Nov. 26 (UPI) — The San Diego Zoo offered the first glimpses of a trio of fossa pups who were born at the facility in July but have just started to explore their enclosure.
The zoo said in a news release that the pups — two males named Isalo and Fiaro and a female named Volana — were born in July and spent their first three months of life in the den with their mother before emerging.
The zoo said the pups are now “venturing out to climb, explore, and learn from mom. They’re just starting to explore their habitat in the zoo’s Africa Rocks area, making them visible to guests for the first time.”
Kintana, the mother of the pups, was part of the last litter of fossas born at the zoo in 2017. The father, Charlie, was born at the zoo in 2008.
Fossas, considered a vulnerable species, are cat-like predators in the mongoose family.
“Fossas are a unique and little-known species,” zoo officials wrote. “Since 1989, the San Diego Zoo has helped welcome more than 40 pups, contributing to global populations of this vulnerable species.”