Longleat Safari Park in the UK is delighted to announce the birth of two otter pups although contrary to normal Longleat practice, the pups are being totally hand reared as human intervention became necessary to save the tiny two. Deputy Head of Section, Beverley Allen, took up the role of mum to the intrepid pups. “We try and maintain a hands off approach with any newborn at Longleat as nine times out of ten, mum is the best bet” explained Beverley. “We soon realized however that mum, Rosie, was just not producing enough milk and we’d have to step in to save their young lives”.
“I have to admit that being full time mum to two pups is pretty hard work. I’m feeding them by hand every 3½ hours on artificial puppy rearing milk, which is the next best thing to mum’s milk.
“They are now around four weeks old and their eyes should be opening in the next week or so. They’re completely helpless at the moment and are entirely reliant on me to look after them."
The Eastern Black Rhino family at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo welcomed a new female calf August 17, the fourth daughter born to mom Inge, and second offspring of dad Jimma. She was estimated to have weighed more than 100 pounds at birth. The baby rhino, who has yet to be named, is a significant addition to the zoo population as there are only 31 female and 36 male Eastern black rhinos in zoos in North America and they are considered highly endangered in the wild. There have been only two other Eastern black rhino babies born in the U.S. this year.
The two unnamed female pups, born on June 7 and June 10, were abandoned by their moms at a popular tourist attraction—Pier 39 in San Francisco—which is a highly unusual place for a California sea lion to give birth. Lucky for them, they were rescued by staff from The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, eventually making their way to the Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo. The pups are off exhibit for the moment while they get used to their new home but are doing great so far!
Read the whole story and see more pictures below the fold
Back in June we brought you the announcement of Denver Zoo's new Amur Tiger quadruplets. Now we bring you photos from their first foray outside. Amur Tigers are classified as critically endangered, with an estimated population of fewer than 400 individuals remaining in the wild. Once called Siberian Tigers because they were found throughout Siberia, they are now confined to Far East Asia along the Amur River, hence the new name.
This trio of 9-week-old Asian Small-Clawed Otters pups was photographed yesterday at the UK's Blackpool Zoo by photographer khandog. This species forms monogamous pairs for life and young pups like these are fully weaned only at 14 months - that's a lot of baby otter time! Is that a yawn in the last picture or just munching on otter kibble?
On August 18th, the UK's Paignton Zoo welcomed a baby Capybara to parents David and Davina. Sometimes called a the Giant Guinea Pig, these massive rodents can grow four feet long (a rodent of unusual size perhaps?). Capybaras love to lounge, and even sleep, in swamps and rivers with only their eyes and nostrils poking out.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo has two new Fossa pups, born on June 26, 2010. Native to the island of Madagascar, Fossas are the main predator of lemurs. They are very agile climbers whose ankles can rotate 180 degrees. This allows them to climb down a tree face-forward while gripping with their back feet. Looking like a cross between a cat and a weasel, they are most closely related to mongooses.
Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo is home to New York City's newest and bounciest Baboon babies and they need your name suggestions. Jump over to the Zoo's naming contest to add your ideas. The Baboons, both male, were born July 23 and
28.
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo's Banded Mongoose baby boom continues! Five baby Banded Mongooses, born on August 2, made their exhibit debut this week. Combined with seven babies born in November, six babies born in March, and our original seven adults, Fort Wayne now has twenty five Mongooses in the colony.
A short and sweet video showing the process of an African Penguin chick emerging from it's shell, called pipping, from egg to baby bird! The New England Aquarium has had a penguin baby boom this summer so if you live in the Boston area, definitely make the trip.
