Spring brings a baby boom at the Living Desert

Spring has sprung at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert with a baby boom!

Since mid March, zoo officials say eighteen babies have been born. A spotted calf, a cuddly kid, three adventurous lambs, four sand kittens, six painted pups, and making history, the first chicoan pecary birth with three brand new baby piglets.

Living Desert officials said a lot of strategy goes into breeding. The zoo’s share in a global cooperation, sharing animals based on genetics.

“It’s much like animal match dot com,” said Roxanna Breitigan, director of animal care at the Living Desert.

For now, these baby critters will stick around in the desert. Critters like the litter of endangered African wild dog puppies.

“There’s only about 5,000 left in the entire world and so Zoo’s in North America are an important part of building up an insurance population to make sure they do not go extinct,” said Allen Monroe, president and CEO of the Living Desert.

The puppies haven’t poked their heads out yet, in fact, zoo keepers haven’t even seen them. The species has a complex family structure, so mom and pups need some time alone for a few more weeks.

Also staying behind the scenes are four sand cat kittens born in the Desert Carnivore Conservation Center. This area is unavailable to the public and it’s where these newborns will stay.

“Hopefully, what we’re doing here in human care can translate to the wild species and help them in the wild as well,” Breitigan said.

But you can see Vickie Lou, the newest giraffe calf already exploring her exhibit and even pet a Nigerian dwarf goat kid.

The bighorn sheep lambs blend into their habitat but you might catch one racing down the rocks.

And sure to hog all the attention, the Argentinian pecary piglets are out to play with mom and dad.

“One of the ways we know animals are healthy and happy is they have babies and so we really attribute that to the care they get, our beautiful weather, and the homes they live in,” Breitigan said.