She may be new to the area, but Makena the dwarf mongoose is already settling in at the Oregon Zoo’s Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. Makena spent her first day on exhibit interacting with Stumpy, the zoo’s other mongoose, and exploring her living quarters, which include a comfy heated den and a lofty termite mound.

Dwarf mongooses are native to sub-Saharan Africa and have the distinction of being the continent’s smallest carnivore; usually, they are less than a foot long. Like all dwarf mongooses, Makena is short and stocky with a pointed muzzle and long tail. She was born in 2008 at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb.Makena’s name is Kenyan and means “happy one.” Oregon Zoo keeper Diane Gould, who named Makena, says the name is a good fit for the mongoose’s personality.

Makena’s name is Kenyan and means “happy one.” Oregon Zoo keeper Diane Gould, who named Makena, says the name is a good fit for the mongoose’s personality.According to keepers, Makena and Stumpy are getting along
well and can frequently be seen playing together. Both enjoy lots of different
toys and enrichment items, but they are particularly fond of cardboard tubes.

Thanks to the creative efforts of the zoo’s exhibit design team, children can get an eye-level look at the mongooses from within an acrylic bubble that pops into the animals’ enclosure. Makena and Stumpy share their enclosure with the zoo’s
red-billed hornbill. This cohabitation replicates the species’ relationship in the wild: Dwarf mongooses and hornbills often feed together, and both benefit from the arrangement. Mongooses disturb insects that the hornbills pounce on, and hornbills alert the mongooses to danger from approaching predators by making loud calls.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.