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Almaty Zoo welcomes first raccoon kits in 20 years
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

Almaty Zoo welcomes first raccoon kits in 20 years

From Tengrinews · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Raccoons, unseen in the Almaty Zoo for two decades, have successfully bred, with kits born on April 27.
  • The mother raccoon initially kept her offspring hidden, but they are now exploring their main enclosure as they grow stronger.
  • Zoo officials detailed the kits' diet, noting their dependence on mother's milk initially before transitioning to solid foods, and provided viewing information for visitors.

Almaty Zoo is celebrating a rare event: the birth of raccoon kits for the first time in 20 years. The new arrivals, born on April 27, were kept hidden by their mother for the first few months. Now that they are stronger, the kits are beginning to explore their main enclosure. The sex of the kits has not yet been determined, and their names will be decided later.

Gaukhar Sergibayeva, head of the Carnivorous Mammals Department, explained that newborn raccoons weigh only 60–70 grams and are completely dependent on their mother. "They are born blind and deaf, relying completely on their mother. In their first weeks of life, their diet consists exclusively of breast milk," she said. As they mature, they gradually transition to adult food, and are now trying the same foods as their parents, including meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and oatmeal.

Visitors can see the raccoon family in an enclosure within the "Leopard Circle," located opposite the giraffe exhibit at the zoo.

They are born blind and deaf, relying completely on their mother. In their first weeks of life, their diet consists exclusively of breast milk.

— Gaukhar SergibayevaHead of the Carnivorous Mammals Department, describing the early life and diet of newborn raccoons.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tengrinews in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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