In a rare statistical twist of fate, Woburn’s new-born female sea lion pup ‘Winnie’ has beaten incredible odds to be born on the birthday of her 1-year old brother ‘Gus’.
The chances of the siblings being born on the same day is approximately less than one per cent.
It also seems that good things come in pairs as before the birth of Gus, keepers hadn't seen a sea lion birth at Woburn for more than a decade. The arrival of Gus and Winnie marks the beginning of the third generation of sea lions at Woburn.
The adorable birthday duo live in the Sea Lion Beach enclosure in the Foot Safari, cared for by animal keepers and their 16-year old mother Kira.
Senior keeper Louise Moody, said: “It’s really exciting to have another sea lion pup born, especially exactly a year to the day that we welcomed Gus to the Park. Sea lions have a specific breeding time so it isn’t unusual to have babies born around the same time each year, but it’s not usually on exactly the same day!”
Mum Kira is doing well and Winnie has been settling in with the other members of the rookery.
Winnie likes to spend most of the day alongside her mum, sunbathing and napping on the waterfall area down in Sea Lion Beach. She has recently started going for a swim in the main pool while Kira stays very close.
The salt water pool in their enclosure features a high-tech filtration system, to give the group a home that is as similar as possible to their natural habitat in the wild. This means there is a natural build-up of algae in the pool, which is a sign of healthy water.
Visitors can see Winnie, Gus and Kira at one of the daily talks and demonstrations given by keepers at Woburn Safari Park. These talks are a great way to learn all about this species, their natural behaviours, their diet and how they avoid predators.
Never miss leisure news in Milton Keynes - Follow us on www.twitter.com/thisistotalmk
And on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thisistotalmk
