LV ZOO WELCOMES A NEWBORN ALPACA
Lehigh Valley Health Network is the Official Motherhood Partner of the LV Zoo

(Schnecksville, Pa.) — Lehigh Valley Zoo in conjunction with Lehigh Valley Health Network(LVHN), is excited to announce the birth of another male baby alpaca, also known as a cria, born to mother Illuminati and father Havoc on Aug. 22. This marks the second – ever alpaca birth at LV Zoo — the first being the cria’s brother, Buzz, born to the same parents nearly one year prior on Sept. 12, 2023.

An examination was performed by the zoo’s veterinarian team on Aug. 23, and it was determined the newborn is a healthy male, weighing 13.6 Ib.

Illuminati and her cria spent the first few days in the barnyard shelter stalls to allow for bonding, nursing and rest. This time allowed for the cria to gain strength and master his mobility skills. Since Aug. 26, both have been out on exhibit during the day with the rest of the barnyard animals. LV Zoo’s animal care staff had been closely monitoring Illuminati for signs of pregnancy. Alpaca gestation typically lasts around 11-12 months.

Six-year-old Illuminati and eight-year-old Havoc arrived at LV Zoo together in October 2022 from a private facility for breeding purposes. Alpacas are native to the central and southern Andes Mountains, from Peru to Argentina and are the smallest of the domesticated camelid species.

The new alpaca still needs a name. In partnership with LVHN, LV Zoo is hosting a naming contest on Facebook next week — allowing guests and followers the opportunity to decide the final official name by voting for their favorite finalist.

LVHN is the Official Motherhood Partner of the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

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LV Zoo is set to host another exciting Labor Day weekend, which gets underway Friday with School Spirit Day. All guests wearing their school or college merchandise will receive a $3 discount off an adult or child general admission ticket. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the zoo hosts its 8th-annual Food Truck Festival, presented by Whitetail Disposal. With a standard general admission, guests have the opportunity to purchase offerings from a variety of local food trucks with different options available each day of this event. A complete listing is available on the event website here. Additionally, guest 21+ with a valid ID, will have the chance to purchase alcoholic beverages from Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild members, Funk Brewing Company on Saturday and Five Maidens Cider Company on Sunday.

LV Zoo is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at lvzoo.org.

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Lehigh Valley Health Network is now a part of Jefferson
Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but it has been treasured community landmark for centuries. Located in the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Nature Preserve, the mission of the Lehigh Valley Zoo is to connect its community with nature to empower people to protect wildlife. We have achieved our mission and educated more than five million people. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

— SmartFun—