The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium welcomed a new California sea lion pup.
Kelilah gave birth to the pup on Wednesday. Both mom and pup are doing well, zoo officials said.
“We are all very excited and happy for Kelilah,” Henry Kacprzyk, curator of the Zoo’s Kids Kingdom, said.
The Pittsburgh Zoo partnered with Eat’n Park to name their newest sea lion “Smiley.”
“We like to make people smile, and sea lions are pretty good at that, too,” Eat’n Park spokesman Kevin O’Connell said. “ ‘Smiley’ seemed like the perfect name to share with the new pup.”
The veterinary team and animal care specialists will examine and weigh the pup and determine its gender once Kelilah and Smiley are acclimated. The team will not interfere with mom and pup unless Smiley isn’t nursing or stops communicating with Kelilah.
“The next big challenge for Smiley will be when Kelilah begins the first swimming lessons in a couple of weeks,” Kacprzyk said.
Sea lion pups are well-developed at birth, zoo officials said. Newborn pups can move and groom themselves. They learn to swim within a couple of weeks.
Smiley is on exhibit now, ready to spread smiles to zoo visitors.
