More offspring at the zoo and the Oberrabenstein game reserve
There are more offspring at the zoo. Bactrian camel mare Siri gave birth to a female foal at the end of March. This is now Siri's sixth foal. The foal was christened Namika by the keepers. Mother and foal are doing well and are enjoying the weather together with stallion Dschingis and young mare Merle in the outdoor area. In bad weather, they can retreat to the dry stable. Merle is still a little unused to the sight of the little foal, so she keeps her distance. Father Dschingis, on the other hand, puts up with almost everything from his daughter, which is why Namika often seeks his company.
There is also good news to report from the Oberrabenstein wildlife enclosure. The first offspring for this year have arrived in the wild boar herd. The four newborns were first spotted by the keepers in mid-March. They are now estimated to be between four and five weeks old.
Incidentally, in hunting parlance, the birth of young wild boar is referred to as "freshening". Piglets in their first year of life are therefore also called "freshlings". They are usually born between February and June, with two thirds of all births occurring in March and April. It can therefore be assumed that in the near future some sows will be busy preparing the so-called fresh cauldron. This is a nest-like camp that the female builds from cut branches, grass or reeds. They will find plenty of suitable branches in the game enclosure. The newborns remain in this protective branch structure for the first one to two weeks of their lives.
Note: During the temporary closure of the zoo, please refrain from filming and photo requests. Thank you for your understanding.