On July 7, Sao Paulo Zoo welcomed a baby that was over six feet (1.85 meters) tall: a giraffe, of course! The calf is a healthy male, born to parents Mel ('Honey') and Palito ('Stick'). The delivery started around midnight, when security staff noticed and called in the vets, biologists and keepers. Because the mother was having difficulties in delivering, the vets decided to assist by tying a rope to Mel's front legs and pulling.
Giraffe Keeper, Laurindo, who has worked at Sao Paulo Zoo for 33 years, says he has never seen such a strong and healthy baby giraffe. Within his first two weeks, the calf was already looking for things to eat, and hopping and kicking with energy. The zoo has a tradition in breeding this species: this is their 24th giraffe born since their first in 1977.
Photo Credits: Sao Paul Zoo / Carlos Nader (1, 2, 4 through 10); Juliana Tolentino (3)
See a video of the calf below:
See and read more after the fold!
The zoo and a major weekly magazine in Brazil promoted a public vote to choose his name based on ten names that were chosen by the zoo staff. The calf is now called Girafales, the name of a character in a Mexican TV show that is very famous in Brazil, and alludes back to the species name.
What smells like popcorn, purrs like a kitten, and has a tail as long as its body? Why, a Binturong of course! Meet the The Staten Island Zoo's newest resident a six-week playful and inquisitive Binturong named “Oliver Wolf.” The four-pound creature, also known as Bearcat, is a viverrid found in South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon or rare over much of its range and listed as vulnerable because of a population decline estimated to be more than 30%.
Weighing 50 lbs or more at maturity, Oliver Wolf will eventually serve as an ambassador animal, meeting and educating the public about the plight of his species in the wild.
Binturongs are identifiable by a prehensile tail that is as long as its body and are classified as carnivores although they eat mostly fruit. They are related to civets and fossas. In the wild, Binturongs sleep during the day high in the forest canopy and love to bask in the sun. They play a special role in rainforest ecology by spreading seeds from the fruits they eat and subsequently poop out.
From 2005 to 2009, the Staten Island Zoo exhibited the only Binturong in the New York metropolitan region and was among only 27 zoos in the country to have them in their collection. They are considered a “red” program in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) due to the low numbers available for breeding and thus low genetic diversity. The Staten Island Zoo participates in the international Species Survival Program the strategy of which is to add to the breeding population of threatened and endangered species.
Prague Zoo is celebrating a quadruple success in their 10-year efforts to breed Bush Dogs. The litter of 4 is made up of 3 females and 1 male. The puppies have already started leaving the breeding box to explore their exhibit. These quadruplets are a genetically important addition to Europe's Bush Dog population. Their father arrived at the Prague Zoo from Japan after two years of negotiations, making him unrelated to any other dog in Europe. The zoo is the only Czech zoo with these carnivorous canines.
Photo Credit Tomáš Adamec, Prague Zoo
These little goats just keep coming! Born Friday 9th August, Frankie is the new female kid at Taronga Zoo in Australia. Frankie needed some extra care from keepers after her mom, BJ, was not able to feed her. With the help of bottle-feedings, Frankie is healthy and kicking. Just like her dad, Gucci, she has a very playful personality and has won the hearts of staff and visitors. Taronga Zoo's goats are part of an interactive exhibit called Backyard to Bush, which includes a farm area.
Photo credits: Taronga Zoo
Only a few weeks old and already thousands of quills! On August 4, Zoo Vienna welcomed a baby North American Porcupine. The porcupette is a female and weighed in at just about 1.3 pounds (600 g) at her first medical checkup. The gestation period for porcupines is relatively long, around seven months, so the juveniles are already well-developed at birth. They come into the world with eyes open and can run immediately. At just a few days old, the porcupette had started to practice climbing. Now at one month old, she still drinks milk but also nibbles on carrots, apples, beetroots, and branches. She will be weaned at one and a half months old.
Although North American and European Porcupines might look very similar, they are actually not very closely related. North American Porcupines are the second largest New World rodent, after the North American Beaver. Commonly found from Alaska to Mexico, they are excellent albeit slow climbers and spend most of their lives in trees. These herbivores are crepuscular, meaning that they are mainly active at dawn and dusk. A single North America Porcupine may have up to 30,000 barbed quills for self-defense. At birth, the quills of a porcupette are short and soft, but they harden after a few days.
