The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, just outside Orlando, is home to more than 300 animals representing over 150 species from around the world. Several new animals have joined the zoo this year.
One of the newest arrivals is Peppercorn, an endangered Florida panther. She was discovered by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists at just 8 weeks old in Collier County in early March, and it was determined that she had been abandoned by her mother. The kitten weighed less than three pounds and was severely malnourished when rescued, and she received specialized care at the Naples Zoo. She is now over 30 pounds and calls the Central Florida Zoo her permanent home, though she has not yet made her public habitat debut. The zoo also recently welcomed sibling cougar cubs Takoda and Juniper, who were found abandoned at two weeks old in South Dakota.
Two four-year-old female giraffes, Daphne and Phoebe, stand about 13 feet tall and came from another AZA-accredited facility, joining Gage in the giraffe habitat. All three are expected to be together later this fall, and the new giraffes will take part in the zoo's giraffe feeding experience once settled. In May, Alina the fosa gave birth to two kits. Fosas are native only to Madagascar, where fewer than 2,500 remain in the wild. The zoo also offers up-close encounters, including with PJ, a greater one-horned rhino, and Angel, an Aldabra tortoise.
Press release issued by Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens:
https://www.centralfloridazoo.org/animals-you-can-see-at-the-central-florida-zoo-new-arrivals-babies-and-more/
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