A baby Chinese pangolin was born at the Prague Zoo on July 1st.
This is the second Chinese pangolin born at the zoo within less than two years, signaling a hopeful advancement in the conservation of this endangered species.
A Surprise Success
The zoo had received a male and a female pangolin from Taiwan in 2022.
Zoo director Miroslav Bobek expressed his delight and surprise at the birth of the second pangolin: "We had of course hoped that one day in the future a baby would be born, but absolutely no one expected that we would have two in a year and a half," Bobek said.
Habitat and Threats
Chinese pangolins are native to southern China and Southeast Asia and are one of four pangolin species found in Asia, with others located in Africa.
These animals are heavily targeted by hunters for their scales and meat, making their conservation in captivity important to prevent extinction.
But breeding pangolins in captivity is notoriously difficult due to their specialized dietary and environmental needs.
They require specific food, such as drone larvae, and need a particular humidity and temperature in their enclosure to thrive.
The newborn pangolin weighed only 141 grams at birth but has been gaining about ten grams per day, according to the zoo.
Adult Chinese pangolins can weigh up to 6.8 kilograms.
