Los Angeles Zoo's little Bornean Orangutan baby is the star attraction these days. She's the second baby for mom Kalim, who is one of four adult females in their Red Ape Rainforest. Father to the new arrival is Minyak, one of two Orangutan males at the Zoo. 

Orangutans are native to the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra.  In the Malay language orang means person and utan means forest.  Decked out in long, shaggy, orange-red hair, orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammals. Bornean orangutans are endangered and Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered.  In the last 60 years, it’s estimated that there has been more than a 50 percent decline in the orangutan population.  This decline is primarily attributed to habitat loss.

Photo Credit: Tad Motoyama

A baby Hippo has made its debut splash in the public pool at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Born on September 14 2011, and weighing in at a hefty 90 pounds (40kg), the baby has so far been staying with mum in their private dens, but last month made its first appearance in the big pool. The “tiny” tot is thought to be a little girl, but its sex is yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, keepers have nicknamed the youngster Hula – an abbreviation of dad’s name, Hoover, and mum’s, Lola. Zookeeper Mark Holden said: “We’re really excited by this new arrival at the Zoo, especially as both mum and dad are first-time parents - and Lola seems besotted with her new arrival.”

“After taking a few tentative steps on the water’s edge, baby Hula was encouraged into the pool by mum, and is now enjoying blowing bubbles under the surface and paddling around by herself”. Born after a 240-day gestation period baby Hula will one day weigh approx. 3090 lbs (1400kg) when she’s fully grown, and reach up to 1.6 metres in height.  Classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and under threat from poaching and habitat loss in the wild, Hula is a much welcomed addition to the European Studbook for common Hippos.

These three littile lion cubs were born on October 9 at Zoo Santa Fe in Medelin, Colombia. By November 4, they were ready to come out to play and pose for pictures under the watchful eye of their mother. The babies stuck close to her, nursing or trying their best to swat at each other.

Female lions give birth after a 3.5 month gestation. Births of 2-3 cubs are most common but a litter can include 4. Cubs are entiely dependant on their mother for the first six weeks; then they begin to eat meat. They continue to nurse until they are approximately 6 months old, but in the wild, they stay with their mother for up to two years.

Lions are not officially on the endangered list but may be added soon. They are difficult to count, but the African lion's poulation is estimated to have dropped by nearly 50% in the last 30 years, mostly due to the market for lion-skn rugs and trophies. In addition, habitat losss and disease as well as hunting them for bushmeat and use in African medicine has added considerably to the threats. There is also retaliatory killings due to livestock which had been killed by lions. 

Photo Credit: Zoo Santa Fe 

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo is letting visitors see how eight penguin chicks have been hand-raised on a new blog called The Real Chicks of Central Park.

The blog includes photos (chick pics), videos (chick flicks), and keeper interviews (chick lit) and updated continually for three weeks. Visitors can meet the chicks and their keepers, watch them grow, and see the painstaking care that goes into raising them. 

“We wanted to show people what goes into hand rearing the penguin chicks from day one and share the growth process,” said Jeff Sailer, Director of City Zoos. “These new additions to the penguin colony are a success in animal husbandry and reflect the bird expertise we have at the Central Park Zoo.” 

With a $10 donation to the care of the penguin chicks a “chick magnet” will be sent to the recipient of your choice just in time for the holidays. The magnet features a frame with a picture of one of “the real chicks,” and a space where you can put a picture of your very own chick magnet. Proceeds support the care of theses beautiful penguins and other wildlife residents of WCS’s Central Park Zoo.

From the guys who brought you the smash hit ZooBorns: The Newest, Cutest Animals from the World's Zoos and Aquariums, which DiscoverMagazine.com called “hands down the cutest books ever to grace my shelf” comes ZooBorns CATS!, featuring adorable pictures of newborn felines from accredited zoos and conservation programs around the world. ZooBorns: Cats! is the largest and most complete collection of kittens of different feline species ever published! Every sale of ZooBorns Cats! supports the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund. You can order ZooBorns CATS! now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  The following are just a handful of over 130 outstanding kitten and cub pictures from this extraordinary new book. Look out for exclusive giveaways and excerpts on our Facebook page in the coming weeks!

