Big-eyed twins born at the El Paso Zoo
They have the cutest, most inquisitive look. And they are discovering El Paso.
Baby twin slow lorises, a male and female, are now on exhibit at the zoo. They were born April 26.
“We are excited about our first birth of pygmy slow lorises at the Zoo, especially because they are twins, said Collections Supervisor Griselda Martinez on a statement. “It’s evident that through our staff’s hard work and dedication, this has been a successful birth.”
The parents are named Steven Tyler and Kym Ly. The babies have yet to be named.
At birth, the male slow loris weighed in at 25 grams and the female weighed in at 27 grams. 25 grams is equivalent to about 2 tablespoons of white sugar, said zoo officials.
The staff monitored the pregnant loris carefully as part of a breeding program. A spokeswoman said Kym Ly learned many commands including how to hold steady for radiographs and exams, how to present her abdomen and mammary glands, among other things.
The staff is already working with the babies to learn how to climb on a branch to be weighed so that staff doesn’t have to touch them.
The animals are nocturnal, so zoo spokeswoman Karla Martinez asked visitors to be patient.
“We want to remind visitors to not tap on the glass if they can’t see the babies. Tapping on the glass will frighten them and cause them to hide. It can also cause stress for the mom and the babies,” she said.
