The Stone has two new arrivals in the form of a markhor kid and a Caribbean flamingo.
An endangered markhor kid was born on May 23rd. This marks the first time that a markhor has been successfully bred at the zoo since 2004. He joins three other markhor who currently live at the zoo.
Assistant curator of Stone Zoo, Pete Costello said, “This is an incredibly exciting birth and we are thrilled to share this news with everyone. The mother is very attentive and is doing everything she should be doing. These animals are skilled climbers suited to rough, rocky terrain, and it’s amazing to observe the agility in the kid at such a young age.”
Stone Zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). This plan coordinates captive breeding of these wild goats to ensure that the population is genetically diverse.
Markhor come from Northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Here they live in the mountains above the tree line. Males are recognisable due to their 1.5m (5ft) long spiralling horns.
On June 12 the zoo’s first flamingo chick of the season hatched. 23 eggs have been laid this year so keepers are hopeful that more will hatch as time goes on.
The new chick is currently white and fluffy and will grow those distinct scarlet feathers as they continue to grow. Both parents are playing their part in rearing this chick.
Stone Zoo is a Caribbean flamingo love shack having bred 79 birds since their first hatch in 1994. They provide perfect conditions for the flamingos to breed include mud for nesting, access to water and a large group. The zoo’s group currently includes 48 birds the eldest of which is 46.
Photo Credit: Zoo New England/ Dayle Sullivan-Taylor
