With its white stripes and spots, unmistakable nose, and affinity to play in the water, there's not much is cuter than a baby tapir.
The @Minnesota Zoo is excited to announce a baby Malayan tapir will be making his debut over the coming days in the Zoo’s tapir habitat along the Tropics Trail. The tapir was born at the Zoo on August 8 and has been spending his first month of life bonding behind the scenes with his mother, Bertie. He has been receiving additional care, including help learning how to swim, from our team of zookeepers and animal health experts. The baby male tapir still needs a name – and you can help! Vote on your favorite name at this link: https://mnzoo.org/tapir/ All of these names have connections to the native area of Malayan tapirs.
Voting will close on Sunday, October 4, and the Zoo will announce the winning name on social media on Monday, October 5. In addition to encouraging you to vote for your favorite name directly at MNZoo, ZooBorns is asking fans to tell us your favorite name in the comments below. We'll submit the single most popular name to Minnesota Zoo on fans' behalf. As the baby tapir continues to acclimate to his habitat, he will be visible more and more in the coming days and weeks. Be sure to stop by the tapir habitat along the Tropics Trail to see if he’s out exploring.
Oakland, CA – October 1, 2020… Only four to six weeks old,an orphaned mountain lion cub suffering from severe wildfire burns was discovered and rescued by a Cal Fire firefighter yesterday in an area the Zogg Wildfire burned through this past Sunday in Redding.
Upon discovering and capturing the lone cub, Cal Fire contacted the Shasta County Sherriff’s Department, who in turn contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). CDFW veterinarians, who are tirelessly working to save the lives of so many wildlife victims trapped by the recent fires throughout California, then contacted Oakland Zoo veterinarians for help in treating the cub.
Upon receiving the urgent call by CDFW around 5PM last night, Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team was standing by to receive and treat the cub, which arrived at 7:15PM, driven from Redding by Pete Figura, Supervising Wildlife Biologist for the CDFW.
“We are so grateful for the Oakland Zoo’s expertise, world-class facilities and willingness to step up – on extremely short notice – to help wildlife in need,” said CDFW’s senior wildlife veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford. “Partnerships like this are absolutely critical to our state’s efforts to provide emergency care. California’s wildfires are erupting on a scale that we’ve never seen before, and we expect that we’ll have more burn patients than we have the capacity to treat in our own veterinary facility.”
“Unfortunately, a lion this size is too small to be released back into the wild, but we are hopeful that under the Zoo’s care, it will get a second chance as an ambassador for its species.”
Oakland Zoo’s Dr. Lynette Waugh, along with staff veterinary technicians immediately examined and treated the very young male cub, weighing only 3.75 pounds – and reported he was badly burned, especially his paws. His whiskers are completely singed off, and there is severe irritation to his eyes as well. The cub was cleaned and given antibiotics, supportive fluids, pain medication and fed milk formula for kittens (through a syringe). Dr. Alex Herman at Oakland Zoo explained that he is currently eating on his own and acting feisty – both promising signs for his recovery. Zoo veterinarians performed x-rays earlier today to determine if there is damage to his lungs from smoke inhalation and bone damage to his paws, and results were positive. Aside from severe burns to the soft tissue of the paws, there is no damage to bones or lungs. Oakland Zoo's veterinary team is also working with UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital for their expertise in providing the most advanced care in treating the cub’s burn wounds.
Dr. Alex Herman, Director of Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital said “We’re grateful to be part of this amazing little cub’s rescue and rehabilitation. It’s an amazing effort between Cal Fire, the Shasta County Sherriff’s Department, and of course our partners at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. In the past two years, this marks our thirteenth mountain lion cub rescue for Oakland Zoo in partnership with CDFW. We’re cautiously optimistic that this cub will now survive and thrive, our dedicated team at Oakland Zoo is fully committed to do everything we can for him and for his beautiful species.”
Aside from wildfires, Mountain lions are facing numerous threats in California; often struck by cars and illegally poached. These factors culminate in the human-wildlife conflict, putting them at odds with humans in encroaching urban areas and developments. Oakland Zoo partners with conservation organizations like the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Bay Area Puma Project to educate the public on the issue and help conserve the species in the wild.
Oakland Zoo helped found BACAT (Bay Area Cougar Action Team) in 2013, an alliance with the Bay Area Puma Project and the Mountain Lion Foundation, to help support the CDFW to save mountain lions caught in the human-wildlife conflict.
In the wild, Mountain lion cubs stay with their mothers until they are around two years of age in order to learn the skills to survive on their own. Because this cub is orphaned and now unable to learn how to survive in the wild, he will be placed in a suitable forever home once he’s ready to leave Oakland Zoo’s Veterinary Hospital.
On September 29, the day that Franklin Park Zoo’s animal care staff had been so eagerly awaiting finally arrived: Abby, a Baird’s tapir, gave birth to two beautiful calves, a male and a female.
