CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden welcomed its newest zoo baby on Saturday when 7-year-old takin Sally gave birth to a healthy calf.
The baby takin is Sally's second calf. She gave birth to 2-year-old Dale in 2015, but Dale was cared for in a nursery due to medical issues.
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Zoo spokeswoman Michelle Curley said this is Sally's "first real attempt to raise offspring."
The new baby -- whose name and gender have "not been determined" -- looks strong, according to zoo staff.
“We are delighted to see that Sally is being so attentive to this calf and that her maternal instincts have kicked in,” said Mike Dulaney, curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo. “We’re leaving them alone as much as possible to give them time to bond."
Dulaney said Sally and the baby could be in their outdoor habitat in a few weeks.
Only 17 zoos in the country have takins, Curley said. The hooved, horned animals weigh up to 900 pounds and are between three and four feet tall.
This new baby is the Cincinnati Zoo's eighth live takin birth, Curley said.
