Zoo Babies are at the Cincinnati Zoo Thanks to Specialized Matchmakers
CINCINNATI (May 1, 2019) – You can see a stork in the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden‘s Africa habitat, but you won’t see one delivering babies! The Zoo Babies that are being celebrated at the Zoo throughout May are not the result of a happy accident or special delivery. Expert matchmakers from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs put careful thought into which animals in the Zoo population should be put together for breeding.
“SSPs make pairing recommendations with the goal to make Zoo populations as genetically diverse and healthy as possible,” said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “But, sometimes the animals they match just don’t like each other! That was the case with the first male that we introduced to Isla, our female tamandua. Things clicked, however, with bachelor #2 and now we have a baby tamandua!”
Things also clicked right away for baby hippo Fiona’s parents, Bibi and Henry. In fact, she arrived less than eight months after they were introduced!
Two-year-old Fiona is one of the babies that visitors will see during the month-long Zoo Babies celebration, presented by First Financial Bank. Others include little blue penguins, colobus monkeys, a tamandua, Guam rails and other rare birds, and several reptiles and insects. Six-foot-tall stork signs mark the spots where babies can be found. Click here for a complete list of Zoo Babies.
“No question that baby animals are adorable, but they’re also great ambassadors for their species,” said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “They can inspire visitors to care about their wild counterparts and take action to protect them.”
Bring the special women in your life to see the babies on Mother’s Day! Moms get free admission on Sunday, May 12, courtesy of TriHealth.
Zoo Babies starts today and runs through May 31! The event is FREE with regular Zoo admission. The Zoo opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Cincinnati Zoo members enjoy early entry at 9 a.m. For more information visit www.cincinnatizoo.org.