The David Traylor has new residents — three of them, to be exact.
The zoo says three hedgehog tenrecs were born June 16. The mother and babies are doing well.
The animals are part of the Mission Madagascar exhibit because their native habitat is Madagascar. Adult tenrecs grow up to seven inches in length. Primarily nocturnal animals, the babies go from relatively undeveloped to independent in a month. For the most part, they are covered in spines, although fine hairs cover their paws and bellies.
The tenrecs are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. This marks the third birth at the zoo since Mission Madagascar opened in 2016.
This comes as the zoo’s baby bison continues to flourish. Zoo Director Lisa Keith says both calf and mother, Beulah, are doing well. Shortly after the calf was born, zoo staff were planning to have it go to another zoo, but plans are apparently changing and the calf may stay here instead. With that in mind, Keith says zoo employees are coming up with “B” names but haven’t decided on how choose a name just yet.