Ten young coatis can be observed climbing and playing in the outdoor enclosure at the Vienna Zoo Schönbrunn. In early March, three females gave birth to offspring from a newly arrived male within a few days of each other. In the first weeks after birth, they were cared for in the indoor enclosure, but now the mothers carry the offspring in their mouths to the outdoor area, where the young animals explore their surroundings, the zoo said on Friday.

Young coatis are born blind and deaf. At birth, they measure only about ten centimeters without the tail. "The experienced female grabbed all the young and carried them together into a nest. Since then, they have been cared for by all the mothers together," explains zookeeper Michaela Hofmann. The father is also involved in family life: "He is the guardian and makes sure that everyone stays together." White-nosed coatis are native to the tropical forests of South America, where their habitat overlaps with that of spectacled bears. At the Vienna Zoo Schönbrunn, the two species have been living in a shared habitat since 2023.

(APA/Red)

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