CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Zoo’s latest baby animal can be hard to spot, but you ought to try.
Otto, a potto whose gender has not yet been determined, lives in the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s “Night Hunters” exhibit.
“The baby has been hard to spot. It was about the size of a human thumb when it was born and also the same color as the mom’s chest, which is where Otto can be found most of the time,” said Mike Dulaney, curator of mammals.
Pottos are cat-sized nocturnal primates from the Congo. Seven of the 16 pottos in captivity live at the Cincinnati Zoo, which is one of just five zoos in the U.S. exhibiting pottos.
Most potto moms park their babies on a branch and go feed on their own, but potto mom Mosi has been reluctant to leave Otto, Dulaney said. Zoo officials haven’t been able to check Otto’s gender yet because the baby has been spending so much time on Mosi.
Zoo officials expect that Otto’s color will soon change and the baby will shift to a piggyback position, which will make it easier for visitors to spot.
Zoo Director Thane Maynard said Otto was named after former board chairman and longtime zoo supporter Otto M. Budig Jr.
