The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has had their first six-banded armadillo pups in the ambassador animal program! This is a huge success as only one other facility has successfully had six-banded armadillo pups since 2020. Tonka and Dozer (professionally Bulldozer) will make fantastic ambassador animals not only for their species but for so many more, but this journey did not come without its hiccups.
As the team prepared for their birth, Elle, the mother of the two, was being closely monitored all day and night by animal care staff. She received a new den and home set up ideal for raising the pups. She also received regular checkups from our veterinary staff including almost weekly ultrasounds to monitor the development of the young, and this was all done voluntarily! On February 11th, 2025, both pups were born late at night. The animal care team came in to ensure both mom and pups were comfortable and showing signs of a healthy birth. The following day, a quick exam was performed by our care team and veterinary staff and both pups and mom were given a clean bill of health. The ambassador animal team closely observed Elle’s behavior with the pups for the next few days, taking note of successful nursing and ensuring Elle was exhibiting desired behaviors.
After about two weeks, the care team noticed Elle carrying the pups around her enclosure, particularly Tonka. The care teams were unsure of why this behavior was occurring, so they began leaving the space darker and quieter in case the behavior was caused by stress due to the traffic through the area all while closely monitoring through cameras in the habitat. These changes only seemed to slightly help, and the team began seeing less and less nursing, especially from Tonka. The decision was then made to human assist rear Tonka away from Elle to prevent any injuries caused by the excessive carrying and attempt to leave Dozer with Elle as the team was only seeing significant weight loss with Tonka.
Tonka was set up in a cozy home inside the ambassador animal complex and even provided with a plushy which she immediately became attached to. To cover all bases, Dozer was also provided with formula feedings. While it took a while for Dozer to grasp the concept of syringe nursing, Tonka was a champ. The care team started to see dramatic improvements in her overall behavior while also gaining weight. The team also started to see improvements from Dozer with more and more successful nursing from Elle. Even though both were doing well, it was important to the care team to monitor continued nursing, formula consumption, activity level, and appropriate weight gain.
As the next few weeks went on, Tonka was improving and adjusting to being raised by her care team, but Dozer was beginning to lose weight. The team then made the decision to separate him from Elle to keep a closer eye on him, just like Tonka, as they did not think the milk Elle was producing was nutritionally sufficient after being closely examined by the zoo’s nutrition team. As time went on, both the pups were back on the right track and the care team was also monitoring Elle to ensure her wellbeing was not affected by the separation. After some time, Elle adjusted back to her normal routine of digging all the holes she desired and running on her exercise wheel, her favorite enrichment.
As the pups continued to grow, more opportunities arose for training in an ambassador setting. They started in small play pens within the ambassador complex with supervised play dates which eventually grew into walks around the ambassador animal complex grounds and even becoming more acquainted with their transport crates. Today they are going on frequent encounters throughout the zoo and even participating in some of our behind-the-scenes programs.
This success story would not be possible without the whole zoo team. From zoological care specialists to veterinary staff to the nutrition team, these pups received, and will continue to receive, the best care! Since they are a part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), they will be moving on to other ambassador animal programs at an Association of Zoo and Aquarium (AZA) accredited facility to help spread various conservation messages. In the meantime, keep an eye out for these two pups as you may get to meet them on a random encounter, or even a behind the scenes program, on your next visit to your Fresno Chaffee Zoo!