WILD ANIMAL PARK NURSERY BRIMMING WITH BABIES

More Than a Dozen Young Exotic Goats, Sheep and Antelope hopping about

There's quite a springtime baby boom going on at the San Diego Zoos Wild Animal Park- about 100 young exotic animals are playing in the field exhibits right now. Guests to the Wild Animal Park don't need binoculars to get a close-up view of the adorable antics of the Parks adolescents because 14 more goats, sheep and antelope are growing up in the nursery. At the nursery, Wild Animal Park guests can watch bottle feedings and see the young animals at play. Among the delightful creatures practicing their leaps and head-butting are fuzzy Turkomen markhors,  striped nyalas and spotted East African sitatungas.

"While we prefer that our baby animals are raised by their mothers in our wide-open field exhibits at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, sometimes that isn't possible due to medical problems or a mother's inexperience," said Kevin Yates, a senior keeper. "In those cases, we raise them in our nursery where guests can watch them grow up.

"We have babies on view here in the nursery almost year-round; some days it is cheetahs and rhinos and on others, like today, its leaping goats and antelope."

The 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is operated by the not-for-profit San Diego Zoo and includes a 900-acre native species reserve. The San Diego Zoo focuses on the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife, and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections.  The Zoo also manages the San Diego Zoo's Beckman Center for Conservation Research.  The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.