Toronto Zoo welcomes critically-endangered baby camel

The Toronto Zoo announced the birth of a Bactrian camel on May 5, 2023. (Toronto Zoo)

A camel at the Toronto Zoo is finally over the hump of her 13-month pregnancy.

The zoo said eight-year-old Suria gave birth to a female calf on Thursday morning.

This is the second calf of the zoo's Bactrian camel, which is native to the Central Asian deserts north of the Himalayas and listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) .

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At this point, the calf is unnamed.

“We are thrilled to welcome this little one to your Toronto Zoo,” CEO Dolf DeJong said in a news release. “Some guests were fortunate enough to watch Suria gave birth right there in the habitat. The experience of witnessing a life beginning is one they will likely never forget.”

Thursday’s birth brings the number of camels in the zoo’s herd to six. Suria and her baby are currently housed with another female Bactrian camel, Jozy.

Zoo staff said Suria is an attentive mother, but the initial stages of nursing have been “challenging.”

As such, the zoo said it was prepared for the initial hurdle and has several strategies in place to help ensure positive outcomes for both mom and calf, including staggering their public appearances for the first 30 days.

“Once the baby is a bit older, Wildlife Care staff will begin introductions with other members of the group, Tilly and Jamarcus,” the zoo said.

The father, a seven-year-old named Zip, is currently separated in another area of the habitat.