After 20 years of eager anticipation, the Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan (Safari), can now say they are home to a female White Rhino calf!  

Photo Credits: Tibor Jager

Twenty-one year old mother, Tanda, gave birth to the 100 lb. calf on September 3^rd.  The new little girl has been given the name Teshi, which is Swahili for ‘joyful and happy’.  The new name is the perfect moniker, as she has already brought much joy to the staff and visitors of the Safari!

Zookeepers closely monitored the mother and noticed her marked weight gain and other indicators of the impending birth.  Tanda, who suffers from chronic inflammation of her eye, had spent the last few months in a fenced-off enclosure in the African Savannah exhibit area to enable her to receive regular medical treatment.

Till now, Tanda’s youngest son, Terkel, was in the enclosure with her, but as her time of birth approached, she tried to distance him from the area.  Keepers helped her by moving her young son out and allowing her the space she desired.

In the end, Tanda gave birth at night, and zookeepers discovered the new baby the next morning.  Within a few minutes, they managed to identify the calf as female.

Rami Tam, Supervisor of the African Savannah area, said, “It’s been 20 years since a female rhino was born here, and the significance is that she will be able to stay with us in the Safari also after she matures, and that’s the cause for much joy!”

During recent years, two males were born in the Safari: Tibor and Terkel.  When they mature, they will be transferred to other zoos that participate in the White Rhino Reproduction Project.  The little female rhino just born will remain in the Safari, and continue the zoological center's dynasty.

More great photos and info below the fold!

Lincoln Children’s Zoo, in Nebraska, is excited to announce two new stars in their zoo family, Red Panda twins!  The siblings, a boy and a girl, were born July 1^st to mother, Sophia.

Photo Credits: Lincoln Children's Zoo

Because the soon-to-be-named duos mother needed intervention with her new babies, they are being hand raised by keepers at the zoo. 

The cubs are doing exceedingly well and displaying all the marks of healthy, active siblings. The female cub has a stuffed animal frog she is friends with and loves napping on. The male cub is full of energy, and like a typical brother, loves to pick on his sister. One of his favorite activities is to provoke his sister into a fight and, then, tease her with a hasty retreat.

The female cub will live at the zoo for the next year, and the male will move to another zoo in the coming months. The cub's names will be announced soon!

Native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, the Red Panda is currently classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Their population in the wild continues to decline due to habitat loss, poaching, and inbreeding depression. 

The Wilds, in Ohio, welcomed a Greater One-Horned Asian Rhinoceros, also known as an Indian rhino, on August 30^th. The calf was born out in pasture with the rest of the herd and is the sixth One-Horned Rhino born at the Wilds.

Photo Credits: Jeff Hammer

Dan Beetem, Director of Animal Management, said, “We had been watching the mother very closely over the past week. Her udder development and behavior told us the birth was imminent; however there are several good hiding places across 100 acres. The calf is doing well and already enjoys swimming in the lake with mom.”

The Greater One-Horned Rhino calf, whose sex has yet to be determined, marks the continued success of the One-Horned Rhino breeding program at the Wilds conservation center located in southeast Ohio.

The calf is the third for 15-year-old dam, Sanya, and the third for 11-year-old sire, Rustum.  Rustum came to the Wilds in 2007 as part of a group imported by the Zoological Society of San Diego to bring new genetics into the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) program.

Born after a gestation of nearly 16 months, One-Horned Rhinos can grow to be 4,800 pounds and six feet tall at the shoulder. Their range is the plains or woodlands of northern India, Bhutan and Nepal.

In early August, ZooBorns brought you a story about the new Amur Tiger cub at the Indianapolis Zoo. The adorable female is now two-months old, and keepers want the public's help in selecting a name!

Photo Credits: Jill Burbank (Photos 1,2,5); Laura Kriehn (Photos 3,4)

Born July 10^th to first time parents, Andrea and Petya, the cub is one of four Amur Tigers at the Indianapolis Zoo. Both mother and cub are doing well, though they will remain in a private indoor area for several weeks to protect the young tiger's health. Veterinarians and keepers are pleased with the cub's progress. At her two-month checkup on Sept. 10, she had grown to about 18.3 pounds, nearly three times larger than the 6.2 pounds recorded during her first weigh-in on July 26. Keepers also note the cub is very active and playful toward Andrea. She is already eating meat and has even been observed doing some stalking behaviors.

Keepers at the Indianapolis Zoo have preselected three names and are inviting fans to participate in choosing a name via their facebook page. The three names selected for the poll are: Chudo (pronounced CHEW-da), meaning "miracle"; Shoomka (pronounced SHUM-ka), meaning "noisy"; and Zoya (pronounced ZOY-a), meaning "life”.

Facebook users who “like” the Zoo's page can vote daily through Friday, Sept. 26. Click the “Poll” tab at the top of their page, and votes can be placed. Additionally, one lucky fan who votes in the poll will be chosen at random to receive an Indianapolis Zoo prize pack, including a tiger plush and a family four-pack of Zoo tickets.

