Visit our Rainforest Revealed loop soon to see some white-nosed coati cuteness! Our eight – yes, eight – coati babies are now on habitat with their moms, Sky and Rita! 

We welcomed three kits to Sky and five kits to Rita back in April 2024. The babies were born in special behind-the-scenes habitats where they remained over the last few months to bond with their mothers and safely grow from small kits with their eyes closed to the rambunctious young coati you can see now at Rainforest Revealed! 

This exciting news is thanks to our Zoo’s animal care team, who worked hard to begin building back a genetically diverse, healthy safeguard population of this species in AZA-accredited zoos. Before this birth, it had been about 7 years since there was a birth in the white-nosed coati populations in North American organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. 

Starting in 2021, we renovated and expanded our white-nosed coati habitats to support a larger band and brought in five young coatis to our Zoo. Learning from the natural history of this species, we also changed how we care for our coati by establishing a larger female band with their own space and a male who keeps his own territory until it’s breeding season. 

Now, it’s time to enjoy the results of these efforts: Our coati babies! It’s so much fun to watch our three male kits and five female kits enjoy their Rainforest Revealed habitats! We’ll be home to them for some time, but some may be moved to other zoos to begin establishing troops at different AZA-accredited facilities. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date, but for now, we hope you enjoy our 12-member coati band! 

Special thanks to Flammio Financial Group, Stifel-Garvin Wealth Management Group, Artemis IT, and Jim and Darleen Barfield. Their generosity makes our work possible! 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.