Oh baby! On June 19th, the Abilene Zoo ardently welcomed three fossa pups to the zoo family, born to parents Rico and Lavavolo (Volo). An endangered species, Abilene Zoo introduced Rico and Volo as part of a Species Survival Plan recommendation in hopes of having such an exciting and important outcome.
Now that the pups are almost 7 weeks old, they’ve started having some noticeable changes to their appearance! For example, at birth, their eyes were blue, however, they are now brown. Along with their eyes, their fur has also grown darker in color. Similar to how it is in the wild, mom Volo has established different nest boxes throughout their indoor holding area for her pups. Fossas are known to make multiple nests and move their pups depending on factors such as safety, comfort, and preference. Volo currently prefers for her pups to be in one spot right now rather than crawling all over the place. Once they’re a bit bigger, Volo will be ready for the pups to explore more and get to know the rest of their habitat!
Marissa, one of the keepers caring for our fossas, says, “Being a first time mom can be stressful for anyone, but we are so proud of Lavavolo for adapting so well to her new role as a mother! She is attentive and all 3 pups are growing and starting to look more like mature fossas every day!”
Moving forward, the zoo is eager to watch these pups continue to change and grow. For now, the pups will remain off exhibit in order for Volo to be able to focus on caring for them until they’re older and ready to be more independent. Keep up with us here and our socials for updates on the pups, including names!
