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ROYAL OAK, Mich., June 10, 2009 – Detroit Zoo visitors are in for a sweet treat as the barnyard’s newest bovine resident makes his debut. The 1-year-old belted Galloway steer, named Dozier, resembles a giant Oreo cookie with a creamy-white midsection sandwiched between jet-black front and hind quarters.
“One of our goals is to expand the barnyard animal population and introduce visitors to different breeds of cattle. We’re excited to have such a beautiful, albeit unusual-looking, cow to add to the mix,” said Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare Scott Carter.
The belted Galloway steer, commonly referred to as a beltie, is a Scottish breed of cattle originating from Galloway that migrated to the United States in the 1850s. Most belties are predominately black with a distinctive broad band of white around the middle.
The belted Galloway steer is a naturally polled – or hornless – breed equipped with a double coat of hair which provides protection from harsh weather conditions. A mature beltie can weigh approximately 1,800 to 2,000 pounds.
Dozier joined the Detroit Zoo from the Hendershot family farm in Spencer Township, Ohio. In recognition of the farm’s generous donation, the Zoo renamed the steer, formerly called Bodie, after the owner’s son, Dozier Hendershot. The young beltie joins the Zoo’s other bovine residents, Scottish Highland steer, MacGregor, and domestic yak, Novus.
Dozier is one of several new animals to be celebrated at the Detroit Zoological Society’s annual Sunset at the Zoo fundraiser gala on Friday, June 19, 2009, 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The year’s wildest party, themed “Celebrating Our New Arrivals”, features a strolling supper, zoo-themed martinis, live entertainment, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Tickets for Sunset at the Zoo range from $150 to $600 per person and can be ordered by phone at (248) 541-5717 ext. 3750 or online at www.detroitzoo.org.
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October (open at 9 a.m. May 1 through Labor Day) – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Admission is free. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.
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