"ZooBorns pulls off the difficult task of being cute and interesting for people of all ages while also being informative. Many books seek this lofty goal but most fail." - Seattle Post Intelligencer
Denver Zoo is celebrating the birth of four endangered Amur tiger cubs born May 31 in a private maternity den. The cubs cannot be seen by visitors yet and are being monitored by keepers via a closed-circuit camera. Zoo veterniarians gave the cubs a clean bill of health at a recent exam.The quadruplet cubs are the first to be born at Denver Zoo since 2003. An announcement will be made when the cubs are big enough to be seen in their zoo habitat.
On Sunday June 13th, Denver Zoo welcomed a vocal little sea lion pup, their first in 17 years! Denver Zoo visitors now can see the female pup as she explores the seal pool in the zoo’s Northern Shores area with her mother. Weighing just 15 pounds now, she will eventually tip the scales at a burly 195 to 230 pounds.
Although it typically takes human babies around 12 months to take their first steps, baby giraffes can stand within 20 minutes of birth. Given that calves like little Cricket here stand 6' 4" tall on long, wobbly legs, this is even more remarkable. Born April 14th, Cricket is already running laps around the Denver Zoo's giraffe yard at just over one week old!
This week, the Denver Zoo welcomed Dorian the fossa, a feisty and mischievous four year old. However, we used this occasion as an excuse to dig up some old photos of Dorian and his two siblings when they were just pups at the San Diego Zoo back in 2006.
Above photo credits: San Diego Zoo
Fossas are the largest carnivore in Madagascar and they are closely related to the mongoose. In case you doubted their feistiness, enjoy the video below. They are like cat-weasels on speed.
A portrait of Dorian as a young man, getting used to his new surroundings at the Denver Zoo.
Quick thinking and action by staff at Denver Zoo
and Pueblo Zoo probably saved the life of an African penguin
chick. On March 20, four days past its due date, the chick was assisted with emerging
from its shell by Pueblo Zoo Animal Care Coordinator Melanie Pococke. Pococke
then sought help from Denver Zoo staff in caring for the tiny bird, when the hatchling’s
biological parents at Pueblo Zoo were unable to care for it.
Zookeepers
from each zoo met halfway to bring the chick to Denver Zoo where it was
placed
under the care of experienced parents. The chick’s surrogate father,
Durban,
and mother, Spencer, are now taking excellent care of their adopted
youngster.
Zookeepers always
prefer animals are raised by their parents or surrogates of
the same
species. This helps ensure they have the skills to raise their own
young. Upon
receiving the chick, Durban and Spencer immediately began “brooding” the
chick
by covering it with their bodies and wings for protection and quickly
began
feeding it.
A baby De Brazza's monkey named Kanani was born December 19th at the Denver Zoo. An adventurous and independent-minded little monkey, Kanani likes to wriggle away from mom and explore her surroundings on her own. Kanani's father was rescued from a black market in Africa as a baby and mother Kisoro was born at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
Photo credits: Dave Parsons / Denver Zoo
Old World primates, De Brazza's monkeys are notable for their habit of freezing in place and remaining totally still when they sense danger. Clearly the animated little Kanani in the video below is not too worried.
Three rare maned wolf pups have begun exploring outside of their hut over the
last few days at the Denver Zoo. Cayenne, a female, and Santiago and Diego, both
males, were born on Christmas Eve to mother, Itati, and father, Tega. The pups have remained close to mom but are becoming more curious daily. All three
pups were just given a clean bill of health by doctors. Denver Zoo
visitors can see the pups as they explore at the zoo’s Feline Building just
east of the main entrance.
Meet three curious and playful little Maned Wolf pups who have just begun to explore their exhibit at the Denver Zoo. Born Dec. 24th, this is the first time the wolves have been seen by the public.
Sometimes called a "Red Fox on stilts" the Maned Wolf is actually not closely related to any other living wolf or fox. It is believed to be the last remaining species of a much older canine lineage. Recent research suggests its closest relative might have been the now extinct Falkland Islands Wolf.
Endangered in their native Kenya and Ethiopia, the Grevy's Zebra is the world's largest equine species (i.e. largest horse-like critter). In addition to their breeding efforts, like this little foal born November 27th, the Denver Zoo works with communities in Kenya to educate people on steps they can take to help protect this endangered species. The zoo even offers undergraduate scholarships in Kenya for the next generation of local wildlife leaders.
ZooBorns is thrilled to feature its first baby hyena, three month old Kai from the Denver Zoo. Contrary to popular myths about hyenas' bad attitudes, they are actually extremely intelligent and affectionate animals. While little hyenas might look like puppies, they are actually more closely related to cats.
Photo credits: Dave Parsons / Denver Zoo
Thanks to reader Jearvon D. for bringing this to our attention.
