Yesterday, the Brookfield Zoo announced the birth of a highly endangered Bornean orangutan. An infant orangutan’s dependency on its mother is longer than any other mammal. Because of this long dependency, there is approximately a six- to eight-year interval between births in order for the offspring to learn how to survive in the complex rain forest. This is only the second orangutan expected to be born in the United States this year.
Sixteen-month-old Pacific walrus Akituusaq shows off his new set of titanium crowns at his home in Sea Cliffs at the New York Aquarium. “Aki” was fitted with these crowns by Wildlife Conservation Society Global HealthProgramveterinariansworking with a dental consultantto protect his tusks from damage during growth. Aki seems to be adjusting well to his new armor.
The Woodland Park Zoo has no shortage of babies these days. Check out these adorable little galagos, African primates that are also known as "bushbabies!" Their big eyes allow them to see very well at night. These guys were born October 11th, 2008 and you can watch them grow on the Zoo's blog.
The Eld's deer is endangered in its native home of Southeast Asia with fewer than 2,000 remaining in the wild. This little girl and her mother are doing well and will join a herd of 14 females at the National Zoo's Conservation Research Center in a few months.
Tapirs and Scotland seem like a funny combination to us but the Edinburgh Zoo is getting a name for itself after its female, Sayang, and her hubby gave birth to their second baby in as many years. Malaysian tapirs are endangered on their native islands and every zoo birth helps researchers learn more about protecting these stripy little guys.
Indah sports a striking hide which would help camoflage her from predators in the wild.
On June 16th, 2008, the Binder Park Zoo, in Battle Creek Michigan welcomed the birth of this adorable little furball. These pictures were taken at 15 days of age.
A southern white rhinoceros made its public
debut June 4. The spunky female, which remains unnamed, was seen
tearing across its enclosure at the Dublin Zoo in Ireland. The mother,
Ashanti, kept a close watch on her calf.
Time for a nice cozy nap after all that skipping about.
Prehensile-tailed porcupines are born with soft, reddish quills which eventually turn in to hard spikes as it grows. “Prehensile-tailed” refers to the fact that this tree-living species uses its tail to grip and hang on branches. This porcupine, pictured here at two weeks old, is on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Small Mammal House.
Photo Credit: Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Date July 1, 2008
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