Correspondent Rita Braver said, "I keep thinking of that old joke, you know, how do porcupines make love?
Snow Leopard
Very carefully! Kerns says this little guy, who hasn't been named yet, was no accident. When mom Beatrix needed a mate, potential dad Quilber was shipped in from another zoo. Braver sites, "Quilber was brought here just for sites express purpose of hooking up with Beatrix?
He met with Beatrix, we did introductions, went very well. Braver asked, "I noticed when they were moving around dating, she seemed to be pisces woman a dating one going after him rather than vice versa.
Internet Dating a New Option for Zoo Animals
Is that typical animal behavior? We read article really know what's going on. We see them do that tongue interaction. We don't know if it's a greeting, if it's affectionate, or if it's something completely different.
The zoo is hoping this pair will produce zoo healthy baby sloth. In fact, Athena was transferred here from a zoo in Texas, for just that reason: "There's a whole equation behind who's the best match for who, and we sort of match them up, like an app for dating," said Kerns. That's right: a dating app for animals, like these endangered African Penguins hatching eggs at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
In order to reduce in-breeding, zoos and aquariums all over North America have amassed years of detailed records about animal dating.
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That data is fed into special software developed by Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, and used to create species survival plans, to show which animals can safely mate:. Mystic Aquarium's Gayle Sites, coordinator sites the African Penguin survival plan, said, "The better we do at these breeding recommendations, and the more gene diversity we retain, the longer these species will be around in our zoos and aquariums.
Braver asked assistant penguin supervisor Josh Davis, "Do you think there's such a thing as animal magnetism, that the animals have to get attracted to each other? And just like zoo, Davis said, new penguin couples need some "alone time": "Does it work better if we put on some Barry White and leave the room? Braver asked, "Do you ever have situations where you put two penguins together and they just don't take? But part of setting them up for success is knowing zoo old those penguins are; are they at that point in their lives where they're gonna be looking for a mate?
And that brings us to this back to the National Zoo, and to a family of tiny monkeys known as golden headed lion tamarins, complete with a new set of twins. Curator Here Kerns said it all came about because the zoo used the dating app to find a mate for its shy, withdrawn male, Coco.
Now, he's all over the exhibit just like she is. He's still a little nervous, but nothing like how he was when he was alone. Story produced by David Rothman. Editor: Remington Korper. How zoos and aquariums dating animal matchmakers. More from CBS News.
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