New Babies Born at the Central Park Zoo
Zookeepers at the Central Park Zoo feel like proud parents. Four new dwarf mongooses (yes, that is the plural!) and four new banded mongooses joined the Central Park Zoo family during the last week of October — the first of their kinds to be born at Manhattan’s charming zoological park.
According to Jeff Sailer, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s City Zoos, these newborn weasel-like carnivores, which originate in southern Eurasia and mainland Africa, are behaving a lot like human kids — playing with each other and getting to know their home, the TropicZone area of the Central Park Zoo. This area of the zoo was renovated to prepare for the birth of the eight pups, as well as another new arrival — the Mountain coatimundi, a South American raccoon-type animal.
In addition to meeting the new mongoose families, autumn is a great time to visit the entire range of animals that make the Central Park Zoo their home. You can meet wildlife from the two ends of the earth, the Arctic polar bears and the Antarctic penguins, thrill with the snow leopards, or warm up at the tropical rainforest exhibit. Of course, the Children’s Zoo is always a hit with the younger set, so get ready to pet those alpacas and sheep.
In a word, the Central Park Zoo’s size, location and diversity make it the perfect animal experience for your family.
Important note: November 1st marked the first day of fall/winter hours at Central Park Zoo. The Zoo will be open daily from 10:00 am until 4:30 pm until spring.
