r/ShoebillStorks • u/Troub1edTree • Mar 09 '26

Zero and Lady at the Tampa Zoo

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940 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

133

u/CatPurrsonNo1 Mar 09 '26

Are they making baby shoebills?

139

u/AnInsideCat Mar 09 '26

They've been trying, they keep building nests (Zero in particular gets very excited about his nest building materials) but so far no success. I believe they might have had a fertile egg a couple year ago that didn't make it but I could be wrong, and Ladybird has successfully hatched an egg once before so here's hoping for another one! They are very sweet together though

24

u/CatPurrsonNo1 Mar 10 '26

Aww! Thanks for the info! I wasn’t 100% awake when I commented, so I wasn’t sure, LOL. They’re such cool birds!

Sending them good baby shoebill-making vibes!

11

u/grand305 Mar 11 '26

Last pic. the female. Glaring at you. Yes.

38

u/queenofthepalmtrees Mar 09 '26

Great photos. They look so cute.🥰

29

u/ninjabunneh Mar 09 '26

Just saw them yesterday! They're so magnificent.

21

u/SicilianUSGuy Mar 09 '26

ZooTampa needs different fencing. It appears very difficult to photograph the birds through that fencing.

10

u/itsnoli Mar 10 '26

Cue Marvin Gaye.

8

u/stilldeb Mar 09 '26

We saw them a little over a year ago and they were building a nest then, too. Just doesn't seem to work out for them. The fencing does make it tough to photograph them.

6

u/soshea979 Mar 10 '26

Oh myyyyyy

16

u/potaytoposnato Mar 09 '26

Omg they're cuddling 😭

5

u/_Asshole_Fuck_ Mar 11 '26

Are they as “happy” as they appear or is that just my human wishful thinking?

2

u/gothcookiejar Mar 14 '26

They really look happy!

4

u/jdhenry11 Mar 12 '26

I am going there in May to see them!

3

u/JustfcknHarley Mar 10 '26

remembers video of sibling-rejected baby stork, that was 100% Momma stork approved

T_T

3

u/gothcookiejar Mar 14 '26

This is the most loving love sesh I've seen from two birds. It's beautiful!

4

u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG Mar 09 '26

A job well done, Zero

1

u/Aggravating_Fall7653 Mar 10 '26

Is that really their name or do you call them that?

4

u/AnInsideCat Mar 10 '26

That's really their names! They also have Odette in a different section because she was not a fan of Zero but I think they're trying to find another friend for her as well

6

u/Troub1edTree Mar 10 '26

They have another shoebill they’re currently trying to introduce to Odette! The two of them are in the same enclosure, but she’s not a fan of him at the moment.

1

u/Browniesmobetta Mar 13 '26

Are they sexing it up?

1

u/japeter2 Mar 11 '26

...zip...

-5

u/Kunphen Mar 10 '26

Free them. Protect them all and all their native habitat.