Nashville Zoo is celebrating the arrival of historic new residents with the birth of twin serval kittens, Alexander “Xander” Hamilton and Theodore “Theo” Roosevelt. The kittens were born October 26 and have been growing up behind the scenes with their mother, Cleopatra.
The twins are part of a first-of-its-kind co-rearing process at Nashville Zoo, allowing them to remain with Cleopatra for nursing and natural behaviors while animal keepers provide daily hands-on socialization. This approach is designed to prepare the kittens for their future roles as ambassador animals. Their parents, Cleopatra and Churchill, are the zoo’s behind-the-scenes serval pair.
One kitten will remain at Nashville Zoo, while the other will relocate to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden through the Serval Species Survival Plan once he is old enough. Both kittens have begun ambassador training with the Behavior Husbandry team, and guests can watch their morning training sessions daily at 10 a.m. at the HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter
