The young Asian Small-Clawed Otters, at Zoo Berlin, have been entertaining visitors with their undeniable cuteness and their playful antics. Recently, swimming lessons were the preferred activity, and their parents were close by to supervise.

Photo Credits: Zoo Berlin

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is the smallest otter species in the world.  They are native to the mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Their paws and claws are a distinctive feature and give the animal a high degree of manual dexterity for feeding on mollusks, crabs and other small aquatic creatures.

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is currently classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. The threat to the Small-Clawed Otter is similar to that of Smooth-Coated and Eurasian Otters. Throughout Asia the potential threat to its continued survival is destruction of its habitats due to changing land use pattern in the form of developmental activities. In many parts of Asia, the habitats have been reduced due to reclamation of peat swamp forests and mangroves, aquaculture activities along the intertidal wetlands, and loss of hill streams. In India, the primary threats are loss of habitats due to tea and coffee plantations along the hills, loss of mangroves due to aquaculture, increased human settlements, and siltation of smaller hill streams due to deforestation. Increased influx of pesticides into the streams from the plantations reduces the quality of the habitats. 

Learn more about the otter, below the fold!

Last week, we brought you the story of Rica, the baby Southern Three-Banded Armadillo born at Edinburgh Zoo. Rica was only the size of a golf ball when she was born August 24, but she is progressing and developing, as she should, and now weighs in at 16 ounces (450g)! 

Photo Credits: Edinburgh Zoo

One-month-old Rica posed for new pics a few days ago, and she is beginning to show even more of a resemblance to her healthy mother, Rio. Rica’s parents, Rio and Rodar, arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in March 2014.

Southern Three-Banded Armadillos are native to South America. They are found in parts of northern Argentina, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. This armadillo and the other member of the genus ‘Tolypeutes’, the Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillo, are the only species of armadillos capable of rolling into a complete ball to defend themselves.  The three characteristic bands that cover the back of the animal allow it enough flexibility to fit its tail and head together, allowing protection from predators.  They are currently classified as ‘Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List .

Primate Keepers and staff, at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, have traded in their uniforms for faux-fur vests. The team is working ‘round the clock to care for a female baby Gorilla.  

Photo Credits: Photo 1 (Pat Story); Photos 2,3,4 (Michelle Curley/Cincinnati Zoo)

“Kamina” (Kuh-me-nuh), born August 16^th at the Oklahoma City Zoo, was abandoned by her mother, “Ndjole”, immediately after her birth. Keepers at Cincinnati Zoo were previously successful in raising another Gorilla baby, “Gladys”, via surrogate human moms, and were eager to assist Kamina and provide the care she needed. 

Ron Evans, head of primates, and Head Nursery Keeper, Dawn Strasser went to Oklahoma City to spend time with Kamina and her caregivers before bringing the baby back to Cincinnati. Kamina came to Cincinnati on a private jet, held by Evans and Strasser.

Non-stop holding is a vital part of the human surrogacy program. The bond between a mother Gorilla and her baby is intensely close, so infant Gorillas need to be held and loved. It needs to be part of their growth process even if their mother cannot provide it. The human surrogates wear a felt vest covering when holding Kamina to their chest. It resembles the chest of a Gorilla mother.

There is no known reason why mother Gorillas reject their babies. Ndjole had successfully connected with her first child. One theory is that it may have been a difficult birth that put Ndjole off to motherhood this time around.

Today, Kamina's outlook is positive. She will be raised by a team of 10-15 people at the Cincinnati Zoo who are responsible for her 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These people will also wear knee pads and mimic gorilla behavior. This will take place for the next three months, at least. During this time, Kamina will be shown to the other gorillas at the zoo. They will be able to observe each other, but for the time being, they will not be able to touch. 

Two Cheetah cubs, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park's Animal Care Center, recently posed for a photo after a bottle feeding. The female cubs are being hand raised by animal care staff at the Safari Park and receiving around-the-clock care, which includes bottle feedings every few hours.

Photo Credits: Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Global © 2014

The female cubs were born at the Safari Park's Cheetah Breeding Facility. As the mother, Allie, has been unsuccessful in raising her previous litters, animal care staff made the decision to hand rear these littermates, born on Sept. 1. 

The nearly three-week-old cubs are growing quickly and now weigh around 3 pounds each. They are becoming increasingly active now that their eyes are open and their vision is becoming clearer. Animal care staff says that the cubs are full of personality, noting that at only a few days old, the youngsters were already swatting and interacting with each other. 

