Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications
Three-month-old ocelot kitten Evita took her first steps out into her Tropical Rain Forest exhibit yesterday morning.
Evita has been bonding with mother Bella in a behind-the-scenes area since her birth in January. Yesterday marked the first time the kitten was given access to her full exhibit.
Her entry into the exhibit was tentative. She would climb the ramp that connects her behind-the-scenes space with the enclosure, poke her head into the exhibit and look around, but then retreat to her den behind-the-scenes.
After a few of those false starts, curiosity took hold and Evita eventually followed the calls of her mom and she entered the exhibit space. Evita stayed close to her mom the whole time as she explored this new place filled with plants and dirt and mist from above.
Evita spent most of her first hour looking around, taking in her new surroundings.
This first day of introductions to the exhibit went well, but Evita is not yet full-time in the space. Keepers will be encouraging mom and kitten to explore the exhibit a bit more each day.
At this early point, there is no guarantee when to see the ocelots as there is no way to predict when they will feel like going into the exhibit. Once we have a firmer sense of good viewing opportunities, we’ll be sure to share!
Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.
Three-month-old ocelot kitten Evita took her first steps out into her Tropical Rain Forest exhibit yesterday morning.
Evita has been bonding with mother Bella in a behind-the-scenes area since her birth in January. Yesterday marked the first time the kitten was given access to her full exhibit.
Her entry into the exhibit was tentative. She would climb the ramp that connects her behind-the-scenes space with the enclosure, poke her head into the exhibit and look around, but then retreat to her den behind-the-scenes.
After a few of those false starts, curiosity took hold and Evita eventually followed the calls of her mom and she entered the exhibit space. Evita stayed close to her mom the whole time as she explored this new place filled with plants and dirt and mist from above.
Evita spent most of her first hour looking around, taking in her new surroundings.
This first day of introductions to the exhibit went well, but Evita is not yet full-time in the space. Keepers will be encouraging mom and kitten to explore the exhibit a bit more each day.
At this early point, there is no guarantee when to see the ocelots as there is no way to predict when they will feel like going into the exhibit. Once we have a firmer sense of good viewing opportunities, we’ll be sure to share!
Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.
Comments
I *LOVE* IT!!
ALSO HI REDDIT!
Anon #3 - She seems to be going out there more and more each day. It's just hard to predict when since the choice is hers. It's worth stopping by the Tropical Rain Forest on your next visit to see if she's out there. But once we get a better sense of good times to view, we'll share.
Thanks zoo team
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