Leahgates

Chester Zoo, in Upton-by-Chester, Chester, UK, recently welcomed four baby Rock Hyraxes!  Born July 20, at the zoo's African Painted Dog Exhibit, the quad of babies were just a few ounces at birth, and they looked like miniature versions of their parents, with eyes and ears open.

Photo Credits: Steve Rawlins

Despite their diminutive size, the Rock Hyrax has a remarkable genetic link to the elephant!  Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo, Tim Rowlands, said:  “Rock Hyraxes and elephants share several common features. They have similar toes, teeth and skull structures and Rock Hyraxes also have two large continually growing incisors, which correspond to an elephant’s tusks.  And whereas small mammals normally have a short pregnancy period, for the Rock Hyrax it lasts for around seven and a half months (245 days), another sign of their relation to their much larger ancestors.”

Rock Hyraxes are native to Africa, but they can also be found along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Israel, where they are protected by law.  As their name suggests, they live in rocky terrain, seeking shelter and protection in rugged outcrops or cliffs.  In the wild, they typically live in colonies of about 80 individuals, subdivided into smaller families.

The Rock Hyrax is a forager.  Feeding in groups, with one or more posted as a sentry, they prefer a diet of grasses, broad-leaf plants, and an occasional insect or grub.  They obtain most of their water from food sources.

Rock Hyrax feet are built for climbing.  The bottom of each foot is bare and has a moist, rubbery pad that provides a suction-cup effect to aid in clinging to rocks.

Although, currently not endangered, the sociable Rock Hyrax serves as an important ambassador for species preservation.  

A pair of tiny orange Golden Lion Tamarins was born at the Santa Barbara Zoo on July 20 to new mother Kimmer and her mate, Kovu.

Photo Credit:  Santa Barbara Zoo

This small Monkey species hails from the Brazilian rainforest, where they are highly endangered due to development, deforestation and agriculture.

For the first 10 days following birth, Kimmer cared for the twins herself, but recently passed one off to her mate Kovu, who has fathered several offspring at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Twins Karen and Frank, born from a different mother in 2012, remain in the exhibit to learn how to care for newborns.

“Kovu is an outstanding father,” says Sheri Horiszny, Director of Animal Care. “He raised Karen and Frank by himself after their mother, Bella, died from an infection when they were five weeks old. Now Karen and Frank can observe how he and Kimmer care for the new offspring, just as young Golden Lion Tamarins do in the wild, to prepare for their own future babies.

Frank and Karen will soon move to another zoo as part of a cooperative breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), in which accredited member zoos and institutions collaborate to manage endangered species populations. The Zoo has exhibited Golden Lion Tamarins since 1983. 

Adult Golden Lion Tamarins weigh about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and are roughly 10 inches tall, with tails up to 15 inches long. The infants are now about the size of a stick of butter and spend most of their time on their parents’ backs. The new twins appear to be in good health and will be examined by the Zoo veterinarian at 30 days old to determine their sexes and weights, and receive vaccinations.  

“The young are getting more alert and curious every day,” adds Horiszny, “and the adults are always very active.”

Golden Lion Tamarins have silky, golden coats and manes around a dark face, giving the lion-like impression.  They live in the forest canopy, above the forest floor, in the lowland forests of southeastern Brazil. They face huge challenges in the wild as more than 99 percent of their forest habitat has been cut down for lumber, agriculture and housing.

Adults are monogamous and share in the care of their young. Upon birth, the young climb atop their parents’ backs. An infant does not have to leave its mothers back to nurse – her teats are almost under her arm pit, so they just slide under her arm. Both parents are involved in raising the young, who are weaned at approximately 12 weeks.

Golden Lion Tamarins are among the most endangered mammals on earth. Deforestation and habitat loss have relegated the species to a small region in eastern Brazil. Almost all Golden Lion Tamarins found in U.S. zoos, including those at the Santa Barbara Zoo, are considered to be on loan from the Brazilian government for captive breeding. Golden Lion Tamarins born in U.S. zoos have been reintroduced into the wild, and now one-third of the wild population comes from captive stock.   

Keepers at Highland Wildlife Park are excited to announce the arrival of a Muskox calf. 

Mum, Karin, who was born in the Czech Republic in 2002, gave birth to the male calf on June 2, 2014. This is a major event for the Park as Muskox are difficult to breed due to high neonatal mortality rates. The last Muskox calf to survive until adulthood in the UK was born in 1992.

Last year, Belle the Muskox calf sadly passed away at Highland Wildlife Park at around five months old due to an injury inflicted by one of her parents. Musk-ox calves are notoriously difficult to rear in captivity as their weak immune systems means that they are highly susceptible to disease and infection, and the inherent aggressiveness of the adults further complicates the situation. This year keepers are working hard to make sure this new arrival has a successful outcome. 

Douglas Richardson, Head of Living Collections at Highland Wildlife Park, said:

“Although we are very pleased with our latest Muskox calf, we are certainly not out of the woods yet and have a long way to go before we can confidently say that we have been successful.  He is growing well and is being closely monitored by his keepers, but the young of the species are extremely fragile and in light of losing last year’s calf, we have altered our husbandry protocol to hopefully avoid a similar problem. He will remain off show with his mother for some time yet and will be named at a later date.”

The new Muskox calf may be small now, but it will grow quickly and could weigh an impressive 300 kilograms when mature. As he continues to grow, the calf and his mother will be gradually introduced to one of their large grass enclosures and later to his father. 

