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We’re delighted to share that a healthy southern tamandua pup was born in the early morning hours of Monday, September 7 to parents Winnie and Santiago.
Though this little one arrived nearly a month ahead of schedule, it was born fully developed and at a healthy weight. Winnie showed good maternal instincts, but nursing didn’t come quite as naturally to mom and baby at first. Our Animal Care and Veterinary Medicine teams stepped in with around-the-clock bottle feedings while working with Winnie and her pup to help them navigate nursing.
Thanks to the trusting relationship Winnie has built with her care team and years of voluntary training, she’s comfortable choosing to participate in her own care. That trust and training became especially valuable over the last few weeks, allowing our teams to assist with helping the pup figure out how to nurse from Winnie.
We’re happy to share that the pup is now nursing regularly from Winnie while our team continues to provide supplemental feedings and closely monitor their progress. Winnie has been patient and attentive throughout, spending nearly all of her time with her pup in their nest box. This moment is especially meaningful for Winnie, who lost her first pup last year. Seeing her care for this little one has been incredibly exciting and rewarding for our dedicated teams.
As Animal Ambassadors, Winnie, Santiago and their new pup live behind the scenes with the rest of our ambassadors. The pup will continue growing alongside Winnie in their cozy nest box until it is ready to latch onto the base of Winnie’s tail to come out and explore with mom as they would naturally do in the wild.
While this little one is staying out of the spotlight for now, there may be a chance to meet them in the coming months as they get older! In the meantime, say hi to this perfect pup in our latest Baby Bulletin, presented by Intermountain Health
Baby Bulletin, presented by Intermountain Health