Ali, a Black-footed Cat from Utah's Hogle Zoo. 
(Photo: Sarah Ksiazek)

Indra, a Caracal from the Olmense Zoo in Belgium
(Photo: Olmense Zoo)

A Sand Cat from the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort in the United Arab Emirates
(Photo: Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort / Xavier Eichaker)

Darius, a Persian Leopard from Zoo Madrid in Spain 
(Photo: © Lifeonewhite.com)

Matsi, a Clouded Leopard from the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, TN
(Photo: Christian Sperka)

Magala, a Jaguar from the Bosphorus Zoo in Turkey
(Photo: © Lifeonewhite.com)

You can order ZooBorns CATS! now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is welcoming a new arrival – a female Addra Gazelle calf born on Sunday, October 30, 2011, at approximately 8:00 am. The calf, named Elvira, weighed 4.95 kg (11 pounds) at birth, and is strong and healthy. Her parents are 9-year-old Pearl and 4-year-old Makuru. 

“Pearl, who gave birth to our male calf Ray-Ray in February, is unfortunately showing no signs of interest in her new offspring,” stated Mike McClure, general curator of the Zoo. “Because the calf is so significant to the overall population of this endangered species, we decided that a quick intervention was necessary in order to keep her healthy.”

Drusillas Park in the UK is currently in the midst of a baby boom with a multitude of mini monkeys popping up around the Park!  The monkey madness started when Emperor tamarin, Lucy gave birth to the twins pictured above. This species takes its name from the 19th Century Emperor, Wilhelm II of Germany, whom they are said to resemble on account of their distinctive moustaches. The fan-tash-stic pair are becoming more independent everyday and can now be seen playing with their older siblings. 

Two silvery marmosets were next to make an appearance (below). The pearl coloured pair were born on August 28 and are thriving under the watchful guidance of proud parents Captain Jack and Hester. Silvery marmosets are native to the forests of Central and South America and usually give birth to twins every five to six months. 

More monkey madness below the fold...

Perth Zoo's Birds of the South-west Aviary is home to Australia native birds including Elegant Parrots, Purple-crowned Lorikeets, Bush Stone-curlews, Splendid Fairy-wrens, Black-winged Stilts, Brush Bronzewings, Red-eared Firetails and Crimson Chats. The first four images are of two Elegant Parrot chicks hatched October 5th and the last three (beneath the fold) are of a Purple-crowned Lorikeet chick hatched October 2nd.

A baby hippo, born at the Berlin Zoo on October 23, has been delighting keepers and guest alike. The as yet unnamed calf remained behind the scenes in the pools for several days to bond with it's mother Nicloe. Then she confidently led the baby to the water in the exhibit, and introduced the little one to the other members of the herd.

This is the third baby for this experienced mom, and the baby's interactions with her siblings and the other adults is wonderful to watch. The wee one made this public debut on Nov. 1. Underwater, they run or walk along the bottom with their ears and nostrils clamped shut by special small muscles. Their heart rate slows, allowing them to stay under for up to 30 minutes, though they commonly come up for air every 6-7 minutes.

Hippopotamus live on both land and water. Their natural habitat is grassland where there is permanent still water that is not too deep. Sadly, this species has been declared endangered because of habitat loss due to man's encroachment, and because they are hunted for meat.

More pics beneath the fold...

Miami Metroparks Zoo welcomes its second litter of Giant River Otter pups this year! The two pups, born November 3rd, are almost a foot long and weigh about a pound each. When fully grown, Giant Otters can reach up to six feet in length and weigh close to 75 pounds! These endangered carniverous mammals are native to South America and live in remote areas of the tropics by lakes and fresh water rivers.

More otterageous photos below the fold...