"Every baby's different, but these Cheetahs really seem to be developing quickly in our eyes," said Eileen Neff, lead keeper, San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "They are great eaters; they started playing when they were just three or four days old. They could barely walk at that time, so it was pretty interesting seeing them tumbling around with each other."

These cubs with be Animal Ambassadors and each will be paired with a domestic dog for companionship, as are all ambassador Cheetahs at the Safari Park and San Diego Zoo. The dog's body language communicates to the cheetah that there's nothing to fear in new or public surroundings, which relaxes and calms the Cheetah.

Visitors to the Safari Park may see the two cubs at the Animal Care Center from 9 a.m. for a few hours daily.

Edinburgh Zoo is proud to introduce, Rica, a baby Southern Three-Banded Armadillo!  She was born to mother, Rio, and father, Rodar, on August 24^th.  

Photo Credits: Edinburgh Zoo

Although, Rica was a mere 81 grams (less than 3 oz) at birth, and was around the size of a golf ball, she has already quadrupled in weight during the first month of life.

Both parents arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in March 2014.  Given the short length of time the two have been at the Zoo, it is an amazing achievement and testament to the specialist skills of their keepers, that both Rio and Rodar felt comfortable enough to make a family in their new home.

Southern Three-Banded Armadillos are native to South America. They are found in parts of northern Argentina, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. This armadillo and the other member of the genus ‘Tolypeutes’, the Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillo, are the only species of armadillos capable of rolling into a complete ball to defend themselves.  The three characteristic bands that cover the back of the animal allow it enough flexibility to fit its tail and head together, allowing protection from predators.  They are currently classified as ‘Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List.

See more great pics below the fold!

There is even more good news from Dublin Zoo with the announcement of the arrival of a third Asian Elephant calf! The healthy female calf was born to mother Bernhardine at 11.45 pm on September 17^th, weighing in at 68kg (150 lbs).

Photo Credits: Patrick Bolger

This is the third elephant calf to be born at Dublin Zoo within a 10 week period. The first calf, Kavi, was born to mother Yasmin on July 17^th, followed closely by Ashoka, named after one of India’s greatest emperors, born to mother Anak on August 19^th.

Paul O’Donoghue, Assistant Director at Dublin Zoo said, “Our latest arrival is a wonderful addition to our breeding herd of Asian Elephants. It was a very quick and calm birth and Bernhardine’s daughter Asha (7 years old) stayed with her throughout. The calf was standing within ten minutes and has been suckling really well. Bernhardine is the oldest female and the herd’s matriarch. She is an experienced mother, and this is her fourth calf. It is just incredible for us to be announcing the birth of three Asian Elephants in the space of ten weeks.  It is an extraordinary achievement for the animal care team here at Dublin Zoo who is very proud of the expanding herd and of the significance of these births for the future of endangered Asian Elephants”.

The Asian Elephant is currently classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. The pre-eminent threats to Asian Elephants today are loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat, leading in turn to increasing conflicts between humans and elephants. They are poached for ivory and a variety of other products including meat and leather.

A naming competition will be hosted on Dublin Zoo’s Facebook page, and the Zoo is calling on the public to suggest a name for the latest arrival based on its Asian origins.

More great photos below the fold!

Eleven Ornate Box Turtles hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo, in Chicago, this week! The hatchlings are part of an effort to restore the native populations of turtles to their natural sand prairie habitat in Western Illinois, where they will return next summer. The hatchlings come from three different clutches provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Photo Credits: Lincoln Park Zoo, Mark Hollander

“Every single hatchling is a success for the population,” said Diane Mulkerin, Lincoln Park Zoo curator. “Each animal represents being one step closer to restoring the natural grasslands and prairies in Illinois, which is necessary for the ecosystem to flourish.”

The turtles will remain at the zoo for the next several months where they can thrive without the threat of predation or disease. Once the animals grow both in size and strength, they will be re-introduced into grasslands and sand prairies protected by the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Savannah, Ill.

Lincoln Park Zoo participates in re-introduction programs for Smooth Green Snakes, Meadow-Jumping Mice in Illinois as well as Red Wolves, Trumpeter Swans, Guam Rails and other threatened and endangered species across the U.S.

See more great photos below the fold!

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a male Asian Elephant. The little heavyweight was born on September 16 to four-time mother Azizah in one of the zoo’s large grassy paddocks.

