NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:          
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Public Relations
619-685-3291
publicrelations@sdzwa.org

WEBSITE:           
sdzwa.org

NEWS RELEASE

First Male Golden Takin Born in the Western Hemisphere
Receives a Name at the San Diego Zoo

SAN DIEGO (May 20, 2022) – The San Diego Zoo celebrated another milestone as wildlife care staff welcomed the birth of a rare male golden takin—the second of this takin subspecies to be born in the Western Hemisphere and the first male. The takin calf, named Jin Tong (pronounced jean tong), which means golden boy in Mandarin Chinese, was born on March 21 to mom Bona. The Zoo’s wildlife care specialists performed a comprehensive first exam and confirmed Jin Tong is doing well and adjusting to life within the herd.

Golden takins (rhymes with “rockin’”) are horned mammals related to sheep and have adapted to life in the high elevation of their native Himalayan mountain habitat. The species is very agile, navigating rugged landscapes with ease. While young takins have a much darker-colored coat, the adults have thick, shaggy, golden-hued coats, which provides the species its name.

Takins are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The San Diego Zoo is the only place in the Western Hemisphere where golden takins can be seen. Visitors to the Zoo’s Asian Passage should have no trouble viewing the youngster as he bonds with his mother and becomes familiar with his habitat. 

###

About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a nonprofit international conservation leader, committed to inspiring a passion for nature and working toward a world where all life thrives. The Alliance empowers people from around the globe to support their mission to conserve wildlife through innovation and partnerships. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports cutting-edge conservation and brings the stories of their work back to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park—giving millions of guests, in person and virtually, the opportunity to experience conservation in action. The work of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance extends from San Diego to eco-regional conservation “hubs” across the globe, where their expertise and asssets—including the renowned Wildlife Biodiversity Bank—are able to effectively align with hundreds of regional partners to improve outcomes for wildlife in more coordinated efforts. By leveraging these skills in wildlife care and conservation science, and through collaboration with hundreds of partners, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has reintroduced more than 44 endangered species to native habitats. Each year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s work reaches over 1 billion people in 150 countries via news media, social media, their websites, educational resources and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television programming, which is in children’s hospitals in 13 countries. Success is made possible by the support of members, donors and guests to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, who are Wildlife Allies committed to ensuring all life thrives.