TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - It may be Friday, but it's hump day at the Toledo Zoo!
The Zoo is happy to announce the birth of a female Bactrian camel.
The camel was born on May 6 and is named Zehra, which means 'bright' in Mongolian.
The zoo says Zehra has curly gray hair and has two small humps that will fill out as she grows.
Zehra was born to parents Sasha and Cash at 64 pounds and standing at about 3 feet tall.
Zehra's first moments on earth were not easy. As a new mother, Sasha did not immediately know what to do after giving birth, so zoo staff had to step in to care for the Zehra and bottle-feed her every few hours.
The Zoo says Zehra did not nurse and was in need of proper nutrition and immune defenses from Sasha. Zehra also needed supplements, antibiotics and a plasma transfusion.
The Zoo's vet staff collected blood from their other 2 camels, sent it out to have the plasma separated and gave Zehra the transfusion..
The Zoo says since the transfusion, Zehra is in good health, eating well and gaining weight.
The Zoo saved the extra plasma for any future care needs, which came in handy soon after Zehra's birth.
The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio called the Zoo with a camel birth situation that was similar to Zehra's. Zoo staff drove extra plasma to Cumberland, and the male camel born there made a healthy turn-around.
Zoo visitors will get an extra treat with Zehra, as they will get to learn more about her as they view her daily bottle-feeding sessions with animal care staff.
The sessions have a tentative opening of the end of June.
