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Meet the animals: The unique and friendly faces at the Topsfield Fair

By Amanda McGregor
STAFF WRITER
Published: October 11, 2008

TOPSFIELD — The Topsfield Fair draws people far and wide for the food, games, entertainment, displays — and, of course, the animals.

This reporter roamed among hundreds of animals at the fair this week to find some notable ones to "interview."

Hanoverian (or Hannaverian)

What: German breed of horse

Name: June

Age: 17 years

Weight: 1,220 pounds

Job: Member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Distinguishing characteristic: June is the oldest horse on the tour, and she's the only one with a white blaze (stripe) down her face.

"She's also very light as far as our horses go; some of them are 1,400 to 1,500 pounds," said June's rider, Constable Meredith Darrah of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Personality: "She's a bit moody," Darrah said. "And she'll put up her hoof when she's asking for treats (the way a dog lifts its paw)."

Diet: Mix of oats and grains and "a lot of hay."

Favorite food: "She loves apples, and she really likes mints. Scotch mints, specifically," Darrah said.

Mini Rex

What: A breed of rabbit

Age: 10 weeks (male)

Weight: Under 3 pounds

Color: Broken black

Mini Rex traits: Short, thin fur that feels like velvet; grows to about 4 pounds

Personality: "The Mini Rex really makes a wonderful pet," said Marcia Thurkins, a member of the Essex County Rabbit and Cavy Association.

Diet: "The best diet is pellets and hay," Thurkins said. "Never greens; it gives them diarrhea. You can give them dry Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats. When they are full-grown, they can eat a small carrot every so often and a slice of banana or apple, but very sparingly."

Ring tailed lemur*

What: Primate typically from Madagascar

Traits: Spends most of its time on the ground but is an adept tree climber

Diet: Fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, sap and the occasional insect

Adult size: 5 to 6 pounds

Interesting traits: Male ringtails are equipped with scent glands on their wrists, which are used in "stink fighting" with a rival male.

Make some noise: Ring-tailed lemurs are one of the most vocal primates.

* Source: The Duke University Lemur Center

Lionhead

What: A new rabbit breed, part dwarf

Age: 8 weeks (male)

Weight: Less than 1 pound

Color: Vienna marked seal otter

Lionhead traits: Short fur in back and a fuzzy, fluffy mane in front like a lion.

Origin: "It's a very new breed that's been developed by cross-breeding," Thurkins said.

Camel

Name: Huey

Age: 21 years

Weight: 1,800 pounds

Daily diet: 80 pounds of hay (2 bales) and 10 pounds of grain

Snacks: Carrots and apples

Personality: "Excellent disposition. He likes to be petted on the head," David Call of the Commerford petting zoo said.

Eland

What: Antelope from Africa

Name: Poomba (male)

Age: 3 years

Diet: Fruit, seeds, leaves

Traits: Sharp, 2-foot-long horns

Personality: "He loves attention," Call said. "Anytime I'm near him, he'll start licking my arms and wants to be near me. But it's all about the food."

Photos