Editor’s Note: Gladys the gorilla gave birth to a baby boy at 8:32 a.m. on Saturday, September 20. While the baby doesn’t yet have a name, the keeper team is discussing options and are looking for suggestions. This is the 51st gorilla to be born at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Photograph courtesy Cincinnati Zoo
Armadillo Lizard
Fun Fact: “The armadillo lizard might look more like a Pokémon character than a lizard. When danger is near, they turn into a ball by rolling on their back and taking their tail in their mouth.”
Aruba Island Rattlesnake
Fun Fact: “The Aruba Island rattlesnake is one of the rarest rattlesnakes in the world.”
Photograph by Djjam Photo
Asian Small-Clawed Otters
Ripple, Splash, Puddles, and Scuttle
Age: 4 months (5/9/25)
Fun Fact: Asian small-clawed otters have a vocabulary of over a dozen sounds they use to communicate with each other as well as a scent sharing system through glands in their tails.
Bat-Eared Fox
Kal
Age: 1 (4/5/24)
Fun Fact: “Bat-eared fox ears can grow up to five inches long, allowing them to detect the movement of insects, especially termites and beetle larvae, underground or in tall grass. They also act to help regulate their body temperature by releasing heat to keep cool during the hot days in Africa.”
Bonobo
Daisy
Age: 1 (9/8/24)
Fun Fact: “Bonobos are a matriarchal society. They are female-led, and female bonds take priority over male bonds. Bonobos live in a fission-fusion lifestyle. This means that their social groups can change almost daily depending on the bonobos.”
Cape Porcupine
Violet
Age: 1 (10/10/23)
Fun Fact: “Contrary to popular belief, a porcupine cannot shoot its spines and quills. However, the spines and quills can embed in an intruder’s flesh if they come into contact. The porcupine grows new spines and quills to replace those that are lost.”
Cheetahs
Zola, Lulu, and Kiara
Age: 10 months (11/3/24)
Fun Fact: “Zola is (and has always been) the biggest. She’s now almost a healthy 48 lbs. Kiara is at 48 lbs and Lulu is 47 lbs. Most adult female cheetahs at the zoo are around 85 lbs.”
Domestic Rats
Linda, Miss Keisha, Glitter Storm, and Malibu
Age: 1 (8/19/24)
Fun Fact: “Rats are great swimmers and can hold their breath up to three minutes. The Ameritas Wings of Wonder have four generations that work together. Rats “boggle” when they are excited—it looks like their eyes are vibrating, and their teeth chatter.”
Hippo
Fritz
Age: 3 (8/3/22)
Fun Fact: “Fifty percent of all proceeds from the hippo behind-the-scenes tours go to conservation projects selected by the hippo conservation team. The funds that the zoo has raised are used to make a tangible difference for hippos in Uganda. Fiona and Fritz have raised awareness and interest in hippos. Fiona is an ambassador for her species. Interest in the Nile hippo and protecting its habitat in Africa benefits all species—many critically endangered—that share their ecosystem. Hippo tusks never stop growing throughout their lives and are mainly used for fighting, not eating.”
Hognose Snake
Morty
Fun Fact: “Hognose snakes get their name from the upturned scale at the end of their snout which they use to dig in loose sand and soil. Mimics a rattlesnake for protection.”
Manatees
Orchid, Vora, and Lilypad
Age: Around 2 (Rescued in early 2024)
Fun Fact: “Lilypad, Orchid, and Vora are orphaned, rescued manatees. They will be cared for at the zoo until they are big and strong enough to be released back to their native Florida waters.”
Komodo Dragon
Frunoblax
Age: 4 (11/12/21)
Fun Fact: “Komodo dragons are the biggest and heaviest lizards on Earth.”
Kudu
Maple
Age: 11 months (10/20/24)
Fun Fact: “A large, striped antelope, the lesser kudu is always on the lookout for predators like lions and painted dogs.”
Little Blue Penguins
Pickles, Beets, and Kimchi
Age: Pickles, 11 months (10/12/24); Beets, 10 months (11/16/24); Kimchi, 10 months (11/17/24)
Fun Fact: “Penguin chicks have to wait until most of their downy feathers fall out before they can swim because downy feathers are not waterproof. Little blue penguin chicks are the smallest of the penguin species. The little blue penguins (and hippos) swim in 100 percent recycled rainwater at the zoo. The smallest of all penguins, little blue penguins are also called ‘fairy penguins’ due to their tiny size.”
Okapi
Mokonzi
Age: Almost 2 (12/17/2023)
Fun Fact: “With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, it looks like it must be related to zebras, but the Okapi is indeed the only living relative of the giraffe. Okapi have a foot-long tongue that allows them to lick and clean their own eyelids and ears. Like the giraffe, the Okapi uses its long, prehensile tongue to pluck leaves and buds from trees.”
Opossum
Ellie
Age: Around 7 months
Fun Fact: Ellie the rescued opossum was brought into an Ohio wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center called Back to The Wild. Her mom was found deceased and when they checked her pouch, they found Ellie still alive. She is a part of the Animal Ambassador Team at the Cincinnati Zoo now where she was named after the mammoth, Ellie, in the second Ice Age movie who believes she is an opossum.
Red Fox
Scamper
Fun Fact: “Scamper is a rescued ambassador animal. Look for him during random animal encounters around the Zoo. His story will be used to educate guests that exotic animals do not make good pets.”
Rhinoceros Viper
Fun Fact: “They have distinct horn-like scales on the tip of their nose. The venom from this species is used to treat certain venomous snake bites.”
Striped Skunks
Glacier and Marshmallow
Age: Glacier, 1 (4/22/24); Marshmallow, 2 months (7/25/25)
Fun Fact: “Striped skunks are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders. They are nocturnal and while not technically hibernating, striped skunks experience extended periods of inactivity during winter.”
Two-Toed Sloth
Juno
Age: 2 (6/7/23)
Fun Fact: “Juno’s parents are Moe and Lightning. The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down by its four-inch long, curved claws. It sleeps, eats, mates, and even gives birth in this position.”
White-Cheeked Gibbon
Kip
Age: 3 (8/11/22)
Fun Fact: “Kip was adopted by surrogate mom Skittles after his parents didn’t show interest in caring for him.”
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