Cora had experienced two unsuccessful pregnancies in recent years - the first a full-term stillborn infant and the second a premature miscarriage. If she became pregnant again, we hoped to monitor her closely and provide the support she needed.

In July 2024, Wildlife Care staff began ultrasound training with Cora. Using the ultrasound stand in her Americas habitat, they introduced each step gradually: first simple touch, then an old ultrasound probe, and finally gel. They trained with her daily, supported twice a week by our Registered Veterinary Technicians from the Wildlife Health and Science Centre.

Finding the right reinforcer proved challenging because Cora is selective, but previous work showed that she favoured mealworms and shell-free sunflower seeds. The gel also caused hesitation due to its texture and temperature, until they tried warming it before each session.

Meanwhile, Madeira needed to be kept occupied since he also wanted treats, so the team used the opportunity to continue his crate training. Through steady, thoughtful work, the ultrasound training progressed smoothly.

With daily ultrasound training in place, and real imaging sessions happening twice a week, we confirmed in December 2024 that Cora was pregnant. From then on, we monitored the fetus weekly, watching for steady signs of growth until Cora began showing signs of labour in March.

At that stage, technicians performed ultrasounds daily, allowing us to track the fetal heart rate and confirm that the infant was alive and stable.

That reassurance gave our staff confidence to hold off on intervention and allow Cora’s labour to progress naturally.