Tuesday was the kits’ first day in their habitat!

If you hear some extra squeaks from our Rainforest Revealed loop, it’s likely our three male white-nosed coati kits, Cedar, Ash and Twig, who have now joined the coati band in their habitat! 

We shared earlier this year that coatis Sky and Rita gave birth to several kits in April, marking our second year of successful coati births as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for the species. Our Zoo’s animal care team has put in a lot of work to begin building back a genetically diverse, healthy safeguard population of this species in AZA-accredited zoos. We were proud to welcome the first white-nosed coati births in about 7 years in a North American facility accredited by AZA last year – and we are just as proud of this new set of kits! 

A new environment brings exciting new smells for these scent-based animals!

Over the last couple of months, the babies have been relaxing behind the scenes while our team monitored their growth and provided ample postpartum care.  

While Sky’s babies (Cedar, Twig and Ash) are now on habitat, Rita’s kits will hang back behind the scenes for a little while longer before heading to their new home. 

Our previous blog shared that Rita had trouble nursing her two kits, leading us to hand-rear the twins in the interest of their health. Because these hand-raised kits are now more accustomed to human interaction, they are better suited to represent their species as Ambassador Animals at another Zoo.  

So far, Sky’s adorable kits have had a blast exploring their new environment! From foraging in the dirt to scaling the structures inside their habitat, the babies have certainly been busy. 

Sky and Rita have been extra protective over the new kits.

We first introduced Sky’s babies to Rita to make sure everyone got along nicely before letting them meet the rest of the band! If you haven’t seen them already, be sure to stop by their habitat in our Rainforest Revealed loop to catch a glimpse of the new kits! 

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.