60 pounds, 30 inches (27 kg, 76 cm): Not your average measurements for a newborn. But when you’re dealing with a baby Eastern Black Rhino, it’s fair to expect things to be a bit outsized. The 'little' rhino, a boy, was born August 26 at Lincoln Park Zoo in Illinois. He’s the first offspring for 8-year-old mom Kapuki and 27-year-old dad Maku and the first rhinoceros born at the zoo since 1989. Right now he’s growing behind the scenes, where animal care staff are keeping a close watch as the baby bonds with mom.
“Mother and baby are both doing wonderfully,” says Curator of Mammals Mark Kamhout. “The calf divides his time between nursing, following mom around, and napping, and that is exactly what a baby rhino should be doing.”
Photo credits: Lincoln Park Zoo
Watch a video of mother and calf:
The new arrival is a welcome addition for a species that’s facing a conservation crisis in the wild. Black Rhinos are critically endangered and were nearly driven to extinction in the 1990s. Their wild population is currently estimated at 5,055 individuals. Although these creatures are protected, they are still killed illegally for their horns, which are used in folk medicines.
Rhinos are naturally solitary—and territorial—animals, coming together only for brief intervals to breed. Introductions need to be carefully timed to the female's estrus so that she will be receptive to the male’s approach. The pairing of Kapuki with Maku was recommended by the Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding and management strategy overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
“This birth is cause for great celebration here at Lincoln Park Zoo and has been much anticipated,” says Kamhout. “The gestational period for rhinos is 15-16 months, and they have incredibly small windows for conception. Together with the zoo’s endocrinologists, we worked to pinpoint the exact window for Kapuki and Maku to get together for breeding. The whole zoo family is delighted at this successful outcome.”
So, how exactly do you pinpoint the right time? See and read more after the fold!
Zoo Endocrinologist and Davee Center Director Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., analyzed fecal samples collected by animal care staff to determine Kapuki’s reproductive cycle. This hormonal data, coupled with behavioral changes from Maku when Kapuki entered estrus, helped the zoo's animal care experts figure out the right time to introduce the two rhinos.
Now, after more than a year of gestation, we can see the adorable results of all this planning. Compliments to the scientists, the caregivers and everyone associated with the Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, who made the initial breeding recommendation to pair Kapuki with her genetically valuable mate.
Lincoln Park Zoo is an active participant in rhino conservation and is home to three adult Eastern Black Rhinos. In addition to working closely with the SSP, Lincoln Park Zoo supports rhinos through field work in their native South Africa. The information zoo scientists gather on rhino hormone levels, parasites, and sleep patterns increases global understanding of how to manage and conserve the species. Click here to learn more about the zoo's role in rhino conservation.
A Klipspringer —a tiny antelope native to Central and Eastern Africa—was born in early August at Lincoln Park Zoo in Illinois. Unfortunately, the baby’s mother didn’t display proper maternal care, and so the little one had to be removed to be hand-reared. Animal care staff have done an excellent job nurturing the baby and it continues to grow behind-the-scenes at the zoo. Even at full size, the dwarf antelope will only measure 20 inches (51 cm) in height and weigh about 24 pounds (11 kg).
Photo Credits: Lincoln Park Zoo
This common antelope species prefers rocky habitats, such as mountains and river gorges. Klipspringers' hooves have a rubbery texture in the center that helps them grip rock, and the tough, sharp outer edges keep them firmly planted. They eat grasses, leaves, buds and fruits.
Klipspringers typically live in small family groups composed of a breeding pair and their young offspring. They are territorial, marking their territories with small scent-producing glands located on the face. Males can use their pointy, four-inch-long (10 cm) horns to wrestle for mates. After breeding, the female bears her young in a rocky alcove, where the offspring will remain for two-three months to be protected against predators.