While twins are an incredibly rare occurrence in all tapir species, this pair of “tapir tots,” as they are affectionately referred to by staff, is believed to be a first for Baird’s tapirs as we can find no record of this occurring previously in zoos or in the wild.
The animal care and veterinary team are thrilled that the two calves were safely delivered, after a long and arduous day that showcased incredible teamwork and commitment to care. When Abby’s water broke at 9:30 a.m. but contractions did not follow, it became clear that veterinary staff would need to intervene. After several hours of efforts to stimulate contractions, the decision was made to anesthetize Abby so that the zoo’s veterinary team could assist in delivering the calves. The anesthesia was challenging, but once it took effect, the twins were delivered manually. The male came first, then the female followed shortly after, accompanied by a scare when a heartbeat was not readily detected. Thankfully, she recovered quickly with resuscitation and both calves were soon up, alert, and taking their tiny first steps. Abby also recovered very well from the procedure.
Throughout Abby’s 13-month gestation, the veterinary and animal care teams conducted regular transabdominal ultrasounds to monitor the twins’ development. Our veterinary staff felt very well prepared throughout this unique pregnancy, thanks in large part to transdisciplinary collaboration and consultation between physicians and veterinarians from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
“Tuesday was one of the most challenging and rewarding days of my veterinary career,” said Dr. Eric Baitchman, Zoo New England Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation. “We planned extensively for different scenarios with the twins, and are overjoyed that both twins were delivered safely and that Abby is doing well. While we are cautiously optimistic, the first few days are critical for these twins and we are monitoring them around the clock. Our veterinary and animal care teams are doing everything we can to ensure the best chances for their survival.”
The twins had their first check-up yesterday and weigh just under 10 pounds each, which is approximately half the weight of a newborn tapir singleton. At this time the twins are separated from their mom Abby, as we want to make sure they are feeding well, are strong and have good glucose stores before they are reintroduced. Abby has visual access to her twins, and the plan is to reunite them very soon. The care team is staying around the clock as the twins require a bottle feeding every two hours. Right now, they are consuming 15-20% of their body weight daily, which is continually adjusted based on weight gain or loss.
This 24-hour monitoring is nothing new to the dedicated team. Because Abby’s pregnancy was considered high risk and there was a chance that the calves would be premature, staff monitored the cameras night and day throughout the past month in case she went into labor early.
Mom and babies will spend some time bonding behind the scenes before making their exhibit debut in the Tropical Forest. Those interested in visiting should follow along on the Zoo’s website and social media pages for the most up to date information on the #TapirTotTwins.
ZNE participates in the Baird’s Tapir Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSPs help to ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered, and enhance conservation of these species in the wild. Abby has previously given birth to four healthy calves, each of whom resides at other AZA accredited institutions per breeding recommendations by the SSP. This pregnancy is the result of a recommended breeding between Abby and her late mate Milton. When Milton passed away at age 30 last year, he was the oldest Baird’s tapir within the AZA managed population.
An endangered species, Baird’s tapirs are the largest land mammal found in South America. Baird’s tapir calves are noted for their furry coat covered in spots and stripes, which helps to camouflage them in the dappled light of the forest. The spots and stripes fade at about six months as their coat darkens.
Zoo New England is committed to Baird’s tapir conservation and partners with the Baird’s Tapir Survival Alliance to protect Baird’s tapirs in Central America. While these animals are hunted for food and sport, their greatest threat to survival is habitat destruction due to logging and clearing of land for agriculture and development. In addition to humans, jaguars are the only other significant threat to this animal’s survival in the wild.
Baby Naked Mole Rats have been born at @Bioparc Valencia ! The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an exclusively underground rodent that lives in the subsoil of the arid zones of the so-called “Horn of Africa” (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti). The permanent semi-darkness in which it lives has motivated a peculiar anatomy, reducing the size of its eyes and visual capacity. Their legs are very short and allow them to move quickly in tunnels, both forward and backward. The head is disproportionate, with tiny eyes and ears. Of particular note are the large and unique mobile incisors that separate and move independently and are used to excavate the hard earth and create a complex system of tunnels that can measure several kilometers in length.
Oni the okapi, who featured in the first episode of last week’s ITV documentary, London Zoo: An Extraordinary Year - has delighted zookeepers at the iconic zoo by giving birth to a healthy baby girl.
The second-time mum, whose lockdown pregnancy took centre stage in Thursday’s episode, went into labour late on Sunday 20 September before giving birth to the adorable calf – given the name ‘Ede’by zookeepers – the following morning.
After spotting that Oni was in labour, dedicated keepers kept a watchful eye overnight on CCTV - rejoicing when tiny hooves and stripy legs began to emerge following a 12-hour vigil. The wide-eyed calf took its first wobbly steps minutes later and was tottering around confidently soon after.
