Adorable Baby Rock Hyraxes Have Been Born | The Secret Life of the Zoo | Nature Bites | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Rock hyrax, a lazy and fluffy-looking species, live a peaceful existence hiding in rocks, but their tranquility is soon disrupted when babies arrive.

Key Insights

• 💤 The Rock hyrax is a lazy species that spends most of its time hiding in rocks to avoid predation from eagles.
• 🦅 They live in a close-knit family group, with a "silent" mom named Daisy, an older couple named Daisy and Nungu, and three teenage daughters.
• 👶 Daisy recently gave birth to three adorable hyrax pups, who are already mobile and bouncing around like Spider-Man.
• ♂️ The young hyrax pups constantly pester their parents and seek ways to escape their attention.
• 🏞️ Rock hyraxes are born independent and immediately start exploring and testing their boundaries in the rocky environment.
• 🥱 As the pups mature, they learn to adopt the couch potato lifestyle of the adults, taking it easy and doing nothing.
• 🦅 Living in the wild presents dangers for the hyraxes, but in the zoo, they can enjoy a peaceful existence.
• 🤰 Daisy may be pregnant again soon, indicating that the cycle of baby hyraxes and energetic youngsters will continue for the rock hyrax family.

Transcript

foreign whether it's testing teens or Troublesome toddlers most moms seem to go through a difficult phase with their offspring but one mother currently enjoying the quiet life a rock hyrax from Africa and the Middle East hyrax ton of fluffy looking Rock it doesn't do much in fact they may even be the least active species we have in a zoo but that i... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do rock hyrax protect themselves from predators?

Rock hyrax protect themselves from predators, such as eagles, by living in rocky environments and hiding in crevices where they are difficult to spot.

Q: What is the behavior of the rock hyrax parents towards their offspring?

The rock hyrax parents, Daisy and Nungu, are mostly uninvolved with their offspring, who spend their days playing and exploring without much parental supervision.

Q: How do rock hyrax pups become independent at such a young age?

The harsh environment that rock hyrax live in, with many dangers present, causes the pups to become mobile and independent shortly after birth, allowing them to avoid predators.

Q: How do the rock hyrax parents cope with their energetic offspring?

The rock hyrax parents try to find areas in the enclosure where they can find some respite from their active offspring, but the young hyraxes are so mobile that it becomes challenging for the parents to escape their relentless attention.

Q: Do rock hyrax give birth every year?

Yes, rock hyrax typically give birth every year, which means Daisy could become pregnant again in a matter of weeks, starting the process all over again for the parents.

Q: How do the young rock hyrax behave as they grow older?

The young rock hyrax learn from their parents and older siblings, adopting the behavior of being inactive and lazy, spending their days lazing around on sunny days.

Q: What is the main reason for the rock hyrax's inactive behavior?

The rock hyrax's inactive behavior is a combination of their natural disposition and the need to conserve energy in their rocky environment, where resources can be scarce.

Q: How do rock hyrax protect their offspring from other members of their species?

Rock hyrax mothers typically seek out secluded areas within their enclosure to keep their pups safe from interference or potential harm from other members of their species.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Rock hyrax are a lazy and inactive species that spend their days hiding in rocks to avoid predation.

• The rock hyrax family consists of the silent parents, Daisy and Nungu, and their three teenage daughters.

• Despite their lazy nature, the rock hyrax pups are born independent and quickly become mobile, causing chaos for their parents.