A rare Red Panda cub was born in July at Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska. Baby Lincoln, as zookeepers are calling him, is currently being hand-raised because his mother is unable to care for him. He is one of only four Red Panda cubs in the country being hand-raised. Lincoln spends his days in an incubator with around-the-clock care, and is growing stronger and healthier every day. Like his older brothers, Rusty and Wayne, he will eventually move to another zoo. Zookeepers named him Lincoln to represent the city of Lincoln and state of Nebraska when he moves to a new home in the future.
Photo credits: Lincoln Children's Zoo
See a video of the cub in his nursery:
See and read more after the fold.
Red Pandas are not closely related to Giant Pandas; rather, they belong in their own unique group that is more closely related to weasels. They are native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Fully grown, they are slightly larger than domestic cats. Red Pandas spend most of their time in trees, eating a variety of fruits, leaves and eggs. Their long bushy tails are excellent for balance, and also serve as a cozy wrap-around scarf for the Red Panda in cold weather.
Although protected throughout most of their range, Red Pandas are threatened by poaching and habitat loss. They have been classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Species; it is estimated that there are fewer than 10,000 adult Red Pandas. When he eventually moves to a new zoo, Lincoln will be a valuable addition to the coordinated breeding effort that aids Red Panda conservation.
The Giant Panda cub born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on August 23 received her first veterinary exam on September 16. (See our first story here.) She was given a clean bill of health. Mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), who has spent much of the past three and-a-half weeks cradling the cub, put down her baby and left her den at 4:11 p.m. The panda team, which has been preparing for an opportunity to perform a full veterinary exam, retrieved the cub while Mei Xiang ate bamboo and drank some water in the adjacent enclosure. The speedy exam was completed by 4:31 p.m.
“It’s amazing to see how much she has grown in less than one month,” said Brandie Smith, senior curator of mammals and Giant Pandas. “Mei Xiang continues to be a great mom, as she was with her first cub, Tai Shan, and it shows.”
Since her preliminary health check on August 25, the cub has more than doubled her weight. She now weighs slightly less than two pounds (.9 kg), up from 4.8 ounces (146 g), and has the signature black markings of a Giant Panda. Her heart rate was 130 beats per minute, and her respiratory rate was 42. From nose to tail she is 10.6 inches (27 centimeters) long and 9.8 inches (25 centimeters) wide around her belly. Her eyes have not opened yet.
After the exam was completed, Mei Xiang returned to her den and immediately picked up her cub and began grooming her. The David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat has been closed to the public since August 2, and will remain closed until further notice to provide quiet for Mei Xiang and her cub. Both are visible on the live panda cams.
Photo Credits; Courtney Janney, Smithsonian's National Zoo
The youngest member of the San Diego
Zoo's animal ambassador team is a five-month-old Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth, and
this female baby needs a name!
Photo Credit: Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo
The zoo staff has selected four
names for the public to vote on:
Xena (pronounced ZEE-nah): The taxonomic superorder
Xenarthra is comprised of Armadillos, Sloths and Anteaters.
Dulce (pronounced DUEL-say): This is Spanish for sweet
Guiana (pronounced gee-ON-a): Two-toed sloths are
native to this region in northeastern South America.
Subida (pronounced soo-BEE-dah): In Spanish, this word
means rise, increase, ascent, and way up.
Visit this website
to cast your vote. The baby Sloth is currently being
trained to meet people up close during special animal presentations and
outings.
Sloths are slow-moving, solitary, arboreal, forest-dwelling nocturnal herbivores, found in tropical forests and cloud forests in Central and South America. Their sharp claws are 3 to 4 inches long and come in handy for hanging onto trees. Sloths sleep 15 to 18 hours per day and (slowly) look for food the rest of the day.
Early one morning in August, an aquarist at Jenkison's Aquarium in New Jersey came across some tiny surprises: several hundred Horseshoe Crab babies had hatched in an off-exhibit holding tank. They have been doing very well and some are now on exhibit in the aquarium's classroom to promote a message of shoreline conservation, as migratory shorebirds depend on Horseshoe Crab eggs for a food source during their long migrations.
The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab has been called a 'living fossil' because we find fossilized Horseshoe Crabs from over 200 million years ago. They are actually more closely related to spiders and scorpions than to crabs. This arthropod is in a class by itself though - Merostomata - which means 'legs attached to the mouth'. Trilobites that lived over 500 million years ago are actually a closer relative to this creature.
