ZooBorns

Musk Ox Baby Welcomed at Calgary Zoo

With shaggy fur and chunky legs, a baby Musk Ox is taking center stage at the Calgary Zoo.  The calf was born on April 23 to mom Shyia and dad Tlayopi.  Though Musk Ox calves are big babies, they have a lot of growing to do before reaching their adult weight of 500 to 800 pounds. 

This little calf and his mother appear to be bonding well, and the calf is nursing regularly.  Musk Ox calves nurse for about two months, then begin eating vegetation like the adults. 

Photo Credit:  © The Calgary Zoo by John Ternan

Musk Ox are named for the strong musky odor emitted by adult males.  They lived in small herds of about 20 animals in the Canadian Arctic and in Greenland; herds have also been introduced in Scandanavia.  Adult herd members will protect young calves by standing in a circle, facing outward, with calves in the center of the circle. 

Musk Ox populations are stable in the wild.

See more photos of the baby Musk Ox below the fold.

Calgary Zoo Amur Tiger Cub Update!

The Calgary Zoo's three baby Amur Tiger cubs that ZooBorns first wrote about on March 31 -- when they were just a day old -- have opened their eyes! They can still only be seen on the birthing area webcams by keepers, so they can have all the time they need to bond with their mother in complete safety. Be sure to watch the video below.

The cubs will not go outdoors on exhibit until June, but ZooBorns will continue to post updates as they grow.

Photo Credit: Calgary Zoo

Tiny Tiger Triplets Just Born at Calgary Zoo!

Canada's Calgary Zoo announced that between approximately 4:30 am and 7:00 am on March 30, three Amur tiger cubs were born to female Katja. Their father is Baikal. For the moment, the mother and cubs are being allowed to bond in the security of the birthing area and can only be seen on the webcams (video below). ZooBorns will post updates  - pictures and video - as they grow. 

The birth of these tiny cubs, each weighing an estimated 1.6 pounds (750 gms) is potentially great news for this highly-endangered species. The birth is a result of a breeding recommendation for eleven-year old Katja and ten-year old Baikal from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Program (SSP) for Amur tigers of which the Calgary Zoo is a participant.

Amur tigers are classified as endangered and at the last census conducted in the wild it was estimated that only about 350 - 400 Amur tigers remain. To put into perspective the truly endangered status of these beautiful animals, these three tiny cubs are representative of almost 1% of the entire wild population.

Photo Credit: Calgary Zoo

It's a Red River Hog Piglet Duo for Calgary Zoo

The Calgary Zoo has two new residents! On the morning of March 12 first time mom Ine (Swahili for “four”) gave birth to two Red River Hog piglets. The wee ones were observed nursing well and the building has re-opened. This will be the fourth litter of red river hogs for the Calgary Zoo.

Red river hogs are native to West and Central sub Saharan Africa to Northern South Africa and Madagascar. Their gestation period is 120-127 days. Red River Hogs are part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP), a network of breeding recommendations between accredited zoos to provide for the best possible genetic diversity of the species.

Photo Credit: Clagary Zoo

 

Endangered Foals Frolick in the Fields of Calgary Zoo

For the first time since 1994, three Asian Wild Horse foals have been born at the Calgary Zoo’s endangered species breeding facility – the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC). The adorable new additions, now frolicking in the meadows at the zoo’s ranch, expand the herd from 8 to 11 horses. The public will have the chance to name the foals. The three foals were born on April 24 (colt*), May 2 (filly‡), and May 20 (filly) – contest details follow. All of them were sired by Varanasi, a stallion born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and introduced to the Calgary herd in 2008. All three mares, Naghai, Molly and Chilka, were born at the Granby Zoo in Quebec.

Photo and Video Credits: Calgary Zoo

More Red River Hoglets for Calgary

In the early morning hours of April 1, Red River hog mom Mvula gave birth to her second litter of adorable little Red River hoglets at the Calgary Zoo! The three babies and mom are now ready to come out to play after spending time bonding in their off display nursery over the past two weeks. ZooBorns covered Mvula's first batch of little piglets in April of last year.

Photo and video credits: Calgary Zoo

Adult Red River hogs get their name from their red coat and because their natural habitat is in the wetland areas of Central and Eastern Africa. The hoglets' camouflage coats make them look kind of like little orange watermelons!

Cozy Giraffe Calf at the Calgary Zoo

These are the first photos of this "tiny" 5' 10", 130 lb. baby girl giraffe calf born this past Saturday at the Calgary Zoo. The calf remains in the nursery with her mother, Mardi, for now but should make her public debut next week. 

  

 

 

Photo Credits: Jane Cameron / Calgary Zoo

Keti the Firefox Debuts in Calgary

Red Pandas, also known as firefoxes, may be called pandas but are actually more closely related to raccoons than Giant Pandas. However, watching the video below might lead you to believe they are most closely related to giant fluffy caterpillars. The Calgary Zoo's newest little firefox, Keti, debuted last week. 

Marmots!

The feisty Vancouver Island Marmot is Canada's most endangered mammal with only an estimated 30 living in the wild in 2003. However, institutions like the Calgary and Toronto Zoos launched aggressive breeding and release programs that have since bolstered the wild population to 200 or more. These pups were born at the Calgary Zoo on June 30th and the Toronto Zoo just welcomed a litter this week!

Photo credits © Oli Gardner

Three little pups peer out of their nesting box

Swift Foxes Steal Hearts at the Calgary Zoo

Meet the Calgary Zoo's four newest little swift fox cubs born to father Beren and mother Foxy Cleopatra (yeah, you read that right) on April 22nd. Swift foxes were hunted to extinction within Canada in the 1930s but have slowly recovered from isolated populations in the United States with the help of reintroduction efforts. Today swift foxes are threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation from natural resource exploitation in their remote prairie homelands.