Thanks to inter-agency cooperation, two rescued Eurasian Otter pups are getting the emergency care they need at Taipei Zoo in Taiwan. The abandoned pups arrived recently from Kinmen National Park and are being bottle-fed around the clock by staff at the zoo. In Taiwan, Eurasian Otters are a rare and protected species.

Photo credit: Taipei Zoo

See video of the otter pups:

An initial veterinary checkup found that the babies are both male and are about a month old. Their eyes are still closed, but their canine teeth are starting to grow in. They are being cared for in shifts, with frequent feedings and belly massages to stimulate bowel movements. 

See and read more after the fold.

In early March, Zoo Krefeld in Germany welcomed a litter of two Agoutis! Normally they would have liked to see the mother raise both babies, but she was not able to provide  enough milk for both. One baby has stayed with mom and the other is bend hand-fed a milk-replacer for kittens.  

At first, the hand-raised Agouti, named Flo, had to be fed every two hours, even at night. The baby has been gaining about .07 to .1 ounces (2-3 g) per day, and at three weeks old tipped the scale at 4.6 ounces (130 g). 

Photo credit: Zoo Krefeld / Andreas M. Bischof (1, 2)

Agoutis are rodents that live in the rainforests of South America. They are nocturnal and usually live in pairs on the forest floor. They cache extra food, such as nuts and seeds, in holes in the ground which they often forget about. This makes them important seed dispersers for trees.  

A rescued Ring-tailed Lemur gave birth to twins at Great Britain’s Longleat Safari & Adventure Park.

The twins, who were born on March 25 and have yet to be named, have already enjoyed a classic Lemur pastime – sunbathing!

Photo Credit:  Longleat Safari & Adventure Park

Mom Hasina and dad Julien were rescued as youngsters from unsuitable living conditions and given a new home at the park, where they have thrived.

Keeper Beverley Evans said: “Hasina is a very laid back mum and this is her third pregnancy. She seems to have taken the whole birth very much in her stride and is an extremely attentive mother.”

In the mornings the Ring-tailed Lemurs sunbathe to warm themselves. They face the sun sitting in what is frequently described as a "sun-worshipping" posture or lotus position.

Sunning is often a group activity, particularly during the cold mornings. At night, troops will split into sleeping parties huddling closely together to keep warm.

Ring-tailed Lemurs are found only on the island of Madagascar, where populations are in decline due to habitat loss.

The Denver Zoo welcomed the first Steller’s Sea Eagle chick to be successfully reared at the zoo. Because only a few United States zoos exhibit or breed these raptors, the chick’s hatching is a rare event in the U.S. 

The first two photos shown here feature the chick; the third and fourth photos show an adult Steller’s Sea Eagle.

Photo Credit:  Denver Zoo



The unnamed chick, whose gender is still not known, hatched on March 4. The chick is currently nesting with and being brooded by its mother.

This is the first chick for both mother, Ursula, and father, Vlad. The two were paired under recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which ensures healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals. Fortunately, the couple has proved to be an excellent match.

Steller’s Sea Eagles are the largest known eagles with average weights between 15 and 18 pounds. They have large, bright yellow beaks; their plumage is mostly dark brown or black, save for the white feathers on their upper wings, tails and thighs. Little is known about the species as their primary habitats in East Asia and coastal areas of northern Russia are remote. The birds were named after German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who discovered the species during an Alaskan voyage in 1741.

With a wild population estimated between 4,600 and 5,000 individuals, Steller’s Sea Eagles are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers continue to decrease due to habitat alteration and destruction, pollution, logging and over-fishing, which decreases their food source.

Four Asian Small-clawed Otter pups born at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo in January have finally taken their first steps outdoors – despite the protests of their overprotective dad, Guntur.

The four pups—three females and one male—have had only a few tiny adventures outdoors so far. Though the pups step outside their den for only a few minutes at a time, the good news is that dad seems to be getting more comfortable each time. 

