New life at Battersea Park Children's Zoo with 20 animal births

From Critically Endangered wildcat kittens to a rare first-born Patagonian mara pup, Battersea Park Children's Zoo has welcomed 20 new arrivals this spring and summer.

Battersea Park Children's Zoo is delighted to share the news of a remarkable run of new arrivals, with five different species welcoming babies this season. Visitors this summer will have the chance to see some very young faces across the zoo.

“Not only are we celebrating our 75th birthday this year, we are marking the occasion with a bumper spring season of births at the zoo. With conservation at our heart, each birth is part of a carefully managed population to safeguard the future of their species. The birth of Scottish Wildcats at the zoo is a particularly proud milestone for us, as in 2019 a male wildcat born at the zoo was selected to join the breed and release programme up in Scotland.” says Jamie Baker, Zoo Manager

Scottish Wildcat Kittens

Perhaps the most significant arrivals of the season are three Scottish wildcat kittens, born in May to Skye, who was born at the zoo back in 2019. The Scottish wildcat is critically endangered and is the last remaining wild member of the cat family in Britain, with fewer than 90 in human care. The zoo breeds wildcats as part of the Saving Wildcats conservation project and the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme. The kittens will be sexed, vaccinated and microchipped in August and it is hoped they will go on to play a part in securing the future of their species.

Patagonian Mara Pup

The zoo has also welcomed its first-ever Patagonian mara pup in June, born to parents Rufus and Mavis, who joined the zoo last year on a breeding recommendation. The Patagonian mara is a near-threatened species with few breeding pairs in the UK, making this arrival particularly exciting for the team. The pup's sex is not yet known, but the keepers have described it as confident and growing well every day.

Meerkat Pups

Four meerkat pups arrived in May and are becoming bolder by the day. They bring the zoo's meerkat mob to 15 members. Earlier this year four of the group's adult pups left Battersea Park Children’s Zoo to start their own family groups at other zoos across the UK, making space for this newest generation.

Bagot Goat Kids and Oxford Sandy and Black Piglets

The farmyard has also seen a flurry of new arrivals. Five Bagot goat kids were born at the end of April, with the breed supported in collaboration with Mudchute Farm as part of efforts to conserve rare native British breeds.

At the end of May, seven Oxford Sandy and Black piglets arrived, with the zoo working alongside the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Society to support the ethical breeding of this rare native pig breed.

Jamie added, “Looking ahead we have a number of exciting projects taking place at the zoo, and possibly some more very special births! Our keeper team have been working incredibly hard to create enriching environments for our animals to thrive, and we look forward to sharing what we do with our visitors over the summer season. We will no doubt have a jam-packed schedule of keeper talks and interactive experiences ready for the whole family to enjoy across the school holidays.”

All 20 new arrivals can be seen at Battersea Park Children's Zoo this summer.