Garden City zoo celebrates new arrivals

By Clara Kilbourn
The Hutchinson News

GARDEN CITY - A busy stork delivered two new babies to the Lee Richardson Zoo in the past week.
On Monday, zoo director Kathy Sexson announced the birth of a baby boy Bactrian camel born March 15. Tuesday's announcement heralded the arrival of baby girl alpaca.

Neither infant animal has been named, but zookeepers expect to announce the names soon.
Because camel dads aren't typically involved in rearing their young and because the baby's dad showed a bit of mild aggression, the 126-pound infant and its mother remain confined to the privacy of the birthing suite, Sexson said.

"It worried us to the point we separated the dad from them," she said.
The new baby stands 41/4 to 5 feet tall and is the fifth for the 11-year-old mother and 12-year-old father. Camels give birth every two years after a 13-month gestation.

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