Baby luck at ZooParc Overloon: ten animals born

As many as ten animals were born in ZooParc, namely three forest dogs, four Asian clawed otters and three African penguins. The zoo in Overloon is very pleased with the births, as these animals are vulnerable or even endangered in the wild.

Forest dogs are found in the wet and forested areas of Central and South America. These predators have a tough time in the wild. Their habitat is becoming smaller and smaller due to the rise of large-scale agriculture. In addition, they are hunted and die from diseases originating from domestic dogs.

Special birth
"The birth of the forest dogs is very special for ZooParc, as it is the first time this species is born in our park. In addition, these animals can only be seen in three places in the Netherlands" says head zookeeper Steven van den Heuvel. There are three males and both mother Kima and the puppies are doing very well. For now, the animals are still in their indoor enclosure. As soon as it gets warmer, they will also start exploring their outdoor enclosure in the expedition area Madidi.

Forest dogs are the best swimmers of all wild dogs. This is because they have partial flippers between their toes. This allows this species to travel considerable distances in the water and even dive into the water. In addition, these predators live and hunt in groups averaging two to six animals. Because they hunt together, it is possible to catch prey many times larger than themselves.

Four young Asian clawed otters
Four Asian small-clawed otters were also born at ZooParc. These animals live in the wild in southern India and southern China. The mother and young are doing well and they can already be seen outside regularly. This species also has a hard time in the wild. This is because the otters' habitat is being reduced by deforestation.

In addition, three African penguins also hatched. This species lives in Southwest Africa. "We are very happy about the birth of the penguins, because in the wild this species is endangered. This is because the animals' habitat is disappearing due to oil dumping at sea and overfishing, among other things," says Van den Heuvel.

Ninety percent decreased
In the last hundred years, the population of these penguins has declined by ninety percent. Therefore, there is a European management program for these animals. With this program, European zoos want to contribute to the survival of species threatened in the wild. The births of the penguin chicks in ZooParc also fall under this management program.

In addition, ZooParc supports SANCCOB in South Africa through Stichting Wildlife. This organization takes in sick, abandoned and injured African penguins and releases these animals back into the wild as soon as they are better.

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