Hattiesburg Zoo held a gender reveal for its baby hyena. Is it a boy or a girl?
Hattiesburg Zoo held a gender reveal for one of its newest inhabitants, a spotted hyena.
It took nearly an hour for mom Pili to pull the rope that released the blue confetti.
Wild animals are instinctively skeptical of anything new in their surroundings. Pili was no exception. She paced around her enclosure, coming close to the quail before running off again several times.
Unsure of her surroundings and the two dozen zoo employees and Hattiesburg officials who came to watch the reveal, Pili ran inside and brought out the baby, whose name is Kito.
Hattiesburg ZooSpotted hyena baby born to parents Pili and Niru
The name means "jewel" or "precious one" in Swahili.
With Kito safely by her side, Pili made several more attempts at the quail and later a chicken leg, which pulled the rope that released the confetti.
Zoo officials said the confetti is animal friendly and biodegradable.
Kito's gender was determined by a blood test taken in November.
Now that mother is recovered and baby is thriving, Kito will join the hyena pack on public display.
Kito's stay is not permanent, however.
Animal Curator Kristen Moore said Kito will become part of a conservation program and will be moved to another site where he will be used for breeding.
"The Species Survival Program will tell us where he needs to go and how long he will stay here," Moore said. "Most of the time it's about two years. For right now we are just going to enjoy him a bit."
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Father Niru was slowly introduced to Kito, and the family is bonding well.
"That's all going well," Moore said. "They are staying together overnight again."
Pili gave birth to Kito in October. He is believed to be the only surviving hyena cub born in 2022 in North America.
While not endangered, the spotted hyena population is declining because of deforestation and hunting, according to World Land Trust.
In addition to declining populations in the wild, giving birth is life-threatening to both mother and cubs, according to Africa Geographic. Hyenas typically give birth to two to four cubs, of which only 60% survive.
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The mothers' lives also are in danger as the birth canal is only an inch in diameter, often making the birthing process fatal to some, as evidenced by the high death rate for first-time mothers, zoo officials said.
For more information about Hattiesburg Zoo and its programs, visit hattiesburgzoo.com.
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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Hattiesburg Zoo gender reveal shows baby spotted hyena's a boy
