NEWS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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Sept. 22, 2011
| CONTACT: | |
| Cheryl Piropato, Education Director 260-427-6803 Click to E-mail Cheryl |
Zoo Baby Boom
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo has experienced a late summer baby
boom! A baby swamp monkey, two wildebeest calves,
a sitatunga calf, and up to seven kangaroo joeys recently joined the
zoo family.
Born on September 8, a female infant is the latest addition to the
African Journey swamp monkey troop. The new baby spends most
of her time with mother Brie, but big sisters Izzy and Calvin and
big brother Anderson are extremely interested in the new arrival.
Keepers have not yet named the baby.
The wildebeest herd grew with two new additions this summer.
Miqueas, a male, was born on July 6. At that time, the entire
wildebeest herd was in an off-exhibit yard to protect the baby from
the zebras, who can be aggressive toward wildebeest calves. On
September 13, just one day after the wildebeest moved back onto the
savannah, a second calf was born as zoo guests watched.
Tiny kangaroo joeys are starting to peek out of pouches in the
Australian Adventure. Zoo keepers expected a population surge
when Mako, an adult male kangaroo, arrived at the zoo this spring.
Keepers believe that up to seven of our female kangaroos may be
carrying joeys of varying ages.
Meanwhile, keepers have confirmed the sex of a sitatunga baby born
August 25 as a male and named him Link. Sitatungas are a marsh
antelope native to Africa.
Zoo goers have just a few weeks left to see the new babies – the zoo
closes for the season on Sunday, October 9.
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