SF Zoo Welcomes First Ever Guanaco Birth
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Like any new parent, Milagro has a tender touch when it comes to her first born at the San Francisco Zoo.
Zoo officials say the eight-year-old member of the Camelid family -- which includes guanacos, camels, llamas, alpacas and vicunas -- gave birth on August 20th and is adjusting well to being a new mother.
"Animal births are always exciting, but this one is extra special because it's the first guanaco birth at SF Zoo," said Tanya M. Peterson, President of the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. "2016 has been an abundant year and we are so fortunate to have yet another healthy mother and infant."
In recent months, SF Zoo welcomed a giraffe calf, anteater, and howler and patas monkeys.
The chulengo, not yet named, weighs between 15 and 30 pounds. She took her first steps about one hour after birth and is nursing and bonding with her mother.
Her father "Cusco" is three years old and mother "Milagro" is eight years old. Both guanacos are first-time parents.
Mother and infant are being given privacy to bond in area that is not publicly visible, but "Cusco" is in the main exhibit yard. The animal care team will determine in a number of weeks when the new mother and chulengo will rejoin the other animals.
Guanacos are a member of the Camelid family, along with camels, llamas, alpacas and vicunas. They are native to South America, where they are the largest wild mammal. Gestation periods are 11.5 months and most chulengos stay with their mother for about one year.
