A zoo in the tiny state of Monaco is a small miracle in itself… but there is another small miracle to report, the birth of a baby to one of the residents. The resident is an animal typically found in certain regions of South America also nicknamed “the Gardener of the Forests”, and the little ball of happiness making its parents proud was born last week at the Animal Garden of Monaco.
“Absolute cuteness,” there’s no other word to describe it.
It’s actually part of the rodent family and called Azara Agouti (Dasyprocta azarae). Rodent or no rodent it’s cute.
The Zoological Gardens of Monaco
Located on the southern flank of the Rocher, the Zoological Gardens in which the new baby was born were established in 1954 by Prince Rainier III.
They are home to nearly 250 animals representing about 50 species: exotic birds, turtles, caimans, hippopotamuses, reptiles, primates and farm animals – and very high profile at the moment are the Azara Agouti who are evidently happily reproducing.
The zoo is immersed in an almost wild environment right in the heart of the Principality.
There is a playground inside this unique animal park, too … also an open catwalk for geese (and / or ducks) and ornamental hens. You can walk among the birds and feed the ducks, as well as admire, among other animals, the fat rabbits and now a little baby. The paddock is also great fun for children.
None of the animals living in the zoo were bought. All come from donors, from circuses, or were abandoned. It is also worth knowing that the zoo also had leopards, but they were freed by Albert II after the efforts of Virginia McKenna, an English nature protector. Monaco’s zoo plans to be a zoo for domesticated animals, not wild animals.
And when the park’s facilities mean that it is no longer possible to guarantee good living conditions, the animals are then transferred to more appropriate zoos, as happened, for example, with a white rhinoceros. The Zoological Gardens of Monaco are one of the last royal menageries in the world and one that is a happy nursery for new-borns!
