EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens are welcoming a new group of animals that were born this spring, the City said in a press release.
The City says the new additions include an Inca tern chick, a Magellanic penguin chick, two pronghorn fawns, two marbled teal ducklings, and three white-nosed coati kits.
The City says the Inca tern chick was born in April and can be seen in the Aviary. Inca terns are known for their white “mustaches” and are facing declines due to reduced fish availability in their native South America, the City said.
The Magellanic penguin was born in May and will soon be learning to swim and explore its habitat. A blood test will determine the penguin’s gender.
The two pronghorn fawns were also born in May and are among the “fastest land mammals, reaching speeds up to 60 mph,” the City said.
The two ducklings were also born in May. The species “continues to decline due to habitat loss and pressures from hunting and egg collection,” the City said.
The three coati kits were also born in May. They live in social groups called bands and are most common in Central and South America. “Coatis are raccoon relatives with long snouts, masked faces, and upright tails,” the City said.
“Several of the new additions belong to species with declining populations in the wild. The marbled teal and Inca tern are classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature,” the City said.
The El Paso Zoo houses animals representing over 220 species, including critically endangered species.
To learn more about the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens, click here: www.ElPasoZoo.org.
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