A social species, the Muskox typically form mixed herds of around ten to 20 animals, but they can sometimes contain as many as 100. They are a conservation success story. Hunted nearly to extinction for their fur and meat, a combination of conservation regulation, reintroductions and natural recolonization have taken the Muskox to a place where they are now classified as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List. 

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Zoo Berlin recently welcomed five baby Capybaras to their South American exhibit!  Born just several weeks ago, the five pups, along with mother, Lucia, explored their enclosure for the first time!  Careful to stay close to mother and each other, they enjoyed their time investigating various aspects of their home at the zoo.

Photo credits: Zoo Berlin

Native to South America, the Capybara is classified as the largest rodent in the world.  They have a distinctly large, blunt head and a pig-like appearance. Capybaras are capable of running as fast as a horse.  However, they enjoy a semi–aquatic lifestyle and prefer habitats in lowlands, close to water.  They can be found in greater numbers on flooded grasslands, where water, dry ground, and pasture are readily available.  Capybaras possess physical traits that aid their love of swimming.  Their ears, eyes and nostrils are positioned high on their heads, enabling those features to remain above water as they swim.  Their bodies contain large amounts of fatty tissue, which provides buoyancy.  Also, they have partially webbed feet.

Capybaras are herbivores and quite efficient grazers.  Their diet mainly consists of grasses, aquatic plants, fruit, and tree bark.  Adults can grow to a length of nearly five feet and can weigh over 140 lbs.  Like their cousin, the Guinea Pig, they lack the ability to synthesize vitamin C, and they require supplements in captivity to prevent scurvy.

Capybara are highly social and typically live in large groups of 10 to 30, comprised of a dominant male and several females, as well as their young of various ages.  They prefer to mate in the water.  After a gestation period of about 150 days, they average a litter of four babies.  Baby Capybaras are born on land.  Their mother will resume normal activities soon after the arrival of newborns.  Generally, within a week after their birth, baby Capybaras are able to venture out with their family and graze for grass.  They will continue to nurse till 16 weeks, and from any female in their large family!

The Capybara, at this time, is not considered a threatened species.  According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the Capybara is classified as level LC (least concern) on their Red List.  However, hunting has greatly reduced their numbers in some of their native habitat.  In some areas of South America, their meat is considered a valuable source of protein.  Their hide is used for leather goods, and the grease from their fatty skin is popular in the pharmaceutical trade of South America.

Because of their outgoing personalities, Capybaras are zoo favorites.  They are gentle and will usually allow humans to feed and pet them.  They can live up to 12 years in captivity.

Although there is no current threat to their species, concern and care has been taken to prevent there ever being a change in the Capybara's status.  The EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) has assigned Drusillas Park, in Sussex, UK, the task of keeping the studbook for captive Capybaras in Europe.  Studbook keepers document all births, deaths, and movements between zoos.  Studbook keepers also provide husbandry guidelines and advice on how the Capybara should be kept.

Submitted by: (via zoo)

Squee! Spotter: sixonefive72

Submitted by: (via Minnesoooota)

This striking Tawny Frogmouth chick is being hand-reared by Bird keeper Jade Stott at Cotswold Wildlife Park. She took on the role of surrogate mother to the beautiful baby bird when, unfortunately, the breeding adults didn't prove to be the most capable of parents. To give it the greatest chance of survival, the Bird section decided to hand-rear the chick.

It is the first time Jade has hand-reared this particular species and she has dedicated the last month to raising the tiny chick at home. It was no small task as the newborn required twenty-four hour care in those precious early days and feeds every two hours. The youngster has been soley dependent on Jade for survival. The Park’s Bird section are delighted with the blossoming healthy chick, who is growing day-by-day thanks to Jade’s dedicated parenting skills. Weighing just 21 grams when it hatched on 4th June 2014, the fluffy chick now weighs 231 grams and has made quite an impression on its surrogate mother.

Jade Stott said: "Hand-rearing the Tawny Frogmouth has been a massive learning curve. Having a tiny chick absolutely dependent on you is a little daunting at first, but the rewards of seeing it grow and develop its own cheeky character are more than enough payback for the sleepless nights. I'm definitely a proud mother hen!"

Jade has named the chick Murray, but it is too early to determine the sex of the bird. Visitors can see the chick in the Park’s specialist incubation room (next to the Penguin enclosure) where it will remain for a few more weeks.

Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) are a fascinating species but little is known about their behaviour. Professor Gisela Kaplan, who teaches animal behaviour at the University of New England in Australia, is the author of the most comprehensive single study* ever conducted about these intriguing and endearing birds. Her ten year project unearthed completely new and unexpected findings. She learnt that Tawny Frogmouths are very affectionate and pair for life. When a partner dies, the mate will stay with it for days and will grieve with a high trill for hours on end. The study also uncovered another side to these birds. Gisela describes them as “skunks of the air” as they can send out a foul smell with enormous force over a wide area, perhaps to ward off snakes and big lizards that eat their eggs and chicks. Frogmouths also scream like prowling Tomcats when distressed, fight with lightning speed and defend nest sites from reptilian predators by mobbing and spraying pungent faeces at these dangerous opponents. Even their eye colour changes when threatened by a rival. The irises of the males’ eye turn from yellow to red before they attack any male or female that attempts to enter their territory.

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