A Rare Pangolin Born at the Prague Zoo Is the First of Its Kind to Be Born in Europe

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
Keeper holds a baby Chinese pangolin for it to be weighed at the Prague Zoo, Czech Republic, . A female baby of Chinese pangolin has been born in the Prague zoo on Feb 2, 2023, as the first birth of the critically endangered animal on the European continent, and was doing well, the park said Baby Pangolin, Prague, Czech Republic - 23 Feb 2023
Keeper holds a baby Chinese pangolin for it to be weighed at the Prague Zoo, Czech Republic, . A female baby of Chinese pangolin has been born in the Prague zoo on Feb 2, 2023, as the first birth of the critically endangered animal on the European continent, and was doing well, the park said Baby Pangolin, Prague, Czech Republic - 23 Feb 2023

Petr David Josek/AP/Shutterstock

A rare pangolin debuted at the Prague Zoo earlier this month, marking the first time the species was born in captivity in Europe.

The zoo confirmed the birth of the female baby animal on Feb. 2 and said the animal had an above-average birth weight, even at just 4.76 ounces, the Associated Press reported.

While the baby seemed healthy initially, the zoo said the small mammal soon struggled.

"Our initial joy from the birth of the pangolin baby was unfortunately over the following few days replaced by worries about its fate," the zoo wrote on Facebook in an update on Feb. 18, also known as World Pangolin Day. "Not only did it not gain weight during the first and second, but even during the third, fourth, and fifth day, but it was even slowly losing it."

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Staff at the zoo determined that the baby was not getting enough of its mother Run Hou Tang's milk and consulted experts from the Taipei Zoo, who assisted with a feeding program on Feb. 6. Milk from a cat was used at first until Tang began to produce more milk of her own.

The zoo — which nicknamed the baby "Little Cone" due to its shape — hopes to have a name for the scaly creature soon, provided it continues to thrive.

Baby Chinese pangolin is being weighed at the Prague Zoo, Czech Republic, . A female baby of Chinese pangolin has been born in the Prague zoo on Feb 2, 2023, as the first birth of the critically endangered animal on the European continent, and was doing well, the park said Baby Pangolin, Prague, Czech Republic - 23 Feb 2023
Baby Chinese pangolin is being weighed at the Prague Zoo, Czech Republic, . A female baby of Chinese pangolin has been born in the Prague zoo on Feb 2, 2023, as the first birth of the critically endangered animal on the European continent, and was doing well, the park said Baby Pangolin, Prague, Czech Republic - 23 Feb 2023

Petr David Josek/AP/Shutterstock

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"We have only overcome the first hurdle, and others are still waiting for us," zoo director Miroslav Bobek said.

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Pangolins are endangered and heavily trafficked animals, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

The Prague Zoo received Tang and a male pangolin named Guo Bao from its sister city, Taipei. The two animals are the parents of the first pangolin born in captivity in Europe.

The zoo remains cautiously optimistic about the young pangolin's future, and the birth comes as welcome good news after the death of one of the zoo's beloved elephants in January.