ZooBorns

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

LA Zoo Delivers Your Fennec Fox Fix

Here at ZooBorns we're no strangers to Fennec Fox kits. One we've dubbed Radar Ears holds court over our Facebook page. Today L.A. Zoo announced the debut of three new baby Fennecs. The three kits, born on May 24, are being raised by their parents in the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo.  It takes patience and a keen eye to spot the littermates as they are great hiders.

Photo Credits: Tad Motoyama / Los Angeles Zoo

Fennec Foxes are the world's smallest wild canine, weighing in at just under 3.5 pounds in adulthood. In contrast to their small stature, Fennecs have distinctively large ears that can reach a length of up to six inches; about one-third of their body length.  Their ears serve as “radiators” that dissipate heat enabling the foxes to stay cool. They also enhance the fox’s acute sense of hearing, helping them detect prey.

Fennec Foxes are nocturnal animals native to the deserts of North Africa that hunt small rodents, birds, eggs, lizards and insects. Their cream-colored coats allow them to blend in with their desert surroundings.

And while we're at it, these pictures of juvenile Fennec Foxes from Germany's Zoo Darmstadt are too good not to share...

Photo Credits: Joachim S. Mueller

First Ever Harbor Seal Birth for Los Angeles

Last month, a male Harbor Seal was born at the Los Angeles Zoo; this marks the Zoo’s first success at breeding Harbor Seals. The baby will remain off exhibit with his mother, Asia, until he is old enough to be introduced to the other adult seals. The pup’s father, Alfred, is a blind harbor seal that was discovered in 2007 on the shores of Cape May Point, N.J. 

Photo Credits: Tad Motoyama

Three Little Pigs

If you had to give out an award for the prettiest of all pigs, the Red River Hog would be a top contender. While the little hoglets don't have the orange-red fur of their parents, they do sport fashion forward camouflage stripes. These three little pigs were born at the LA Zoo at the end of May. Definitely worth a visit if you live in the area. On a sidenote, I think the music in the video is perfectly suited for piggy adventuring.

Photo credits: Tad Motoyama / LA Zoo

L.A. Zoo Announces Birth of BigHorn Sheep

On Monday, April 26, 2010, a female desert bighorn sheep was born at the Los Angeles Zoo.  The healthy newborn lamb is on exhibit with her parents in the North American area of the Zoo. As male desert bighorn sheep mature, they develop massive spiraled horns that may add up to one third of their total body weight.  Females have much smaller horns.  However, both sexes have excellent vision and hearing as well as an innate ability for climbing rugged terrain.

 

 

 

Photo Credits: Tad Motoyama / Los Angeles Zoo

Colobus Defies Contraception

Born on November 27, 2009, a snowy white Kikuyu colobus monkey was a welcome holiday surprise for the Los Angeles Zoo!  The gender of the furry primate has yet to be determined, but at birth it weighed about a pound and measured around eight inches long.

 

Because breeding is closely monitored to comply with the Species Survival Program and the L.A. Zoo's colobus monkeys are genetically well represented in zoos, the mother was placed on implant contraceptives in October 2008.  They were meant to be effective for a period of two years. Oops!

Colobus monkeys live in highly cohesive social groups so despite the "unplanned" nature of the event, father, mother and another adult female are all playing attentive and supportive roles.  

 

The L.A. Zoo is inviting visitors to participate in a naming contest for the newborn through January 11, 2010, so if you live in Southern California, or have been looking for an excuse to visit (like naming a baby monkey) now's your chance. The winner will receive a free behind-the-scenes-tour of the Zoo for up to six people!

These Hyraxes Are Plotting Something...

While they may look like over-sized guinea pigs, hyraxes are actually more closely related to elephants and manatees and in prehistoric times reached the size of a small horse! The LA Zoo welcomed two litters of baby rock hyraxes, one on July 11th and another on July 12th. If you ask me, they look pretty devious...

 

What's a Takin?

We here at ZooBorns have been waiting for great shots of a baby takin to share with you for quite some time and we are happy to say that the LA Zoo has delivered! On July 3rd they welcomed a baby female takin, a type of goat-antelope, like the serow we featured last week. The takin share their mountainous habitat with the giant panda and both are protected by the Chinese government.

Dad and baby have a moment

Mom looks proud

 

What's a Serow?

On June 20th the LA Zoo welcomed a new Japanese serow calf. A type of goat-antelope, Japanese serows live in dense forests basically minding their own serow business.

Photo credits: Tad Motoyama / LA Zoo

Meet the Markhors

Markhors are endangered goat-antelopes indigenous to Central Asia. These little babies were born a few weeks ago at the LA Zoo. While the babies look similar to those of domestic goats, adults have long twisting horns, which make them quite distinct.

 

Papa Markhor below courtesy of MickiP65