Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes Rocky Mountain goat kid
The baby goat is doing well and bonding with her mother Lena
First-time mother Lena spending time with her newly born kid (Photo courtesy of Cheyene Mountain Zoo).
At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on May 4, 2022, Rocky Mountain goat, Lena, delivered an 8-pound female kid who was up and walking around in minutes after birth. As this zoo has a tradition of not naming baby animals until they’re at least 1 month old, the new goat currently doesn’t have a name.
“Rocky Mountain goat kids are famous for being capable right out of the gate,” said Michelle Salido, lead keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, in an organizational release.1
“They’re native to some pretty demanding habitats, so they have to be hearty to thrive in those elements and that’s what we’re seeing with this little one. She’s getting the hang of her lanky legs, and we’ve already seen her climbing up rocks and on her mom.”
Lena had not been seen nursing on the day of her kid’s birth, so the animal care team remained with the pair that evening. The first feeding is vital for a newborn animal as brand-new mother’s milk has colostrum which contains essential nutrients and antibodies.1 The team hand-fed the goat her first meal after about 3 hours of fruitless nursing.
Once the kid was fed, she joined her mom and they have been bonding excellently since. As of last night, the baby goat has been seen consistently nursing.
“It took Lena a little while to get the hang of nursing, which isn’t unusual for a first-time mom, but since then, we’ve seen her really embrace motherhood,” added Salido.
“She’s being protective, and she’s letting her daughter snuggle up to her and climb on her. She was really focused on making sure the baby was clean, especially her ears. She was licking the kid’s ears and the baby was making little goat whinnying sounds and wobbling around during the grooming session. They’re so cute.”
The duo can be viewed by guests when visible in the Rocky Mountain goat habitat.
Reference
The first baby of spring was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – and it’s ridiculously cute it’s ridiculously cute. News release. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. May 5, 2022. Accessed May 6, 2022. https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/the-first-baby-of-spring-was-born-at-cheyenne-mountain-zoo-and-its-ridiculously-cute
