First Ever Birth of African Spotted Genet at the Memphis Zoo

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Aug. 6, 2021 - On one hot summer day at the Memphis Zoo, our family of two genets (adult male, JoJo and adult female, Jennet) grew into a family of three. Jennet’s story begins within our research department. They have closely monitored her hormones to determine when she would give birth, which gave our animal care staff ample opportunity to prepare for her arrival. Due to this preparation, the animal care staff was prepared to step in during the birth, and it’s a good thing they were! Jennet began having difficulties during labor and the animal care team was able to intervene and save both mom and baby. The baby female genet was born c section in critical condition and had to be hand raised by her keepers and veterinary staff. Her keepers have named her Josie and she is the first African Spotted Genet to be born at the Memphis Zoo. Josie has just opened her eyes and she is growing well. It will be a while before she is big enough to go on exhibit, however, be on the lookout for progress reports of our sweet little girl on the Memphis Zoo’s social media accounts!

About African Spotted Genet

African Spotted Genets are small nocturnal carnivores in the family Viverridae. They are native to southern Africa. During the day, they hide in tree hollows, hollow logs, or in between loose boulders. At night, they hunt for insects or rodents. They also occasionally eat fruits. They are excellent climbers and can jump easily between trees. Genet fur is as individual to them as a human fingerprint. Female genets have 1 to 5 kits per litter. Genets are common in their home range and are classified as "Least Concern" by IUCN.

About Memphis Zoo
Memphis Zoo, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 500 different species. Recently named as one of the top zoos in the country by TripAdvisor® and by USA Today, Memphis Zoo has completed over $118 million in renovations and expansion since the early 1990s. The Zoo’s animal inhabitants reside in one-of-a-kind exhibit, such as Once Upon A Farm, The Commercial Appeal Cat Country, Primate Canyon, Animals of the Night, Northwest Passage, Teton Trek, CHINA - home to giant pandas YaYa and Le Le, and the all-new Zambezi River Hippo Camp. Memphis Zoo was founded in 1906 and resides on 70 acres in the middle of Overton Park. It is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Memphis Zoo, YaYa and LeLe are trademarks of Memphis Zoo.

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Jessica Faulk

jfaulk@memphiszoo.org