Three baby dragons just born at Alabama zoo — and one hatched in caretaker’s hands
Three eggs had just been found buried in an enclosure at a zoo in Alabama when one hatched in the zookeeper’s hands, revealing the soft scaly body of a green and gold Philippine Sailfin Dragon.
“Welcome to the world, Tony,” the zookeeper said.
Tony was joined by siblings Ezekiel and Nat a few days later, officials said on the Birmingham Zoo’s Instagram account. The names are a far cry from those of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons — Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion — but their births were about as rare of an occurrence.
Only 12 zoos in the United States reportedly have Sailfin Dragons, and Birmingham is one of just two to successfully breed the species in the last year, according to the zoo’s Instagram page.
At birth, the dragons weighed just half an ounce. But zookeepers said they will likely grow to be more than 3 feet long and weigh three pounds. They’re also born “highly developed,” meaning they can climb, swim, eat and hunt as soon as they hatch.
But Sailfin Dragons are also considered a vulnerable species, in-part because of “habitat loss, being hunted for food and being popular in the pet trade,” the Birmingham Zoo said. In the Philippines, where the dragons are native, converting wooded land for other uses such as farming and logging has led to substantial habitat loss, National Geographic reported.
The hatchlings are also “heavily collected for both the pet trade” and for “local consumption,” according to the magazine.
As oviparous species, adult Sailfin Dragons will bury their eggs in river banks or underground to finish developing. The Birmingham Zoo said it tried for three years to successfully incubate eggs before Naga, the zoo’s female Philippine Sailfin Dragon, managed to hide her eggs from caretakers.
“In true Mama-Knows-Best fashion, Naga buried three eggs almost a foot deep!” the zoo wrote on Instagram. “The eggs were later found during a weekly egg check.”
Andy S., who has worked as an Animal Care Professional in Reptiles for at least 10 years, was holding one of the eggs when it hatched. The remaining two were placed in an incubator until they hatched a few days later.
“Tony, Ezekiel, and Nat will help keep the zoo population stable as we work to protect and conserve this incredible species!” the zoo said.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 6:29 PM.
