There is a new animal at the Sedgwick County zoo, but its how he got there that is especially newsworthy.

The zoo became the first in the Western Hemisphere to document that Komodo dragons are capable of parthenogenesis (reproduction without the contribution of a male).

The hatchling entered the world on January 31, measuring almost 17-inches-long from nose to tail and weighing 104 grams.

Only two earlier cases were documented in 2006 at London Zoo and Chester Zoo in England.

The Sedgwick County Zoo has two adult Komodo dragons; both are female and cared for separately. One female, known to the keepers as Gaia, laid approximately 17 eggs on May 19-20, 2007.

Sedgwick County Zoo followed the Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation to incubate and hatch two eggs. The SSP wanted to further document that Komodo dragons are capable of parthenogenesis. The second egg at Sedgwick County Zoo is in the final stages of hatching.

The first hatchling is doing well and could be on exhibit in the Amphibian and Reptile Building in approximately 10 -14 days.