ZooBorns

Baby Gorilla Needs a Name

The Toronto Zoo is asking for the public's help in naming its newest little gorilla born September 2. Mom's name is Ngozi and dad's is Charles... so may we suggest "Narles" or "Chgozi?" Actually those are both terrible names.  We're sure you can do a better job than we did. Submit your suggestions here!

"Lincoln and Eliza Sittin' In a Tree", for Real...

The latest from Australia's Taronga Zoo: Two members of the Zoo's Koala family are out of their pouches and learning about their surroundings. Born about a month apart, the two are around 6 and 7 months old.  Lincoln, the elder male, and Eliza are not related, but can be seen close by one another in Taronga's Koala Encounters exhibit.

Eliza peekin'

Lincoln lets out a yawn.

Eliza and Lincoln look similar, but it's fun to "spot" the differences.

Both babies will remain close to their Mothers for about another 6 months.

Cheeky Orangutan at Dortmund Zoo

Germany's Dortmund Zoo clearly has a charismatic little orangutan on their hands. These pictures were taken just last week.

Photo credits: StephanieSL 

World's Smallest Deer Gives Birth

Earlier this month, the world’s smallest deer, a Southern pudu, gave birth at Belfast Zoo. Baby Caju is 3 weeks old and is the first Chilean pudu birth for Belfast Zoo and the first captive birth of the species in Ireland.

The Media's Naming Him Knut...

This sunday, a mother rhino at Germany's Munster Zoo gave birth. Zoo keepers, fearing the worst when Mom began diplaying signs of aggression, decided on hand-rearing the little guy.  Media are already calling the newborn "Knut", after his famous baby polar bear counterpart.

Goma the Gorilla Turns 50!

Tomorrow Switzerland's Zoo Basel celebrates a remarkable birthday. Goma, the first gorilla ever born in a European zoo, turns 50! Unusual for the time, Goma got tremendous press in 1959 during her first year, and today we share some of these classic photos. 

It should be noted that unlike zoo born gorillas today, Goma spent the first years of her life almost entirely with zoo staff. While this made her exceptionally close with humans, it made it difficult for her to enter gorilla society and it took many years for her to find her place with her fellow great apes. Today as a result of gorillas like Goma, zoos go to great lengths to ensure that their animals are comfortable with their own kind.

Another Helping of Panda Please

The panda-monium continues as we stumble upon yet more San Diego panda cub footage, this time in the form of an adorable video.

Baby Bongo Born at Busch Gardens

Try saying the title of this post five times fast. Alliteration and ZooBorns go together like, well, baby Bongos and Busch Gardens. 

On September 13th, Busch Gardens welcomed a baby Bongo to the fold. Native to the rainforests of Africa, the endangered Eastern Mountain subspecies of Bongo has the most striking coloring of all bongos. Thanks to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its member institutions, 18 zoo born Bongos were released back onto Mount Kenya in 2004, helping to repopulate the area. 

Photo credits: Matt Marriott / Busch Gardens

Baby Panda Pics Keep Coming

In a kind of intravenous drip of adorability, the San Diego Zoo is slowly and steadily releasing pictures of their newborn panda cub. The cub is growing steadily but is still totally dependent on its mother. Here's the latest installment.

Riverbanks Zoo’s Giraffe Herd Grows by Six Feet

This leggy little girl was born overnight and was standing and alert when the keepers entered the giraffe barn on the morning of August 15. At birth, the calf was approximately 5' 6" tall and 119 lbs. Now, at 1 month, she is nearly 6' tall and 177 lbs. See her now at South Carolina's Riverbanks Zoo.