Two young sea lions made their debut at the Central Park Zoo.
Edith, 9 months, was born at the New York Aquarium, and Katie, 2, was born at the Bronx Zoo.
The two new youngsters join Scooter, 25, and April, 20, in the sea lion court. Both Edith and Katie are California sea lions, which live in large groups on the western coast of North America.
Edith and Katie have begun participating in the daily enrichment sessions and they are learning very quickly how to earn fishy snacks, zoo officials said.
The sea lions are fed every day at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. The keepers perform enrichment exercises during feeding time that provide the sea lions with mental and physical exercise.
They work with the animals to strengthen bonds, stimulate natural instincts and behaviors, and facilitate care.
California sea lion newborns weigh about 13 pounds and females grow to about 200 pounds as adults. There are about 300,000 sea lions in the wild.
"We are pleased to announce the arrival of Katie and Edith to our sea lion family at Central Park Zoo," said Jeff Sailer, director of city zoos. "They are young and playful and will add a lot of energy to the sea lion pool and the daily feeding demonstrations."