ZSL okapi keeper Gemma Metcalf said: “Like all okapis, Oni had a long pregnancy - close to 16 months - so we’ve been excitedly waiting for Edefor a long time.
“As viewers saw last week, her lockdown pregnancy posed some logistical challenges for our team, but despite the Zoo being closed we remained by her side to make sure she had the highest standard of care throughout her third trimester - we’re delighted that both mother and baby are now doing so well.”
Episode 1 of the acclaimed documentary saw zookeepers and vets come together over Microsoft Teams to plan and perform a vital ultrasound on Oni during lockdown, while ensuring everyone involved remained two metres apart – coincidentally the length of an okapi.
“Oni has always been a star in our eyes, but while she’s currently shining on screen she’s also excelling off-screen - at being a brilliant mum.
“Ede is already a feisty young calf and has been bouncing happily around the stables, but Oni is keeping her in their cosy indoor dens until she feels Edeis ready to explore their lush outdoor paddocks - we can’t wait for our visitors to see the newest addition to the zoo family.”
Ede’s birth is exciting news for London’s zoo, but even more important for the global breeding programme for the species, which ensures a healthy population of okapi in zoos across the world. Okapi, found only in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are classified as Endangered by the IUCN, with their survival threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
Episode 1 of London Zoo: An Extraordinary Year is available to watch on the ITV Hub now, with episode 2 scheduled for broadcast on Thursday 1 October.
ZSL London Zoo reopened to the public on Monday 15 June after an unprecedented three months of closure due to the coronavirus lockdown. The loss of income put the charity zoo under huge financial pressure as they continued to provide the highest level of care for their animals. Now open to limited numbers only, ZSL, the international conservation charity behind the Zoo, is calling on the public to help ensure they stay open by booking a ticket, joining as a member or donating to ZSL at www.zsl.org
Bailey, an 8-year-old reticulated giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, welcomed her very first calf to the herd at 11:37 a.m. yesterday, September 28. Bailey and the female giraffe calf are doing well. Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the calf will be named after she is 30 days old.
“You couldn’t ask anything more of a first-time mom,” said Jason Bredahl, giraffe animal care manager at CMZoo. “Bailey is nonstop grooming her baby, paying attention and making sure the baby is in a good position to nurse. Mom is doing a great job.”
The little calf is doing well, too. She’s already winning the hearts of CMZoo staff and online fans.
“This is probably the smallest giraffe calf I’ve ever seen,” said Bredahl. “Bailey is small for a giraffe, too, so that’s not surprising. She’s super adorable. She’s strong and is nursing well, so we’re really excited to share her with everyone as soon as we can.”
At first, the calf had a hard time standing because she had positioned herself in a corner of the stall and she kept bumping into the walls before she could get her footing. After waiting to see if she could get up on her own, keepers and vet staff asked Bailey to move into another area so they could give the calf a hand. The team picked her up and moved her into the middle of the stall around 1:27 p.m. She took her first steps on her own after a quick medical assessment, then a nudge from mom, at 1:38 p.m. As long as keepers observe that baby and mom are doing well, they will continue to let Bailey take the lead on providing her care.
The weight and height of the calf are not known yet, although keepers and vet staff say she is one of the smallest giraffe calves they’ve ever seen. Newborn giraffe calves are typically five to six feet tall and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Exact measurements haven’t been taken, but this calf appears to weigh about 100 pounds and is around five-and-a-half feet tall.
The calf is the seventeenth member of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s reticulated giraffe herd. The calf is the first offspring for mom, Bailey, and the sixth to be sired by dad, Khalid (pronounced cull-EED). Bailey moved to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on a breeding recommendation in Sept. 2016. CMZoo’s breeding program began in 1954 and has welcomed more than 200 calves since its inception.
Thousands of worldwide viewers witnessed the calf’s birth on Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s live camera feed, which will continue to stream live from the sand stall, where Bailey and the calf will continue to bond for the coming weeks. The live stream of the birth stall, and both outdoor giraffe yard camera feeds, are available at cmzoo.org/giraffecam. The Zoo will continue to provide updates on their social media channels.
The barn will remain closed to guests for at least another day, to give the new calf time to bond with mom. Other members of the CMZoo herd will be available for viewing and feeding in the outside yard from elevated platforms, where guests can get eye-to-eye with and feed lettuce to the herd, weather permitting.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is not only a leader in the training and health of giraffe in human care, but they are also making a huge difference in conservation of giraffe in the wild. Reticulated giraffe, the subspecies to which CMZoo’s herd belongs, are endangered. There are just over 11,000 mature reticulated giraffe individuals in the wild, and that population is decreasing. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the reticulated giraffe population has declined by 56% in the last thirty years.
