ZooBorns

Funny Faces from Zuri the Baby Chimpanzee

Seven-month-old Chimpanzee Zuri, born at Australia’s Monarto Zoo on August 21, is growing up healthy and developing her personality.  And on a recent morning, she practiced making funny faces for the camera! 

Facial expressions are an important method of communication within Chimpanzee troops, and Zuri appears to be preparing for her role within the troop.  For example, “grinning” Chimpanzees are actually expressing fear.  Bared teeth, pursed lips, kisses, and other gestures express aggression, submission, and affection.

Photo credits: Dave Mattner for Monarto Zoo

Zuri was born to first-time mother Zombi and her baby pictures were shared on ZooBorns here.  Infant Chimpanzees spend the first several months of life clinging to mom, then begin to cautiously explore their surroundings.  The birth of a baby is a significant event within the life of a Chimpanzee troop, enriching the lives of all members.  Though Zombi will care for Zuri for about five years, other females within the troop will gain mothering experience by helping care for the little one.

Wild Chimpanzee populations in equatorial Africa have declined by about 90% in the last two decades due to large-scale habitat loss and poaching for bushmeat and the pet trade.  Zoo births are important to the future of the species because they preserve the genetic diversity of the captive population.

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Przewalski's Horse Colt Continues Zoo Praha's Success With Species

Early on the morning of March 27, a Przewalski’s Horse was born at the Czech Republic’s Zoo Praha, the 219th member of this endangered species to be born at the zoo.   Przewalski’s Horses were once extinct in the wild and have since been reintroduced to their native central Asian habitat thanks to efforts of zoos and reserves around the world.

The colt, a male, was born to mother Jessica and father Len.  Despite chilly temperatures, the colt is nursing successfully and finding his way around the zoo’s enclosure.

Photo Credits:  Tomáš Adamec, Zoo Praha

Przewalski’s Horses, a subspecies of wild Horse, are thought to be the only remaining true wild Horses in the world.  After the last wild herds in Mongolia were wiped out in the 1960s, Zoo Praha and other European zoos held the only members of this species.  At one point, only 12 Przewalski's Horses were left in the entire world. 

Breeding programs in zoos and reserves successfully bred the few remaining horses, with individuals being exchanged among facilities to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible.  In 1992, 16 Przewalski’s Horses were released in the wild in Mongolia.  Additional releases in the decades since have increased the wild population, but they are still classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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UPDATE! Zoo Brno Polar Bears Get Their First Check Up

We first reported on the Polar Bear cubs born at Zoo Brno HERE just last week. The duo have continued to grow and seem to still love harassing their mother Cora as much as ever. 

Recently, the cubs received their first check up. During this routine examination the cubs were given their first round of vaccination as well as identification chips. In addition, veterinarians were able to use the opportunity to sex the cubs. It was determined that Cora had given birth to one male and one female cub. After their brief visit the cubs, who have still yet to receive names, were returned to their mother who was surely happy to be reunited with her offspring. 

Photo credits: Zoo Brno

See more photos after the fold!

Meet Blossom The Baby Bat!

Blossom the bat recently came into care following a suspected cat attack. Louise Saunders from Bat Conservation & Rescue Queensland took care of little Blossom, who recovered beautifully and was eventually released back into the wild.

Blossom Bats are nectar specialists which feed and groom themselves with the aid of their long tongues. They are known to hover in front of flowers as they forage and are important pollinators of many rainforest plants. A baby at the time of arrival, the little bat was fed a nectar mix recipe and the occasional milk formula. Blossom gradually gained weight and began to practice flying during the night. Often she would dart in and out of rooms and even hover above Louise as she slept before retiringto her little brown bag at dawn.

Photo Credit: Bat Conservation & Rescue Qld

Blossom bats are currently under threat due to loss of feeding and roosting habitat from clearing of forests for agriculture and housing estates.  This Blossom was released on Macleay Island in Qld, Australia.

Watch the little one in action:

 See many more pictures and hear from her caregiver after the fold:

UPDATE! Omaha Zoo Lion Cubs Get Named

We first reported on the five African Lion cubs born at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo HERE way back in January following their birth to mother Mfisha and father Mr. Big on December 29, 2012. Here at ZooBorns we have continued to follow this litter as they have grown up with two updates so far, which can be found HERE and HERE. It has been over a month and a half since our last update and there is plenty to report on the quintuplets.

All five of the cubs, two of which are male and three of which are female, have continued to grow and thrive and are in good health. At the last weighing, each cub tipped the scales between 17 and 23 pounds.

