DENVER — Girl dad. Single mom. Committed couple. Friends that are family. There are so many types of relationships at the Denver Zoo, and so much cuteness to celebrate on Valentine's Day.
The herd of Cape buffalo, for instance, celebrated Galentine's Day this year.
"The girls are gonna hang out, and because they’re so powerful, there’s a lot of girl power in this exhibit," said Emily Insalaco, the head of the animal care team at the Denver Zoo.
Insalaco said the group of girls gets along well, but they might be ready for a guy to join them.
"I think they’ve liked their girl power, so we’ll see what happens if they do get a boyfriend and how that changes for them," Insalaco said.
Some females in the zoo do not need a male counterpart. Insalaco said most cats are solitary, including tigers.
"There’s only really one time they want to be together and then that’s good, they’re off on their own again," Insalaco said. "When they have cubs, mom raises them by themselves. so they’re a single mom, and they do a fantastic job."
Moms are not the only ones who are single parents at the zoo.
Berani, an orangutan, stepped up to the challenge a few years ago when his daughter's mom died from a heart disease.
"Berani took over and he was a fantastic father, and he carried and he made sure she was safe and taught her the ropes, literally, so it was just a really nice story and really unique to see," Insalaco said. "He took on that single dad role, which you never see with orangutans, and Berani nailed it."
Some animals at the zoo have good reason to pair bond. Many birds, Insalaco said, fit into that category.
Penguins are a good example.
"Because they need to lay eggs and they need to incubate eggs, someone needs to protect chicks while someone else needs to go get food, Insalaco said. "Pair bonding makes a lot of sense in the bird world."
None of the animals knew what day it was, but they still celebrated — the zoo gave them fun Valentine's Day treats and enrichment activities to have fun with.
"I know tonight I’m spending Valentine's with my family, so it’s great to know they have some things to do on Valentine's Day too," Insalaco said.
Love blooms at the Denver Zoo
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