A surprise baby boom is delighting keepers at Exotic Zoo, with adorable new arrivals appearing across the popular attraction in Telford Town Park. Visitors can now spot everything from baby Patagonian maras and a tiny genet to a young wallaby and playful baby goats. There are also newly hatched critically endangered Black Beauty stick insects and Casque-headed iguanas making their debut.
Rare Daytime Births Surprise Staff
Among the biggest surprises for staff were two rare daytime births of Patagonian mara. Little Mika was born just a few weeks ago and has recently started venturing out to explore, while twins Marlee and Monty arrived just weeks earlier.
Another recent arrival is Jenko, a baby genet. Although adults are often compared to cats because of their sleek appearance, genets actually belong to the Viverridae family alongside civets. After spending its first few weeks tucked safely away, Jenko has now started exploring outside the comfort of the nest box.
Wallaby and Goats Delight Visitors
Meanwhile, the zoo's newest wallaby has begun peeking out from its mother's pouch before confidently hopping around its enclosure. The popular baby goats have also been keeping visitors entertained with their cheeky personalities, and they have even been spotted climbing onto their keepers and Dodger the horse.
Summer 'Baby Animal Bonanza' Activities
The wonderful influx of newborns has inspired the theme of the zoo’s summer line-up, with a 'Baby Animal Bonanza' announced. To celebrate, the attraction has launched a packed programme of summer holiday activities. Visitors can enjoy extra keeper talks and feeding sessions, take part in a Goat Selfie Challenge, or pick up an Animal Adventure Scratch Card for the chance to win prizes. Youngsters can also join the free Young Explorers Club to collect badges while learning more about wildlife and conservation.
Families can book one of the zoo's new Mini VIP Meet and Greets, offering up to five people an exclusive 15-minute experience with one of the animals and an expert keeper, complete with a souvenir photo. Inside the Natural History Museum, young artists can enter a new Paleoart Competition, with entries judged by some of the UK's leading paleo artists. The winning artwork will be displayed in the museum, with a grand prize for the overall winner.
Zoo Honored with Excellence in Tourism Award
The exciting summer line-up comes just weeks after Exotic Zoo was awarded 'Excellence in Tourism' at the 2026 Shropshire Chamber Business Awards.
Scott Adams, managing director of Exotic Zoo, said: “Our zoo keepers always look forward to baby season, but this year has been particularly exciting. We've welcomed so many new arrivals, including some wonderful surprise births that visitors have been lucky enough to witness. We have had another very important birth at the zoo, which will be announced soon! There's something incredibly special about seeing young animals discovering the world for the first time. We look forward to welcoming visitors across the summer holidays who can enjoy meeting the amazing animals we care for, as well as all our summer holiday activities.”
The attraction is open daily throughout the summer holidays, with activities taking place all day long.
