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No more rides on mother's back
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On August 2, 2023, Prague Zoo proudly celebrates Šiška's half-year birthday. The female pangolin now weighs over 1.7 kilograms, which is 12 times more than at birth. Soon, her mother won't be able to carry her on her back, and Šiška (Pinecone) will climb among the branches of the Indonesian jungle exhibit. Currently, the pangolin cub is no longer nursing from her mother but is being fed a special mash made primarily from bee larvae. The raising of Šiška is thus considered completed.
As a kitten – Challenges right after birth
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Her upbringing, however, was far from simple. The cub that is the first pangolin born in Europe faced challenges right after birth. Her mother, Run Hou Tang, did not have enough maternal milk, so keepers had to provide the baby pangolin with substitute food for kittens. In the end, everything turned out well, and the mother was able to feed Šiška herself.
The world's most trafficked mammal
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The successful raising of Šiška is crucial for Prague Zoo not only because it was accompanied by numerous obstacles but also because she is the first pangolin cub raised in Europe. Moreover, pangolins are unfortunately the world's most trafficked mammals, primarily due to their scales, which are believed to have medicinal properties in traditional Chinese medicine. All eight species of pangolins found in Africa and Southeast Asia are critically endangered.
Šiška (Pinecone) – A world star
Šiška attracts attention not only from visitors and the media but also from the world of zoological gardens. Her story is followed by world figures in nature conservation such as the biologist Jane Goodall, who is famous for her research on chimpanzees!
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