Charles Paddock Zoo gave KSBY a glimpse into their baby animals Friday.
“Often when we have baby animals the problem is they need specialized care or they have to be monitored so they are not out on public display where the public can see them,” Zoo Director Alan Baker said.
To show the public these new animals while maintaining the animals’ well-being, the zoo welcomed the press for viewers to gain a special preview.
The new arrivals include radiated tortoises, a prehensile-tailed porcupine and a roadrunner.
While the public can already see the porcupine on display, the other animals will not be shown until they’re considerably bigger.
“[The radiated tortoises] are the size of a ping pong ball, so we can't really put them out on display very easily because a jay will come by and grab them or something like that,” Baker said.
The roadrunner may never come on display, since he was bred specifically for genetics. Baker expects he will be sent to another zoo to be paired with a female when he matures.
The number of newborns depends on the species, but all animals are a part of a genetically-matched breeding program to get animals back in the wild.
The Zoo tells KSBY the flamingos are currently in the breeding season, so we can expect to see some baby flamingos at the zoo around June this year
Those interested in volunteering with the Charles Paddock Zoo can visit charlespaddockzoo.org to help with animal-related activities and zoo events.
