ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s alive!
The Orlando Science Center has announced a new addition to its popular “Life” exhibit, sharing news Friday of a baby red-rumped agouti that was born July 28.
The baby agouti is healthy, active, and already learning to nibble on solid foods, according to a news release.
Agoutis are a keystone species in their native South American habitats, the release states, adding they’re the only mammal in Brazil that’s capable of cracking open Brazil nuts, a crucial task to ensure seeds are dispersed and grown.
The science center’s Life exhibit opened in 2024, completing a years-long multimillion-dollar transformation of the former first-floor KidsTown area to a lush display of ocean, rainforest, and swamp habitats.
Guests can currently visit the baby in Life’s rainforest section, but it will have to be moved to a new home at another zoological facility once it reaches breeding age, about six months. This is due in part to the science center’s close work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, the release states.
[THROWBACK: ‘Life’ exhibit opens at Orlando Science Center]