ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Aug. 26, 2024) — The Detroit Zoo announced today that the baby gorilla born on Aug. 8, 2024 – the first in the Zoo’s 96-year-history – is a female and continuing to thrive under the care of her mother, Bandia.  

Now, the next step is giving this baby girl a name – and the public has the opportunity to do just that! 

Beginning Monday, Aug. 26, Zoo lovers can cast their vote by choosing their favorite name amongst the following finalists:  

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 20, 2024) – The Louisville Zoo has welcomed a 1 ½-month-old infant male western lowland gorilla named Abeo (ah-bay-OH) to our award-winning Gorilla Forest habitat. His name means “bringer of happiness” in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa. Born on June 28 at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington., the infant is the offspring of Akenji, a first-time mom. When Akenji was unable to bond with her infant and when training another foster didn’t progress fast enough, Woodland Park officials moved into quick action to find suitable care for the infant gorilla.

POWELL, OH — Just over a year after welcoming weedy seadragons to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Australia and the Islands region, an attentive weedy seadragon father—with the support of the Zoo’s Shores & Aquarium team who provides care for this species—successfully hatched 26 weedy seadragons (or “weedies”). This milestone places the Columbus Zoo among only several other North American zoos and aquariums that have marked this significant achievement.  

Birth of Highly Trafficked Species will Contribute to Experts’ Understanding of how to Save Pangolins from Extinction

Brookfield, Ill. — A white-bellied pangolin—one of the most trafficked mammals in the world—was born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on July 25. With this birth, there are now 13 pangolins at the Zoo, including a successful second-generation birth that occurred in 2022. The recent pup and its mother, Virginia, are behind the scenes along with 10 other pangolins as part of a conservation breeding program. However, guests can see one of the adults at the Zoo’s Habitat Africa! The Forest.

The baby, born June 26 inside of PECO Primate Reserve, is the first successful birth of this species at the Zoo in 15 years and a major conservation milestone for the critically endangered species

Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Zoo is thrilled to celebrate the public debut of its critically endangered Sumatran orangutan baby. The animal team has determined the baby is a boy and have named him Jambi after a city on the island of Sumatra where this species is native. Born to the Zoo’s 31-year-old female Tua and 28-year-old male, Sugi, on June 26, the infant continues to look strong, and Tua continues to be an excellent mother, nursing and holding the baby at all times.

SEATTLE—Woodland Park Zoo is seeing spots after three snow leopard cubs were born on Memorial Day. These are the first snow leopard cubs to be born at the zoo since a single cub, Aibek, was born in 2017. 

The cubs were born to parents Marai, 7, and Aibek, 6. This is their first litter of cubs after they were paired under the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of the species.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 30, 2024) – The Louisville Zoo proudly announces the birth of a Sumatran tiger cub, marking the first tiger birth in more than 20 years for the Zoo. Born at 7:40 p.m. on July 23, 2024, the cub is the offspring of 16-year-old male Kami Sambal (kah-me-sahm-ball) and 14-year-old female Jingga (Jean-gah; like the game). Both mother and cub are thriving under the dedicated care of the Zoo’s expert staff. Jingga is demonstrating all the appropriate behaviors of an experienced mother, grooming, nursing and carrying her neonate cub. 

August 2, 2024 (BALTIMORE, MD) – The people have spoken! The public was asked to choose the name of the newest chimpanzee born at the Maryland Zoo. Voters could pay to choose from three possible names: Astrid, Iris, and Ivy. And the winner is… Ivy. 

Baby Ivy was born to Rozi (pronounced ROSE-ee) as part of a recommendation by Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival plan. A few weeks after Ivy’s birth, the Zoo’s animal care staff noticed a decline in the infant's health and became concerned that she was not receiving enough of her mother’s milk. The Zoo's veterinarians were able to stabilize her and keepers are pleased with Ivy’s progress. 

Chattanooga, Tenn. (July 1, 2024) – There are few certainties in life, but alongside death, taxes, and the arrival of hot weather in July, at least one other thing is inarguable: baby penguins are almost impossibly cute. 

Guests visiting the Tennessee Aquarium during the Fourth of July holiday can join Aquarium staffers in excitedly welcoming the newest addition to the Penguins’ Rock gallery — a fluffy (and shockingly fast-growing) Macaroni Penguin chick.

The chick hatched on June 2 from an egg laid in late April by parents Bacon and Merlin. This baby bird is the first offspring ever produced by Bacon, who hatched in 2015 to two other Aquarium penguins, Hercules and Little Debbie. Though Little Debbie now lives at another facility, the newest chick’s grandsire, Hercules, still calls Penguins’ Rock home. With this latest arrival, the Aquarium is home for the first time ever to three generations of Macaroni Penguins. 

July 7, 2024 — Month-and-a-half-old baby baboon, Binrin, is learning the ropes from his older siblings, Nyani and Bandari. Born May 21st to mom Tinka and father Miuru, Binrin is also getting to know his adoring zoo visitor fans. The WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo is also home to Nyani’s mother Cobie. The Prospect Park Zoo re-opened to the public in May after being closed for 239 days due to extensive flood damage.