ZooBorns

Beardsley Zoo Welcomes Two New Kids

On April 22nd, after a five month gestation, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's female Nigerian Dwarf Goat Cupcake gave birth to two female kids. The birth came less than two months shy of their father Rodney's first birthday in June. The zoo is reporting that the young, who have yet to be named, are healthy and happy as they explore the zoo's goat yard. "Mom and kids are doing quite well and are a favorite with visitors already," said zoo director Gregg Dancho. "Cupcake is very protective of them and likes to hide them in the exhibit, so visitors may have to look hard to see them," he continued.

Photo credits: Shannon Calvert taken at Beardsley Zoo

The offspring will continue to nurse from their mother for the next few months, though they will begin to nibble on their adult diet of hay and grains in the next week or so. Visitors to the zoo will be excited to hear that the zoo's goat yard is expecting another special delivery; Cupcake's sister Peaches is expecting kids as well.

Nigerian Dwarf Goat's are miniature dairy goats that grow to be around 75 pounds and less than two feet tall. They posses a range of coat colors including black, brown and white, and can have various patterns of these colors. Young males are fully fertile at just seven weeks of age, while females are able to be bred at eight months.

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Meet the New Kids at Oakland Zoo - Goat Kids, That is!

For the first time in fifteen years, there are baby Goats at the Oakland Zoo. Mom Annie gave birth to four healthy babies, or kids -- two males and two females, all weighing between 3-4 pounds (1.3-1.8 kg) at birth. This is the first time the Oakland Zoo has had kids in about fifteen years, so it ‘s very special.

The gestation period of a doe is approximately 150 days long. Twins are the most common and quadruplets are much less common.  The kids will nurse for a few months, but the weaning process is slow. They will likely be eating some solid foods in addition to nursing for quite some time. A goat's digestive system will break down just about any organic substance, but their diet consists of mostly plant-based materials.

Annie was dropped off at the Oakland Zoo last October in need of a home. Zoo staff agreed to take her in as a rescue. The Oakland Zoo does not breed their Goats. "Like many companion animals, there are plenty of Goats out there that need good homes. Annie was one such Goat, but she was already pregnant when she arrived, so this is a rare opportunity for us to enjoy kids!" explained Zoological Manager Margaret Rousser. "Annie has been a fantastic mom so far and we are very proud of her."

Photo Credit:Oakland Zoo, Photo 1: Elizabeth Abrams, Photo 2, Adam Fink,  Photo 4: Emily Denes, Photo 5: Margil Haight

Watch below as the kids wag their tails and practice their natural climbing skills:

Read more after the jump:

There's a New Kid at the Maryland Zoo

Baltimore's Maryland Zoo announced the birth of an African pygmy goat kid.  Born on June 10 to the Zoo’s African pygmy goat pair Lex and Lois, Lana is the first kid to be born at the Zoo in many years. “Lex and Lois came to the Zoo in December with the hope that they would breed,” stated Mike McClure, general curator for The Maryland Zoo. “It became apparent a few weeks ago that breeding had been successful, and we have been preparing the barn for this new arrival. Sunday morning keepers found the kid newly born and resting with her mother.”

Lana weighs 3 pounds, and began to walk approximately one hour after birth.  “A first time mother, Lois is properly caring for her offspring and we have seen the kid actively nursing,” continued McClure. “Keepers have been watching mom and baby and will continue to monitor them closely to ensure that they are doing well.”

Zoo visitors can see Lois and Lana in the Zoo’s Farmyard area next to the sheep.  “Lana is quite small and she likes to nap behind the water bowl in the exhibit,” concluded McClure.  “For now, visitors will need to look carefully for a little furry black baby with white ears, but as she grows she will become very active.”

Photo Credit: Maryland Zoo

Spring Time Means Goat Kids at Zoo Basel

Spring is in the air at Zoo Basel and so are the baby Goats, literally! These playful Goat kids are delighting zoo visitors with their acrobatic leaps and bounds by day. Baby goats are always a popular attraction as the weather warms at Switzerland's oldest and biggest zoo.

New Kids on the Block

Two female Nigerian Dwarf Goats were born July 14, 2011 at the Racine Zoological Gardens in Racine, WI. Both kids are doing really well, nursing, starting to adventure away from mom, and learning to nibble on the grass hay provided to them. Mom has been attentive and listens for their calls when they have wandered off too far or calls for them herself when she does not feel them at her feet.  They have not grown into their long lean legs quite yet and thus have not been able to climb the wooden platforms provided but they have discovered that underneath them is a fun place to hide from the older kids when they start to roughhouse.

Meet the New Kids on the Block

The Tisch Children’s Zoo at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo has some new additions: four baby Mini-Nubian Goats. The four youngsters, which include a set of twins, were born in late February and early March. They can be seen playing in their exhibit where they climb and leap off of any surface available. Visitors can pet the babies and their mothers in the Tisch Children’s Zoo along with other domestic animals such as sheep, alpacas, and Othello – the only cow in Manhattan.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher © Wildlife Conservation Society

Playful Pygmy Goats

Today we visit the children's zoo at Switzerland's Zoo Basel to see their new pygmy goats kids born in March. This domestic goat originated in Cameroon and made their way to Europe and the US in the 1950s, where they gained popularity as pets for their friendliness, playfulness and small manageable size.

Pop goes the pygmy goat!

More pics below the fold!

NYC's Got a New Kid On The Block

A mini Nubian Goat kid was born to Mom "Angel" earlier this month at the Central Park Zoo. The 10-pound bundle-of-joy can be seen scampering after its mother in the park's petting zoo area. Mini Nubian Goats are a cross between Nigerian dwarf goats and Nubian goats.

Photos: AP

Nubian Goat Kids at the Indianapolis Zoo

Nubian goat kids were born April 8 in The Indianapolis Zoo's Encounters area.  The one on the right (first photo) is a male named Domino and the one on the left is a female named Polka Dot.  Mom is named Spot! Anglo-Nubian goats originated in England as a cross between the Old English Milch Goat and the Zariby and Nubian bucks imported from India, Russia, and Egypt.

here we see Polka Dot with another brother, Stuart..

Soaking in the rays

Copyright Photographer Fred Cate.