Photo Credit: Dan John
Other members of the herd of ten Asian Elephants were nearby, showing their support for Azizah as her labor progressed. This calf is the ninth Elephant to be born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.

Assistant Curator of Elephants Lee Sambrook said, “It was wonderful to be able to witness a herd birth at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. We have a great track record with the Elephant breeding program here, but seeing a baby born with all his aunties and uncles around in such a natural environment was an incredible privilege.

“Elephants are such social animals and you could see that the rest of the herd’s presence was just what Azizah needed to stay calm and do what she needed to do. The team of vets and keepers were standing by and monitoring her development, but it was so fantastic that the birth happened naturally, and with the herd’s help, rather than ours.”

The new calf is already a visitor favorite and is mingling with other young male calves in the herd.  

Asian Elephants are native to Southeast Asia, where they are Endangered due to habitat loss and habitat degradation.  Elephants are illegally hunted for their ivory tusks, which are carved and sold as trinkets in Thailand, Myanmar, and other Asian markets.  A growing middle class and increased tourism in the region has fueled the demand for ivory.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is excited to announce the birth of a Hippo calf – the first in more than 10 years – on September 11 to mother Cuddles and father Mana.

Photo Credit:  Anthony Dorian

 
Because this birth is the first for Cuddles and Mana, the calf represents a new genetic bloodline for the species and will be important for the zoo-managed population of Hippos.

The calf weighs an estimated 88 pounds (40 kg). It is yet to be named and keepers have not determined the calf's gender, becuase Cuddles is being very protective.

“Hippos nurse their young underwater and whilst we haven’t seen this behaviour, from everything we have witnessed the pair is bonding really well,” said Hippo Keeper Carolene Magner.

Hippos most of their days in the water, feeding on vegetation.  For now, the calf stays close to its mother’s side.

Guests staying on the zoo’s Zoofari Lodge were able to see the calf just a few minutes after its birth.

Hippos once ranged throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but are now restricted to smaller, more fragmented habitats.  They are listed as Vulnerable to Extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

See more photos of the Hippo calf below.

Belfast Zoo has welcomed a ‘little star’ to their family.  On August 23, 2014, Chi, the Francois’ Langur, gave birth to a small but healthy infant. The diminutive male was recently given the name ‘Xiao Xing’ which means ‘little star’ in Chinese.

Photo Credits: Belfast Zoo

The small monkey was rejected by his mother at birth. Zoo curator, Andrew Hope, intervened to care for the young infant langur. Mr. Hope explains, “There are occasions where first time mothers just do not have the skill set or the instinct to care for their young. This is fairly common in many species.  After monitoring the mother and baby, it quickly became clear that we needed to become involved.”

Since then, Andrew has been instrumental in hand-rearing the tiny Francois’ Langur, taking him home to ensure 24 hour care and regular feeding every few hours.

Andrew continues “There have been a lot of sleepless nights and countless bottles but it has been so rewarding to see his progress.  Francois’ Langurs are a species close to my heart.  I am the studbook keeper for these langurs, which means that I coordinate the genetic and reproductive management of the captive population living in the seven European zoos privileged to keep this endangered species.  In early 2014, I made the arduous climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for a number of conservation campaigns, including the Guanxi Francois’ Langur conservation action plan.  Francois’ Langurs are facing a high risk of extinction due to habitat destruction, increased agriculture, warfare, logging and they are also hunted as food, for medicine and for the pet trade.  In 2003, there were estimated to be less than 500 langurs in Vietnam and only approximately 1400 in China.  It has been a pleasure to play such an active role in the conservation of this species especially as our ‘little star’ is really starting to develop a personality and become much more adventurous!”

Francois’ Langurs are found in the tropical forests and limestone hills of China, Vietnam and Laos.  For this reason, contact was made with the British International School of Shanghai, Pudong Campus.  The children were given the challenge of coming up with a Chinese name for the little monkey. 

Nicola Howard, head of the middle school, said “The winning name that the pupils decided on was a suggestion by year six student, Marguerite Girard.  Marguerite’s name was ‘Xiao Xing’ which means ‘little star’.  The staff and students of the middle school are delighted to have had the opportunity to name Xiao Xing and are looking forward to regular updates.  We also hope to continue our support of the species by fundraising for conservation campaigns.”

See more photos, and read more about Xiao Xing below the fold!