A male spotted fanaloka pup, native to Madagascar, was born March 10 at the Nashville Zoo.
The zoo is the only U.S. facility allowed to house the elusive species. There are now four of them living at the zoo.
The little mammals, also known as a Malagasy or striped civet are native to Madagascar’s lowland and rainforest areas.
The nocturnal animals are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as vulnerable due to habitat destruction.T
A female name Pépite was the first fanaloka born in the zoo two years ago, and one of the first ever to be born in the U.S.
The new male, born earlier this month, weighs 106 grams. A name hasn’t been given to it yet.
The zoo works with Antogil Conservation, an organization working to protect rainforests of Madagascar by raising awareness about the importance of nature and setting up development actions to improve living conditions of local communities.
