A pint-sized baby goat and his mom arrived at the Oregon Zoo last week. Born on November 24 at the zoo’s Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, the new kid, whose name is Bruce Wayne, can be seen exploring his surroundings at the Family Farm with his mom Lilac. His name comes from the DC Comics character — also known as Batman — in honor of his father Justice (as in DC’s “Justice League,” of which Batman is a member).
“We’re so excited to welcome these two to the herd,” said Tanya Paul, who oversees the animals at the zoo’s Family Farm. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on Lilac since Bruce was born, and now that they’re here we can continue to make sure both mom and baby are happy and healthy.”
Bruce can be proud of his roots. Parents Lilac and Justice are part of the herd at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located on Metro-owned open land in rural Clackamas County. There, goats help out the resident California condors by eating wild vegetation, including invasive plant species like English ivy and Himalayan blackberry. When Bruce is big enough, he’ll spend part of his time there as well.
"That will be great for both animal welfare and species conservation," Paul said. "It will be an enriching new experience for the goats and at the same time it will help our efforts to save critically endangered California condors."
This new arrival makes Bruce Wayne officially the tiniest goat in the barn. Previous title holders Ruth and Sonia, stars of the popular series Tiny Goat Visits, are spending some time at the Jonsson Center themselves. As they approach their first birthdays, it’s especially important for their stomach and teeth development that they eat a variety of vegetation. Fans of the show needn’t worry though: Ruth and Sonia will be back, and in the meantime, Bruce might appear in a new season of the series.
Visitors to the zoo can catch a glimpse of tiny Bruce Wayne and his mom as they settle into their new home at the Family Farm.
