CINCINNATI — Zoo Babies, the celebration of cute little animals, is back at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden this month.
There will be little blue penguins, colobus monkeys, a tamandua, Guam rails and other rare birds, several reptiles and insects at the zoo as part of this year's Zoo Babies. The full list is available on the zoo's website.
The event is the result of careful matchmaking by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan (SSP), according to Thane Maynard, the director of the zoo.
"SSPs make pairing recommendations with the goal to make zoo populations as genetically diverse and healthy as possible," he said.
The most famous success story from the program is Fiona, the hippo who was born six weeks premature but survived thanks to the dedicated care she was given. Her parents had been introduced less than eight months before she was born.
"No question that baby animals are adorable, but they're also great ambassadors for their species," Maynard said. "They can inspire visitors to care about their wild counterparts and take action to protect them."
Zoo Babies runs through May 31.
