The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden welcomed a new baby armadillo at the end of January and they need help naming the little tyke.
The sex of the three banded armadillo is not known, but here are some fun facts about the animal. The natives of South America have a gestation period of 120 days, are the only mammals with shells and can roll into a full ball.
Head to the zoo’s Facebook page to post a comment with your name suggestion. The keepers will pick their two favorites and then put them up for a vote.
And, while you’re thinking of the zoo, now would be a great time to buy or renew your membership. In a press release the zoo says closing its doors to the public has hit the nonprofit especially hard.
“We still have mouths, beaks, jaws and maws to feed and care for,” said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard in the release. “Our animal and plant care team, veterinarians, and essential facilities crew all remain on grounds to maintain the excellent care that we provide each and every day of the year, while practicing social distancing to keep our teams healthy.”
The zoo says it will lose millions of dollars each month it is closed without the money it makes from admission, food sales, parking, rides and more. More than 1.8 million visitors come to the zoo each year producing a $143 million impact; March and April tend to be the biggest months for the zoo.
To help offset the loss in funding, the zoo is asking members to renew their membership (or gift one) and for people to donate to the Emergency Operating Fund or symbolically adopt an animal.
This article appears in Mar 18 – Apr 14, 2020.