators know that they’re really healthy, strong, and won’t be easy to catch. Don’t worry, no one is going to eat Winky at the Park, but she still tries to convince everyone that she won’t be easy to catch!

Where can you see her?

Winky is always at the Petting Kraal, so you can visit her any day. Winky’s favorite hangout spot is in the shade to the right of the animal break area. She will tuck herself into a little ball in this quiet spot where there isn’t as much visitor traffic. Because Persian goitered gazelles don’t spend time in groups, Winky likes her alone time.