In October and November 2019, CMZoo helped establish a new population of a critically endangered giraffe in Uganda. The Operation Twiga IV team successfully reintroduced 15 Nubian giraffe to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, where they haven't existed in nearly 25 years. CMZoo VP of Mission and Programs, Dr. Liza Dadone, assisted with research and anesthesia, and provided care for the giraffe during the translocation. Our contribution to this effort is possible thanks to ongoing support from CMZoo members, guests and donors. Operation Twiga IV is led by Uganda Wildlife Authority with support from Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and other partners from around the world. See a video about the Zoo’s latest field conservation effort, Operation Twiga IV, here.
Through Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, by which 75 cents of every Zoo admission is allocated to conservation, guests have helped CMZoo send more than $3 million to support important conservation efforts since 2008.
Poland's @ZOO Wrocław Welcomes a tiny baby sloth on September 15th. This was the first such birth at the zoo. The parents are ten-year-old Celina and fourteen-year-old Apollo. The sloth's sex is not yet known.
It's a triple header and ZooBorns invites you to "Squee"-For-Three. This video features the baby Tiger trio at @Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society , A Colubus Monkey infant at @Gladys Porter Zoo , and The The Living Desert's recently emerged Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby.
Taronga Zoo Sydney is proud to announce the birth of a very cute, very playful Australian sea-lion pup who made her first splash today at Taronga’s Seal Bay and is calling on the public to help name the new arrival.
The female Australian sea-lion pup was born during the early morning of Wednesday the 30th of July to experienced Mother Nala and Father Charlie. This is Nala and Charlie’s second pup together, following the successful birth of Torre a male Australian sea-lion pup who was born in late 2018.
“Weighing in at only 7kg at birth, the little pup has increased not only in weight but has shown a massive increase in confidence over the past week. She is now constantly swimming and playing in the water, which is the type of progress we would like to see at this age” says Marine Mammals Unit Supervisor Brad McKenzie.
“We are thrilled that she is going to be out on display these spring school holidays. At the moment she is learning to vocalise and although I may be biased, but it is probably one of most adorable sounds ever!” say Mckenzie
All births at Taronga are considered significant and special moments, but the recent birth of this Australian sea-lion pup is not only incredible news for Taronga and their breeding program but is wonderful news for this native marine species.
Australian Sea-lion numbers in the wild continue to decline due to isolated populations, over-fishing and entanglement in fishing debris. That is why on this special occasion Taronga is calling on the public to help name their latest, but not so tiniest addition with the launch of seal pup naming competition.
The public will get to choose from two names; Amalie which is a tribute to the pup’s late Grandfather and Nala’s Father Mallie, or Kailani which is of Hawaiian origin and translates to sea and sky. The entry with the most meaningful reason behind their name selection will win a family pass to Taronga valued at $152 and a seal encounter and meet and greet with one of Taronga’s Marine Mammal Keepers. For more information, how to enter and T&C’s simply visit www.taronga.org.au/sealpupcomp
The pup and her mother Nala can now be seen throughout the day at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Seal Bay at the Greater Southern Ocean Precinct these spring school holidays, where the pup will be playfully and utterly adorably exploring her new surroundings.
Spring has sprung early at Taronga Western Plains Zoo with the birth of a male Spider Monkey baby on 24 August 2020.
The baby boy was born overnight with keepers arriving at work to see mother Jai doting over her newborn. This is the second baby for Jai and father Pedro, with their first baby Isadore born in October 2017.
“Jai was a natural mother first time around and is clearly still a calm mother taking caring for her second baby in her stride,” said Primate Keeper Sasha Brook.
“We are really happy with the maternal behaviours Jai is displaying and because we have a good rapport with her we are able to get up close to check on the baby and how it is doing and we are very pleased to see him doing well,” said Sasha.
Spider Monkey babies cling on to their mothers with an amazing grip and suckle as needed for the first few months of their lives. After approximately three to four months the babies become more active and move to dorsal riding on the back of their mother and start exploring a little more.
“Visitors to the Zoo may find it difficult to see the new arrival at present as he is clinging to his mum’s tummy however, when they move to dorsal riding they are easier to see.”
“There are now six youngsters on the Spider Monkey island including the most recent baby born into the group and we are hopeful there is another baby on the way,” said Sasha.
“It is really amazing to see the different ages in the group now and the watch the juveniles interact with the adults. Pedro is particularly good with the youngsters and is often observed playing with them.”
The Black-handed Spider Monkey conservation breeding program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo has now welcomed four females and two males since the arrival of Pedro the breeding male from France in 2014.
“Having another male born into the group is really exciting, it widens the genetic diversity in the group which benefits the regional conservation breeding program.”
“One day once he is mature he may move to another Zoo and sire babies of his own,” said Sasha.
Black-handed Spider Monkeys are found in Mexico and throughout Central America and are classified as Endangered with habitat loss the primary cause of their decline.