CRESTVIEW — Honey and her friends, Pixie, Andy and Jekyll, transplants from New England's snowy climes to Florida's sunshine, have happily settled into life here.
But there will be no bingo and Mahjong for this quartet, which includes a black bear, Patas monkey and a pair of ravens, respectively, that are the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park's newest residents.
The Deerland zoo acquired the animals from Forest Park Zoo in Springfield, Mass.
Forest Park Zoo Director John Lewis drove the animals to Crestview, arriving Wednesday afternoon.
Honey immediately settled in her new home, taking a dip in her pool and enjoying respite from snow still on the ground in Massachusetts.
"She was just waking up from hibernating, (and) then she gets to come down to the lovely Florida weather," Wildlife Refuge zoo director Amanda Wilkerson said.
Soul mates
The 17-year-old, 325-pound Honey lost her mate two years ago, Wilkerson said.
The Crestview zoo's 24-year-old, Albert, was also single.
"We knew we wanted to get a bear for Albert, but it had to be the right bear," Wilkerson said, adding he needed a friend closer to his age and temperament.
While Lewis was visiting his daughter, Kristen, in Crestview, he learned about Albert's plight.
"He saw Albert by himself and knew he needed a friend," Wilkerson said. "For Albert it was love at first sight, but Honey is playing hard to get."
Until they become acclimated to each other, the bears share Albert's enclosure, but are temporarily separated by what zoologists call a "howdy fence."
Sergeant Pepper, the zoo's Patas monkey, also got a new friend when Pixie moved into his enclosure, also currently separated by a howdy fence.
"He was alone," Wilkerson said. "Now it's great he has a member of his own species to play with."
Birds of a feather
Ravens Andy and Jekyll's arrival delighted park zoologists who had not encountered the species up close before.
"They're huge," Wilkerson said. "We were kind of expecting a bigger version of a crow. These are substantial birds."
Wilkerson said the zoo's staff wants to have training so they can remove the birds from their enclosure and carry them on their gloved arms.
She praised Lewis and Forest Park Zoo's generosity.
"Working with him has been a great experience," she said. "He said, 'I don't want to take your money. I just want to do something that's mutually beneficial. It's all about the animals.'"
WANT TO GO?
The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park was established in 2013 at the site of the former Sasquatch Zoo.
Winter hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday
Admission: $8 adults; $5 children 2-10; children under 2: free.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Massachusetts zoo donates animals to Sasquatch Zoo