Photo Credit:  Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo

You first met the pups on ZooBorns a few weeks ago. Now two-and-a-half-months old, the Otter pups have a lot to learn about the world outside their den.  Luckily they have their 4-year-old mom Teratai, 8-year-old dad Guntur, and four older brothers to show them the ropes.  In these photos, you can see the pups getting help scaling walls, navigating waterways, and getting a friendly nuzzle on the neck.

Asian Small-clawed Otters are native to waterways in Southeast Asia.  The smallest of the world’s Otter species, they weigh only about 11 pounds (5 kg) as adults.  They feed on small crustaceans and mollusks.  Due to habitat destruction, Asian Small-clawed Otters are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

See more photos of the Otter pups below.

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The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio has welcomed three Humboldt Penguins to the zoo’s Shores region. The chicks hatched in March and are three of over 20 Humboldt Penguins to hatch at the zoo since 1996.  

Although animal care staff can tell the chicks apart by personality, they will place a colored wing band on the chicks to easily identify them as they start to explore their habitat. All three chicks are doing well and have passed their wellness check-up with flying colors.

Photo credit: Colombus Zoo

The first to hatch weighed 85 grams, the second weighed 79 grams and the third chick, which hatched last, week weighed in at 56 grams. The first two chicks are males, but the third chick’s sex has yet to be determined.

See and read more after the fold.

Last April, Five Sisters Zoo in Scotland was damaged by a terrible fire that not only destroyed their tropical house and 48 different species of small mammals and reptiles, but also the indoor meerkat house, killing 11 members of their meerkat family.  

At the beginning of November, keepers saw two meerkat kits emerge from the burrow – a true sign that the remaining meerkat pair had fully recovered from their trauma.  November in Scotland was not an ideal time to have young, but they are such resilient creatures that the babies have thrived ever since. 

Two weeks ago, two more kits emerged from the burrow, much to the delight of all the staff at the zoo!

Photo credit: Five Sisters Zoo / Lesley Coupar

Before the two additional kits made their appearance, a FaceBook appeal for name ideas generated hundreds of suggestions. The two most popular names were chosen: Alex, named for one of the first firemen on the scene at the zoo (who is also their postman by day), and Poppy, the flower of Remembrance Day, when the two pups emerged. The new additions have yet to be named. 

A new home for the meerkat family is nearly complete. It is located beside the site for their tropical house and will also house two porcupines and a new giant African Spurred Tortoise called Chad, who is 31 years old.  The meerkats should move into this new habitat within the next couple of weeks.

For more photos, see our story about the first two kits.

Zoo Miami has announced their first successful births of highly endangered Clouded Leopards. The two female kittens were born on March 13 and have been secluded in a den with their mother since then to avoid any external stress and allow the new mother to properly bond with them.

Zoo staff were able to separate the mother from her cubs for the first time this week to do a neonatal exam in order to evaluate the condition of the kittens and accurately determine their sexes. Both offspring are doing well and the mother continues to be attentive and nurse them on a regular basis. The mother and kittens will remain off exhibit for the next several weeks until zoo staff determine that they are established and stable enough to face the public.

Photo credit: Zoo Miami

The mother, Serai, was born in May of 2011 at the Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia. The father, Rajasi, was born in March of 2011 at the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee. This is the first successful litter for both parents.

See and read more after the fold.

Great news: two Asian Small-clawed Otter pups were born at Auckland Zoo in New Zealand! The parents are resident otters Jeta and Juno. Because Jeta is a first-time mother, keepers have been carefully making sure that they have as much peace and quiet as possible. 

The pups are just over a month old, and their sex is still unknown at this point. They were weighed last week, and they’re now .97 pounds (440 g) and one pound (461 g). They been growing steadily, putting on about .2 pounds (100 g) a week.

Photo credit: Auckland Zoo

Asian Small-clawed Otters are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.  They are found in the countries of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, South China, Malay Peninsula, the Philippines,  living in freshwater streams, rivers, and creeks as well as coastal regions, often near dense foliage. They are the smallest of the world's 13 otter species.