ZooBorns

Blackpool Otter Time

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?

World’s Largest Rodent Born at Paignton Zoo

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.

Family portrait

Fossa Pups!

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.

Photo Credits: Henry Doorly Zoo

 

Get those Baboon Babies Some Names!

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.

Photo Credits: Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS

More pictures after the jump...

Many Mongooses for Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

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.

Photo Credits: Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

Pipping Penguin from Egg to Baby Bird

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.

L.A. Celebrates the Hatching of 22 Dragons!

On August 8, 2010 the first of 22 Komodo dragons hatched at the L.A. Zoo.  Over the course of the next 11 days, 21 additional Komodos hatched.

Lima, the Zoo’s female Komodo dragon, laid 23 eggs back in January so hatching 22 was a huge success!. Fewer than 10 zoos in North America have been able to breed Komodos; this marks the L.A. Zoo’s first success at breeding them.

Photo Credits: Tad Motoyama / L.A. Zoo

Three Patagonian Cavy Pups

Three Patgonian Cavy (also known as Mara) pups have been born under the watchful eye of keepers at Shepreth Wildlife Park this month. The triplets have caused quite a stir at the Cambridgeshire wildlife collection, which has never had triplets born in this species before. Normally this species will give birth to singles or twins. The healthy trio can be seen alongside fellow oversized rodents - two resident Capybara brothers.

Smeagol! (the Aye-aye)

Meet Smeagol, the Philadelphia Zoo's new baby Aye-aye, named after the less than handsome character from the Lord of the Rings. These strange lemurs are the world's largest nocturnal primate and, despite their Gollum-like looks, they are shy and gentle. Born July 14, to the zoo’s female, named Medusa, it's a healthy 105g baby boy.

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Philadelphia Zoo

Orphan Baby Bunny in Good Hands

ZooBorns' focus is squarely on baby animals at accredited zoos and aquariums. However from time to time we come across stories of orphaned wildlife that found its way to a nature sanctuary or rehabilitation facility. Such is the case with this tiny baby cottontail rabbit that was turned into the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, Connecticut. Its mother had been killed by a dog but luckily the baby was unharmed. Now in the hands of Wildlife Rescuers of Connecticut, the rabbit will be released back into the wild when it is old enough to fend for itself. Special thanks to Nikki Perkins for sharing her photos.

Photo credits: Nikki Perkins