Prague — A baby Chinese pangolin was born last week at Prague Zoo.the second in less than two years, and it is growing well, defying the odds and surprising those responsible for the park.
The female, who belongs to a species of mammal in critical risk of extinctionwas born on July 1. It is the second Chinese pangolin to be born in captivity in Europe after her sister, Cone, who was born in February last year.
Although at first The calf weighed just 4.97 ounces, was gaining about 0.3 ounces a day and could reach 8.8 ounces this week, according to the zoo. Adults can weigh up to 15 pounds..
When eThe park welcomed Guo Bao, a male, and Run Hou Tang, a female, from the Taipei Zoo in 2022.The main goal for the park’s main breeder was to keep the mammals alive and healthy, park director Miroslav Bobek said Wednesday.
“We were certainly hoping for a baby to be born someday in the future, but absolutely no one expected us to have two in a year and a half.“Bobek said.
The Chinese pangolin is native to southern China and Southeast Asia.It is one of four species of pangolin in Asia, with others in Africa. They are hunted intensively for their scales and meat.
Breeding pangolins in captivity is difficult because they require a specific diet of drone larvae and require specific humidity and temperature in their enclosure.
Prague is only the second European zoo to have specimens.
The pangolins arrived in the country after Prague decided to revoke a city-twinning agreement with Beijing and signed a similar deal in 2020 with the Taiwanese capital Taipei. The deal caused tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. The agreement included cooperation between zoos in Taipei and Prague.