Photo credits: Jenkinson's Aquarium
The Delaware Bay region is home to the largest population of the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, which range along the east coast from Nova Scotia to the Yucatan. Three other species of Horseshoe Crab live in the coastal waters of Japan and Indonesia. Horseshoe Crab spawning usually takes place in May and June during evening high tides at full and new moons. The female will dig holes in the sand, depositing thousands of eggs at a time, and then drag the male over them to fertilize them. Incoming tide waters cover the nests with sand.
The Delaware Bay’s Horseshoe Crab population has declined by 90% over the last 150 years, mostly due to over-harvesting. Horseshoe crabs are used as bait for fishing, and their bright-blue blood is also used by the biomedical industry, as it contains a powerful bacterial decontaminant used in intravenous drugs. Biomedical harvesters use a catch-and-release method which is meant to reduce the mortality of these creatures.
As the number of Horseshoe Crabs in the area has declined, so has the number of eggs available for consumption by migrating shorebirds. Shorebird population numbers are plummeting as well, as many cannot gain the amount of energy needed to complete their migrations. One such bird is the Red Knot, which has been placed on New Jersey’s Endangered Species list. Many other shorebirds will be at risk as well if Horseshoe Crab populations are unable to rebound.
Dublin Zoo's twin Red Panda cubs, born on July 14, are just starting to venture outside of their den at thee months old. The thriving cubs have a very strong bond with their parents, Angelina and Chota. The twins, one male and one female, weighed approximately .3 pounds (150 grams) at birth, but are growing steadily.
Team Leader Eddie O’Brien says, “Red pandas are endangered in the wild so we are over the moon that this is the third litter born to Angelina and Chota. The cubs are both doing very well and getting more adventurous and confident.”
Dublin Zoo is hosting a naming contest for the pair on their FaceBook page. They are looking for names that celebrate the Red Panda's Asian origin. To submit your ideas, just post a comment here.
Photo credits: Patrick Bolger / Dublin Zoo
Red Pandas are not closely related to Giant Pandas; rather, they belong in their own unique group that is more closely related to weasels. They are native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Fully grown, they are slightly larger than domestic cats. Red Pandas spend most of their time in trees, eating a variety of fruits, leaves and eggs. Their long bushy tails are excellent for balance, and also serve as a cozy wrap-around scarf for the Red Panda in cold weather. They also have fur on the soles of their feet to prevent them from slipping on wet branches.
Although protected throughout most of their range, Red Pandas are threatened by poaching and habitat loss. They have been classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Species; it is estimated that there are fewer than 10,000 adult Red Pandas.
On September 29, M’Bopicuá, known in Spanish as Estación de Cría de Fauna M'Bopicuá, welcomed a little Pampas Deer into the world. The fawn is a healthy female, and she is being well care-for by her mother. The Pampas Deer is a threatened species in Uruguay, where the station is located.
Once found widely throughout the grasslands of South America, the Pampas Deer now exists in small, isolated populations in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Conversion of habitat for agriculture and predation by feral dogs have contributed to their decline. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the remaining habitat of the Pampas Deer is less than one percent of what existed in 1900. Historically, Pampas deer were hunted sustainably for their meat and skins, but their use is much less common now that the species is threatened.
M’Bopicuá Breeding Station works to protect and repopulate native species in danger of extinction around their conservation area. A member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, M’Bopicuá also focuses on environmental education and training with local school children. This little fawn may play an important role in the station's breeding program, or someday be released into protected conservation land.
Photo credits: M’Bopicuá
See a video of the fawn:
The little fawn shows off her speed:
After a 22-month wait, the Albuquerque BioPark
in New Mexico welcomed a healthy female Elephant calf on October 2.
Photo Credit: ABQ Biopark
"Rozie and her calf are doing well and are getting to
know each other behind-the-scenes," said Rhonda Saiers, Elephant Manager.
"She is learning to nurse and getting more steady on her feet. She'll get
to meet her sister, Daizy, and grandmother, Alice, within a few days."
