In late May, Kristiansand Zoo in Norway welcomed two Eurasian Lynx cubs. One of them, shown in the photographs on a July 4th checkup, is a little male weighing about three and a half pounds (1.54 kg). The other cub, whose sex isn't yet known, was hiding at the time and didn't want to come out for a checkup. These little additions bring the zoo's Lynx count up to six. 

The Red River Zoo's new Red Panda, a male named Mattie, was born on June 14. The cub is currently staying in his indoor quarters with Mom. When he gets a few weeks older, he will begin to venture out into the outdoor exhibit area visible to the public. His parents, Dad Yukiko and Mom Shantou, are eight years old and were imported from Japan in 2007 by the Red River Zoo to help increase the genetic diversity of the captive population in the U.S.

The Red River Zoo is a leading breeder of Red Pandas and has bred one-fourth of the captive Chinese Red Panda species in North American zoos. Mattie will serve as an ambassador for the Red River Zoo and a mascot for MATBUS, the city's public bus system.

Photo Credit: Red River Zoo

More pictures after the fold:

The Minnesota Zoo announced the birth of this Malayan Tapir calf, the first born at the Zoo in more than 20 years. The newborn, a female, came into the world at approximately 9:15 p.m. on July 20, after a 419-day gestation period. Mom, Bertie, and her calf are doing well and are currently off-exhibit together, giving them time to bond. But you can watch them on the zoo's Tapir Cam.

The Malayan Tapir is one of the most endangered animals in Southeast Asia. Tapir populations are declining due to habitat loss from deforestation for agricultural purposes, flooding caused by dam building for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade.

Photo Credit: Minnesota Zoo

Watch the baby and mom in action:

Read more after the fold.

A trio of Cheetah cubs was born on June 28 at Zoo Salzburg in Austria. The trio, which consists of two males and one female, were born to mother Ginger. Ginger is taking great care of her cubs, who have grown considerably since their birth. Born at 250 grams each (about 1/2 pound), the males now weigh 1,200 grams each (2.65 pounds) and the female weighs 900 grams (just under 2 pounds).

Cheetahs have a short gestation period of about 90-95 days. Young Cheetah cubs have a greyish coat and lack the distinctive spot markings of their species. Cheetahs are currently listed as Vulnerable to Extinction, with under 12,500 individuals remaining in the African wild. Native to Africa and southwestern Asia, a small population of the species also exists in Iran. Adult females are solitary, while males live in social groups. Females are very selective in choosing mates, and their social and breeding behaviors tend to make breeding within zoos a challenge.

Photo Credit Zoo Salzburg

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Marwell Zoo’s three Snow Leopard cubs have taken their first steps outside into their new home. The babies, two male and one female, were born on April 21. Now 12 weeks old, the triplets are enjoying exploring their surroundings, climbing rocks, play fighting, and chasing mom. 

Keepers named the female cub Animesh, which means ‘bright’ and ‘to stare open eyed’ in Nepalese, chosen because she opened her eyes particularly early. One male cub was given the name Ariun, which means ‘pure’ in Mongolian. Now the keepers are asking the public to help them name the second male cub. A favorite shortlist of names will be picked by the zoo’s carnivore keepers and the public can decide their preferred name. The prize is an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at the Snow Leopard home.

Photo Credit: Marwell Zoo

These cubs represent something very important. Marwell’s conservation biologist, Heidi Mitchell, said: “Snow leopards, like all big cat species, are threatened in the wild. This means that maintaining a healthy captive population of Snow Leopards is of vital importance to the global conservation strategy for the species.” 

Read more after the fold: 

On June 21, a Malayan Tigress named Cindy gave birth to three healthy cubs at Zoo Halle in Germany. Pictured at four weeks old and as newborns, the cubs have recently opened their bright blue eyes and are starting to take their first uncertain steps. For now, they are living behind-the-scenes for some special bonding time with their mother. In about three to four weeks, the cubs will receive their first vaccinations and venture out onto the grounds in sight of visitors. For now, a Tiger cam has been installed to stream live video to a monitor on exhibit at the zoo. 

Photo Credits: Zoo Halle

This is Cindy's fourth litter, and the seventh litter for the father, Sompon. The two make a very successful breeding pair, a great boon for this particularly endangered subspecies of Tiger.  Especially after the zoo's tragic loss of a Tiger named Girl in January - the first Tiger in the world to live successfully with an artificial hip for over two years - this litter is very exciting news.

See photos of the cubs as newborns after the fold!

On June 9, a pair of endangered Red Pandas at the Sacramento Zoo welcomed their first offspring, a male. While the first-time mother was attentive, it seemed she might not have been producing enough milk to adequately feed her cub. After two and a half weeks, discussions between veterinary and animal care staff and the Red Panda SSP Coordinator led to a decision to hand-rear the cub. Red Panda cubs have a high mortality rate (50%) within the first 30 days of life. The staff were hopeful that the cub would thrive with additional attention from keepers and veterinary staff. They gave it a stuffed Mama animal to curl up with and began their work.

Photo Credit: Photos 1,3,4,5: Sacramento Zoo, Photo 2: Erik Bowker

Now, at five weeks old, the Red Panda cub is progressing well. He currently weighs all of 1 pound (0.45 kg) and has steadily gained strength and mobility. Guests have caught a glimpse of the cub through the window at the Murray E. Fowler Veterinary Hospital, where he is fed at around 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., daily.

Here is the Panda cub at one month old:

And the most recent footage at the age of five weeks!

The Cotswold Wildlife Park has their hands full with eight Meerkat pups. Three of the pups, currently living in the porcupine exhibit, were born on May 31. The other five were born on June 19.

The name Meerkat comes from the Afrikaans words meaning "marsh cat". However, Meerkats are not related to cats, nor do they live in marshlands. Meerkats are social animals that live in large communities of 25 or more individuals. Communities live in burrows, composed of complex tunnel systems consisting of mounds, tunnels, and sleeping chambers. 

Photo Credit: Cotswold Wildlife Park 

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Two Grey Wolf pups were born around May 20th at Norway's Dyreparken. On June 6, they got their health checkup. The sex of the pups was determined: one boy and one girl. The male weighed in at 5.20 pounds (2.36 k) and the female at 4.53 pounds (2.02 k). They also had a micro-chip inserted as an ID tag. This brings the Wolf pack living in the Nordic area of Dyreparken to eight.

The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) develops strong social bonds, using a complex communication system of howls, barks, growls, and whines.  They live, hunt, and travel in packs of 4-7, with an alpha male and female. They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit. The pack typically cares for the pups until they become more independent at 10 months of age.

Photo Credit: Dierenpark

Watch the pups as they get their checkup in the video below.

See more pictures of the pups after the fold: