Adorable baby boom brings summer buzz to Telford Exotic Zoo

A baby boom has brought adorable new life to Telford Exotic Zoo ahead of the summer holidays.

A burst of new arrivals has brought a summer buzz to Telford Exotic Zoo, with keepers celebrating what owner Scott Adams has called a “baby animal bonanza” as young creatures appear across the site just in time for the school holidays.

The zoo has seen a busy breeding spell, with several species welcoming young within weeks of each other.

Among the biggest surprises was two births of Patagonian mara, which took place in broad daylight - witnessed by delighted visitors.

Mika, born two weeks ago, has only just begun venturing out for people to spot, while twins Marlee and Monty arrived slightly earlier and are already proving popular with guests.

Another new arrival is Jenko, a baby genet born to mum Katelyn.

Scott said: “Genets may look like cute tree cats, but they are actually part of the Viverridae family along with Civets. An adult is cute but not compared to the beautiful baby.

“Little Jenko, at just a few weeks old, has just been spotted leaving its nest box to explore and play.”

One of the more secretive new additions is a baby wallaby that keepers believe may have been tucked away in its mother’s pouch for up to six months.

The youngster is now confidently poking its head out - and even hopping out for short adventures - much to the delight of staff and visitors.

“It’s not just the furry animals being welcomed to the zoo right now; the small and scaly are also enjoying a boom,” said Scott.

“The critically endangered black beauty stick insects and casque-headed iguanas also just hatched.

“We think this flurry of baby animals is going to be a hit with our visitors over the summer holidays as much as they have been with our staff.”

The new arrivals come just weeks after the zoo won the Excellence in Tourism Award at the Shropshire Chamber Business Awards.

With a new summer timetable about to launch - including extra feeding sessions and keeper talks - Scott said families will have even more chances to spot the latest additions and learn about the species thriving behind the scenes.