LV ZOO WELCOMES ITS FIRST-EVER, NEWBORN FEMALE ALPACA
Lehigh Valley Health Network is the Official Motherhood Partner of the LV Zoo

(Schnecksville, Pa.) — Lehigh Valley Zoo in conjunction with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), part of Jefferson Health, is excited to announce the birth of a its first-ever female baby alpaca, born on Thursday, Oct. 23. The cria marks the third offspring for mother Illuminati and father Havoc, joining males, Buzz (Sept. 12, 2023) and Tupaca (Aug. 22, 2024) – and increasing LV Zoo’s alpaca herd to five members.

Unlike the rest of her family, this cria has black fleece. Black colored alpacas are very rare and very fittingly, she was born around Halloween.

Shortly after the cria was born, LV Zoo’s animal care staff relocated her and mother into a separate, adjacent pasture to allow the newborn to nurse and bond with mom. She was a small cria, weighing just under 10 pounds — so it was also important to ensure that she was nursing well and growing steadily. By comparison, youngest brother Tupaca was born weighing 13.6 pounds. Cria typically nurse for about five months; and at around two months, they will start to consume solid foods.

This week, the herd was reunited and the little cria seems to be enjoying life with her whole family. They are all now currently living in a pasture where guests can visit the newest addition.

Alpaca gestation typically lasts around 11-12 months – between 320-375 days.

Seven-year-old Illuminati and nine-year-old Havoc arrived at LV Zoo together in October 2022 from a private facility for breeding purposes. Alpacas are native to the central and southern Andes Mountains, from Peru to Argentina and are the smallest of the domesticated camelid species.

The new alpaca still needs a name. In partnership with LVHN, LV Zoo is seeking name suggestions on Facebook – allowing the animal care staff the opportunity to select its favorite submission.

LVHN is the Official Motherhood Partner of the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

LV Zoo is currently operating under winter hours, open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.lvzoo.org.

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About Jefferson

Jefferson is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans, through Health Partners Plans, Inc., is a not-for-profit managed health care organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but it has been treasured community landmark for centuries. Located in the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Nature Preserve, the mission of the Lehigh Valley Zoo is to connect its community with nature to empower people to protect wildlife. We have achieved our mission and educated more than five million people. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram .

— SmartFun—