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Colorado zoo welcomes Rocky Mountain goat kids

Because the twins are nursing and bonding well with their mother, zoo staff have not intervened to determine the sex of the babies.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Rocky Mountain goat is a mom for a second time in southern Colorado.

Lena, a Rocky Mountain goat at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, gave birth on Sunday to her first set of twins.

Caretakers at the southern Colorado zoo said two bouncy, squeaky and fluffy kids took their first steps within minutes and both are nursing with their mother.

Because both babies are bonding with their mom, zoo staff will not intervene. The babies will be named after 30 days when their sex and weights are determined.

"Less than 24 hours after its birth, Baby #2 climbed on top of Lena, who patiently laid still as the little one climbed from her back end all the way to her head, where it slid gently around the back of her neck with its front legs on either side of her head," said Joanna Husby, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's animal care manager. "We've got an adventurous one on our hands! We're seeing both babies hit all the milestones for healthy kids, and we're excited for everyone to meet them."

"Lena was a great mom to Blanca, her first baby, and she's proving to know just what to do with these two," Husby said. "She did look a bit surprised to see the second baby arrive, which is understandable considering no one told her she was pregnant with twins."

"The babies are following Lena well and she's comfortable moving to a different spaces, so we welcomed them outside for the first time today," Husby said. "We have a side yard that has more suitable terrain for little hooves than our big yard with rocky cliffs, so they'll find their footing there. My guess is that it won't be long until they're leaping and chasing all over the rocks. Having a twin means having a built-in play partner, and it's going to be hard to do anything but watch them. Rocky Mountain goat babies are pure joy."

The goats are the fifth and sixth babies born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo this season, along with two wallaby joeys in Australia Walkabout and two meerkat pups in Encounter Africa.

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