The newest addition is the third Elephant born in New Mexico. Rozie was the first Elephant born at the ABQ BioPark Zoo back in 1992. She gave birth to Daizy, her first calf, in 2009. The multi-generation herd includes Rozie, her mother Alice, daughter Daizy and brand new calf. An unrelated female, Irene, is also part of the herd and has been a good auntie. Samson and Albert, two young males, have formed a bachelor herd, and can be seen in yards adjacent to the females.
"We're proud to be part of Elephant conservation through our breeding program," said Rick Janser, BioPark Director. "Our diverse herd represents how Elephants socialize in the wild, living in groups and raising calves together. These Elephants show how conservation programs can help ensure a future for endangered species."
Asian Elephants are endangered with only 40,000 left in the wild. The ABQ BioPark participates in the Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The SSP boosts Elephant reproduction efforts and promotes genetic diversity to build a self-sustaining elephant population in North America.
The new calf will make her public debut in coming weeks. Rozie's new calf is an important addition to the Elephant population and to Albuquerque's herd. She will learn how to be an Elephant with the guidance of older Elephants. And Daizy, now 4 years old, will learn what it's like to raise a calf, which will help prepare her to be a mother in a few years.
See more photos of the Elephant calf below the fold!
This little Koala joey emerged from her mother Maggie's pouch for the first time at Taronga Zoo in Sydney on October 11. Spotted clinging to her mum, this female joey is about six months old and is the fifth joey for Maggie, who is good mother and quite protective of her young.
The Koala joey is yet to be named and keepers are currently thinking of an appropriate Australian name for the newest addition to the group. Over the coming months the joey will continue to stay with her mother until approximately 12 months old when she will become independent.
Photo credits: Taronga Zoo
Shiva, a rare Persian Leopard cub born at Zoo Berlin, was not shy about voicing her displeasure when she received her latest round of vaccinations.
Despite Shiva's disapproval, it was important for the
veterinary staff to vaccinate the cub against feline distemper
and other diseases. This was a challenging
task because Shiva had to be separated from her mother, Yerevan. Since her birth on July 1, Shiva and her mother have been inseparable. Shiva made her public debut last week.
Photo Credit: Zoo Berlin
Shiva is the fifth cub for Yerevan, age 11. Shiva’s father Haakon is age 16 – quite an advanced age for a big cat.
Persian Leopards were once found throughout central Asia, but they now live only in fragmented populations in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caucasus. Iran holds the largest population of wild Persian Leopards, with about 700 remaining there. These small, separate groups of Leopards are threatened by further loss of habitat, armed conflict, and reduction of prey species. Currently, about 100 Persian Leopards live in zoos, where managed breeding programs could counteract the long-term decline of these cats in the wild.
Photo credits: 1,5 Zoo Berlin; 2 Zoo Vienna; 3 Assiniboine Park Zoo; 4 Chester Zoo; 6 San Francisco Zoo, 7 Chattanooga Zoo; 8 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; 9-12 Denver Zoo; 13 The Jackson Zoo; 14-18 Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo; 19 Minnesota Zoo.
But wait! There's much more after the fold!
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For the second time in Tennessee Aquarium history, the institution welcomed a rare Keeled Box Turtle hatchling. Like many other Southeast Asian turtles, Keeled Box Turtles have been over-collected in the wild for food and the pet trade. Several conservation organizations are working to protect the remaining wild populations from illegal trade, while zoos and aquariums are building assurance populations so the species does not go extinct if these animals disappear in the wild. Currently the U.S. population of Keeled Box Turtles at AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums is less than twenty animals, seven of which are at Tennessee Aquarium.
This baby was the only one to hatch out of seven eggs laid in July. The incubation time was 92 days at a toasty 82 degrees Farenheit and the tiny hatchling weighed just 0.41 oz (11.7 grams).
Photo credits: Bill Hughes / Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium has one of the largest turtle collections on public display with more than 500 individuals representing seventy-five species. Their Senior Hereptologist, Bill Hughes, manages the Keeled Box Turtle Studbook and serves as the Species Survival Plan Coordinator for Spiny Turtles, Four-eyed Turtles, and Arakan Forest Turtles.
