ZooBorns

Miniature Muntjac Born in the Netherlands

Burgers' Zoo in the Netherlands has been keeping mighty busy lately. In addition to their hundredth year anniversary, which they celebrated just yesterday on March 30th, and the three Warthogs born last month that we reported on HERE just last week, they have just announced the recent birth of a tiny Muntjac.

Muntjacs are known to be the oldest species of deer. There is evidence of their existence dating back between 15 and 35 million years from fossils that have been discovered in modern France, Germany and Poland. Today, Muntjacs are native to Southeast Asia. Interestingly, in the early part of the twentieth century, a group of Muntjacs escaped from Woburn Safari Park in England and the species was able to survive and thrive in this European environment. Today, a large and sustainable population of Muntjacs descended from these escapees exist in England. It is though that they will soon become the most numerous deer species in the nation. 

Photo credit: Burgers' Zoo

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Three Little Pigs Born in the Netherlands

On February 27th, three little Warthogs were born at Burgers' Zoo in the Netherlands. The triplets are sure to be in good care with their mother, who has already successfully raised fifteen piglets before this latest liter. On March 21st the piglets were examined by veterinarians, given transponders, and sexed. It was determined that the zoo had received one male and two females. This news excited those working at the zoo as the females represent only the third and forth females of this mother's eighteen total offspring.  

The latest birth brings the zoo's Warthog total up to eight. In addition to the parents of the most recent piglets, the zoo is home to three previous offspring of this breeding pair. This includes a male born in 2010 at the zoo, and a male and female born there just last year. The mother and her three piglets are currently separated from the adult male and their three previous offspring. The zoo typically keeps the young separated with their mother for about eight weeks before they are introduced to their father and the rest of their family. This mimics the time a litter would spend in a burrow with their mother following a birth in the wild.




Photo credits: Theo Kruse / Burgers' Zoo

This piglets were born after a gestation period of approximately 155 days. They represent a very typical litter size, though litters can range anywhere between one and seven offspring. Though they were quite small when first born, the males will weigh upwards of 200 pounds when full grown, with the female reaching anywhere between 100 and 150 pounds.

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Surprise! A Ringed Seal Pup Born at Burgers' Zoo

Surprise! A Ringed Seal Pup Born at Burgers' Zoo

It was a pleasant surprise when Burgers' Zoo found that a Ringed Seal had been born during the night on Friday, March 1st.  Zoo staff had observed several matings but were not sure if the seals were mature enough to reproduce successfully. 

Burgers' Zoo is the only zoo where Ringed Seals have been born. In the past, caretakers have supplemented pups with bottle-feeding because inexperienced mothers can have difficulty caring for their first young. This year, the new pup seems to be suckling regularly, and caretakers are hopeful that the mother will be able to care for her pup.

Below: The pup, whose sex has not been determined yet, bonds with its mother.

Photo credits: Burgers' Zoo

Learn more about Ringed Seals after the fold.

Baby Giraffe is Standing Tall at Burgers' Zoo

Just two days ago on January 25, this female giraffe was born at Burgers’ Zoo in The Netherlands.   The baby is named Annelieke, but the zoo staff has already nicknamed her Lieke.

Female giraffes give birth standing up.  The baby emerges front feet first, followed by the nose, head, neck, body, and hindquarters.   The baby drops about six feet to the ground and within minutes, struggles to stand up.   With encouraging licks from mom’s 18-inch-long tongue, the baby eventually stands upright on wobbly legs – at least for a few seconds!  Zoo staffers rarely assists in giraffe births, and most babies stand and nurse successfully within the first few hours of life. 

Photo Credit:  Burgers' Zoo

Why the hurry to get the baby on its feet? In the wild, baby giraffes are easy prey for hungry lions and hyenas.  The sooner the baby can walk and follow the herd, the better.

There are nine subspecies of giraffes, with each found in fragmented populations across central, eastern, and southern Africa. 

 

Preemie White Rhino Baby Catches Keepers By Surprise

Keepers at The Netherlands' Burgers' Zoo were surprised by the early birth of a baby White Rhino on Saturday. 12-year-old female, Kwanzaa, and her new calf Vince are stable and healthy, according to zoo officials. Of the five rhino species in existence, White Rhinoceros are the most social. They are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Photo credit: Burger's Zoo

 

Orange You Glad it's Wednesday?

hmmm... can't an ape get some coffee around here?

Photos taken yesterday by A.J. Haverkamp from the Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands.