How does Madison’s zoo welcome two new Somali wild asses? Get a local coffee shop to brew up some Wild Ass coffee.
The asses are now on display at the Henry Vilas Zoo and were acquired thanks to donations made last December on Giving Tuesday.
Barriques, a chain of six coffee and wine stores in the Madison area, is commemorating the new zoo animals by launching Wild Ass Coffee, available at all six shops.
The blend uses beans from small family farms in the African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia; the ass is native to the African countries of Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The Somali wild ass is on the critically endangered list, with only about 600 animals left in the wild. There are about 200 in captivity, with 60 in North America.
“We’re delighted the Vilas Zoo is one of only nine in the country to host critically endangered Somali wild asses,” said Alison Prange, executive director of the Friends of the Henry Vilas Zoo.
The Dane County-owned zoo, one of the few free admission zoos in the country, is open every day.
