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Niabi Zoo welcomes baby alpaca

The Niabi Zoo has a new addition to their animal kingdom – a baby alpaca.

COAL VALLEY, Illinois -- The Niabi Zoo has a new addition to their animal kingdom - a baby alpaca.

Mom alpaca, Paila, gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday, September 1, according to a post on the zoo's Facebook page.

Alpaca babies, which are referred to as cria, typically weigh between 18 and 20 pounds when they are born, according to Live Science.  An alpaca's gestation period lasts between 11 and 12 months, said the zoo.

The zoo's Facebook post said their new cria was standing and nursing within four hours of his birth. By Tuesday he was chasing donkeys.

An alpaca's gestation period lasts between 11 and 12 months.

(Editor's note: The baby alpaca was initially announced as a female, but a veterinarian has since confirmed it is a male)

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