Photo credits: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

Perhaps most excitingly, each of the five cubs has been named. The names were determined through a naming contest run through the zoo's Facebook page. The zoo's Facebook fans were able to submit names on the site and then fans were able to vote on their favorite names from the submissions. After over 4,400 votes were submitted, five different names, all of which are of African origin, were decided upon. The males were named Taj, meaning "crown" and Josiri, which means "brave." The females have been named Kya, meaning "diamond in the sky," Leela, meaning "night beauty," and Zuri, which means "beautiful flower.

The five cubs are currently out on display for visitors to see at the zoo's Cat Complex. They can be found romping about with their mother Mfisha and their aunt Ahadi.

See many more photos after the fold!

Three Baby Beavers Born at Jackson Zoo Need Names

There are three furry newborns at the Jackson Zoo. Stump, a North American Beaver mother, gave birth to this litter of three kits last week -- on March 27. All are resting comfortably in their lodge together. The babies are very healthy and still nursing. Mom is allowing them to testing out the water in which they will become quite agile as they grow. You can watch the Zoo's Facebook page for imminent news of a naming contest HERE.

Beavers have webbed feet which they use like fins when swimming and can move at speeds up to five miles (eight km) an hour, using their flat round tails like rudders.  While underwater, they see through a set of transparent eyelids that function much like goggles. They can stay under for up to 15 minutes. Their fur is waterproof. Beavers find aquatic plants on which to dine, supplementing their diet, as herbivores, of bark and leaves, twigs, and roots. 

Beavers are the second-largest rodent in the world, the Caypbara being the largest. They are incredibly industrious, breaking down small trees and branches with their strong jaws to build nests and dams on the sides of waterways The North American Beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6–12 million. This decline is a result of extensive hunting for fur, for glands used as medicine and perfume, and because their harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses.

 

Photo Credit: Jackson Zoo

@ZooBorns Posts 100th Photo To Instagram!

ZooBorns just uploaded its 100th photo to Instagram. Hope to see you there!

Meet Willow the Rothschild Giraffe

Lion Country Safari of West Palm Beach, Florida, welcomed its second giraffe calf of the year. The baby, named Willow, was born overnight on March 22nd. The female calf was exceptionally tall at birth, standing 6-foot 3-inches tall and weighing 174 pounds. 

Willow and her mom, both Rothschild Giraffes, are separated from the herd in a maternity pen to allow bonding time. They will join the rest of the herd in about three months. 

Photo Credits: Lion Country Safari Park

 

Learn more after the fold.

UPDATE! Woodland Park Zoo's Four Lion Cubs Get Their Names

The Woodland Park Zoo’s four Lion cubs, which you have most likely read about several times on ZooBorns by now, were born on November 19. The two male and two female cubs have been growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the excellent care of mom Adia and the watchful staff at the Zoo. But all this time they have gone without names.The Zoo recently held a naming contest and the results are in!

Congratulations go to Tate and Ross MacDonald of Seattle and Pamela Garland of Olympia for submitting the winning names as chosen by a panel of zoo judges: Male cub – Rudo (“love” in Zulu), Female cub – Busela (“happy and independent” in Zulu) Rudo and Busela join their brother and sister, who also recently received names from some of the zoo’s big cat donors: Pelo (“heart” in Sotho) for the second male, and Nobuhle (“the beautiful one” in Zulu) for the second female.

The lion cubs now have the full run of their exhibit, and are regularly going out with mom. They have gotten big enough and become coordinated enough to be safe by the habitat's moat. Four growing cubs could be a paw-full for mom, but, as you can see from the picture below, she is always in charge. 

Photo Credit: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

With the run of the exhibit, the cubs' games of tag are much more epic - and when it's time for a rest, their favorite spot is the big heated rock. Read more about their explorations on the zoo's blog.

Look for more pictures of the cubs after the fold:

Mhorr Gazelle Learns to Trust Its Legs in Hungary

Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden recently welcomed its newest resident, a newborn Mhorr Gazelle. The newcomer, a male, was born to Evita, a thirteen-year-old female who is an experienced mother. The baby has been named Ebo. Ebo is receiving a special milk formula every two and a half hours, as this has been shown to be an effective way to make sure young Gazelle receive proper nutrition.

The Mhorr Gazelle is a subspecies of Dama Gazelle, which is native to Northwest Africa. It is one of the most endangered ungulates in the world as there are none left living in their native habitat. As a result, the Budapest Zoo has been participating in a breeding program for the gazelle to help conserve this vanishing species since 2008. This birth, along with the many others that have come as a part of this successful breeding program, can be considered a huge success for their conservation.




Photo credits: Kis Tiygriss

See many more photos after the fold!