ZooBorns

Giraffes Make Big Babies

These adorable "little" guys were born in November at Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach, Florida. Little Kenya and Jumanji clearly both have doting mothers.

 

 

White Lion Cubs!

Zookeepers at the Belgrade Zoo unveiled two rare baby white lions Sunday. The cubs were born last Tuesday, and are doing well. Their mother was a white lioness, but dad had normal colorings. White lions are a genetic rarity caused by the inheritance of two recessive genes. This is different from albinism, which is caused by a lack of pigmentation.

more photos below the fold...

Upala the Baby Gorilla at the Wilhelma Zoo

These adorable photos and related information come to us from photographer Volker Wurst.

Upala is none too pleased about this weekend coming to an end...

"Upala is a little Gorilla boy who was born at the Heidelberg Zoo about half a year ago. Unfortunately, his mother didn't care enough for him and didn't protect him from attacks from his half-brother. Therefore, the zoo team at Heidelberg decided to give Upala to the Wilhelma zoo, as they are very experienced here in helping young apes (Upala is the 57th gorilla baby who is raised in the Wilhelma Kindergarten). He arrived at the Wilhelma on Nov, 18th."

Baby Orangutan Plays Hide and Seek at the Phoenix Zoo

Phoenix Zoo December 8th. Photographer Willie Stark captures a baby Orangutan playing hide and seek with his favorite blankey.

SF Zoo Receives Early Holiday Gift with Baby Gorilla

SAN FRANCISCO (DECEMBER 9, 2008) – The San Francisco Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a male baby western lowland gorilla, born Monday, December 8 at 11:30 a.m. This is the first gorilla birth for the Zoo in a decade and plays a contributing role to the conservation efforts taking place for this critically endangered species through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (AZA, SSP). This is the fourth successful gorilla birth in North America this year.

photos courtesy of Amy Frankel and the San Francisco Zoo

More photos below the fold...

Baby Pygmy Hippo at the Marwell Park Zoo

With less than 3,000 in the wild, pygmy hippos are highly endangered. By breeding babies like this little girl, conservationists hope to help save the species from extinction. The public is invited to help pick a name for her on the Marwell Zoological Park website. Options include Loko, Kadina, Zimmi and Lola.

Photo credit: Solent News and Photo Agency

Photo credit: Solent News and Photo Agency

Bramble Park Zoo Has New Baby Pallas' Cat Kittens

Topping off the trifecta of cute and cuddly kitty cats are the rare and spectacular Pallas' Cats. These three were born in July at the Bramble Park Zoo in Watertown, South Dakota. The Zoo is especially proud of these curious little creatures because it has been trying to breed them for years. Well, congratulations!  Can I have one?

 

Rare Amur Leopard Babies Born at Wildlife Heritage Foundation

Two baby Amur leopard cubs were born on October 12 at  Wildlife Heritage Foundation (WHF), a conservation charity based in Smarden, Kent, which supports rare and endangered big cats. It is estimated that less than forty of these magnificent creatures survive in the wild. The two are named after tributaries of the Amur River, "Argun" and "Anuy". Playful and curious like all kittens, the pair still rely on Mom for a good bath.

 

 

 

More pics and info below the fold. Thanks to Alan Kellogg for bringing these little guys to our attention.

"Miracle Kitten" Born at the Beardsley Zoo

For only the third time in history, an ocelot kitten has been born via artificial insemination technology. Born at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT, this little boy was dubbed the "miracle kitten" because of the long odds of success for this procedure, which has not been performed successfully for over a decade.

As part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's Species Survival Plan, this little ocelot will join the small population of Brazilian ocelots at zoos in the United States that may one day help to rebuild the wild population.

We here at ZooBorns would like to point out that if the Woodland Park Zoo's baby ocelot kittens didn't convince you that these are the cutest baby kitties in the world, Miracle Kitten pretty much seals the deal for the feline kitten title.

 

 

 

 

Photos by: Shannon Calvert

Incidentally, I (Andrew) grew up just a couple of miles from the Beardsley Zoo and it remains one of my all time favorites. If you don't happen to live in Connecticut, plan a stop over next time you're cruising between NYC and New Haven, or Boston, or Maine, or Canada. Definitely worth the trip.

Baby Potto at The Cincinnati Zoo

This strange but captivating friend is a baby Potto. The Cincnnati Zoo's collection ranges far and wide (including the oddly loveable bearcat!) and never disappoints. Pottos inhabit the canopy of rain forests in tropical Africa, from Guinea to Kenya and Uganda into the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are nocturnal and arboreal, sleeping during the day in the leaves and almost never descending from the trees.