Almaty Zoo Welcomes First Raccoon Cubs in Almost Two Decades

Raccoon cubs have been born at Almaty Zoo for the first time in almost 20 years. A pair named Archie and Bella had three cubs, Orda.kz reports, citing the zoo’s press service.

The cubs were born on April 27. They spent their first months in a shelter with their mother. Bella protected her offspring and did not allow strangers near them.

After the cubs grew stronger and became more independent, they began going out into the large enclosure. Visitors can now watch them explore their surroundings.

Gauhar Sergibayeva, head of the Predatory Mammals department, said the zoo has not yet determined the cubs’ sex, so their names will be chosen later. She also explained how raccoons’ diet changes in the first months of life.

At birth, raccoon cubs weigh only 60–70 grams. They are born blind and deaf and are completely dependent on their mother. In the first weeks of life, their diet consists only of mother’s milk. As they grow, the cubs gradually switch to adult food. They are now already trying meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and oatmeal — the same food their parents eat,Sergibayeva said.

The raccoon family lives in the farthest enclosure of the leopard circle, a complex of predator enclosures located opposite the giraffe exhibit.

The zoo invited visitors to meet the new residents and reminded them that the animals need a calm environment. Specialists hope the cubs will grow and develop successfully, and that their birth will help draw attention to animal conservation in modern zoos.

Original author: Daria Malkova

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