Science & Nature
Pangolin Pup Born at Brookfield Zoo Already Has Impeccable Timing
Brookfield Zoo Chicago has announced the arrival of a new pangopup. The baby pangolin and its mom are doing well, officials said. (Courtesy Brookfield Zoo Chicago)
Well someone certainly knows how to make an entrance.
Brookfield Zoo has announced the arrival of a new pangopup — a baby white-bellied pangolin — just in time for World Pangolin Day on Saturday.
The newcomer and mom Rosy have been examined by the zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams and are doing well, Brookfield Zoo officials said in a statement.
This latest pangolin birth is the tenth at Brookfield in the last decade, and the zoo is still on pangopup watch, with 11-year-old Virginia also pregnant.
With each pangopup birth, conservationists gain new insights into fetal development and neonatal care, which better informs the animal’s future care either in the wild or at zoos and rehabilitation centers.
“Every insight matters for a species like pangolins, where so much of their biology remains understudied,” said Mark Wanner, associate vice president of animal care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, who also serves as chair of the North American Pangolin Consortium.
“Brookfield Zoo Chicago is filling critical knowledge gaps and skill development for pangolin care that are essential for their survival,” Wanner added.
All eight species of pangolins, which are native to Asia and Africa, are threatened with extinction. In addition to wildlife trafficking — millions of pangolins have been poached in just the last decade alone — the unusual-looking scale-covered mammals also suffer from habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, and human-wildlife conflict.
Brookfield Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums recently announced the launch of a new AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction pangolin program, which will align research, animal care, field conservation partnerships and public engagement under a unified conservation strategy.
While Rosy and her baby remain behind the scenes, visitors to Brookfield Zoo can see a pangolin in the Africa forest habitat, the only place in the U.S. where the pangolin is on view.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