Right on schedule, Maliha, a 3-month-old Red Panda cub at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, began coming out of her nest box last week.  Most Red Panda cubs emerge from the nest at about 12 weeks of age.

Photo Credit:  Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

According to zoo keepers, Maliha has a bold personality that sometimes makes her mother, Xiao, nervous.  Maliha likes to climb and explore, with her mother often following close behind, calling out warnings to the daring cub.  Sometimes, Xiao will urge Maliha back into the nest box, as if to say “Playtime is over!”

Zoo keepers say Maliha is strong and feisty, and is steadily gaining weight.  She now weighs about two pounds. 

You first met Maliha on ZooBorns in July.  Born on June 9, Maliha is especially important because she is the first Red Panda cub to survive at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.  Xiao gave birth to two previous litters, but none of her offspring survived more than two weeks.  About half of all Red Panda cubs die within the first 30 days after birth.  

Xiao’s breeding with her mate, Junjie, was recommended by the Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).

Red Pandas are found only in the mountainous regions of Nepal, Myanmar, and central China.  They are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, primarily due to habitat destruction.  The SSP carefully manages this species to maintain a genetically diverse, demographically stable, and self-sustaining zoo population. 

See more photos of the Red Panda cub below.

Keepers at Taronga Zoo, in Australia, are celebrating the arrival of two new Koala joeys!

Photo Credits: Taronga Zoo

A female joey has finally emerged from the pouch of first-time mother, Ruby. Born on Christmas Day, the joey was one month late in emerging, but she is quickly making up for lost time, exploring the world outside her mother’s pouch and tasting her first eucalyptus leaves.

Koala Keeper, Laura Jones, said, “She got off to a slightly slow start, but she’s healthy now and starting to mouth leaves. Ruby is also becoming more comfortable and relaxed as a mother, and her joey can often be seen snuggling in her belly when they are resting.”

The female joey is yet-to-be-named, but Taronga Zoo will soon be launching a naming competition for the new Koala through its social media pages.

Ruby isn’t the only new Koala mother at the zoo. Another member of the zoo’s Koala breeding group, River, also welcomed her first joey.

The male joey has been named ‘Bardin’ after the Aboriginal word for ‘ironbark’, one of the eucalyptus species favored by koalas. At 10 months old, Bardin is steadily gaining weight and growing in confidence.

Taronga’s Koala breeding program has now produced three joeys this season. River’s older sister, Tilly, also welcomed a female joey named Bai’yali, earlier this year.

The reopening of Taronga’s Koala Encounter exhibit, at the zoo, has allowed visitors to become acquainted with the new joeys and their families. Here, they can learn more about one of Australia’s most iconic species and why its major threats are urban development and forestry in their natural habitat. 

See more photos of the joeys and their mothers below.

A rare, endangered species of Asian duck, known as Baer’s Pochard, has been successfully bred at Chester Zoo in the UK.

Photo Credits: Steve Rawlins

Thirty Baer’s Pochard ducklings have hatched at the zoo, and unfortunately, according to estimates, there are not much more than that living in the wild.

The species is currently classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, and the population is steadily decreasing in the wild. Native to eastern Asia, it breeds in southeast Russia and northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India. It is now absent or occurs in extremely reduced numbers over the majority of its former breeding and wintering grounds and is common nowhere. It is thought that hunting and wetland destruction are the key reasons for its decline. Experts fear just a few individuals are now left, and the species could soon vanish altogether. 

Curator of Birds, Andrew Owen said, “We’re perilously close to losing this species in the wild, and that’s why our recent hatchlings are very, very important, indeed. They’re, without doubt, some of the rarest ducks in the world. Thirty Baer’s Pochards have been bred here this breeding season and whilst it’s good news in the sense that it’s a record for us, rather frighteningly, there may only be similar numbers left in the wild.”

Chester Zoo is one of just a handful of institutions in the world, and the only zoo in the UK, that is working with the highly threatened species and hopes to play a vital role in their long-term survival.

Mr. Owen added, “Our very talented bird team has given all our ducklings a helping hand, rearing them under close watch to make sure they make it through to adulthood. With a species that’s so rare, it’s imperative that we get as many through to that stage as possible. Hopefully these little ducklings will start to rear their own young next year and, beyond that, a European-wide breeding program in zoos and bird parks could be what saves the species from extinction.”

The El Paso Zoo is excited to announce the birth of twin Pygmy Slow Lorises!  

Photo Credits: El Paso Zoo

The tiny, nocturnal primates were born August 22^nd to mother, Kym Ly and father, Steven Tyler. They are the second set of Pygmy Slow Loris twins born at El Paso Zoo. Their older siblings, Meka and Malia, were born in April of last year.

The yet-to-be-named duo had their first medical exam, recently. The male weighed in at 52.4 grams and his sister, a petite 43.5 grams. Holding them in your hand, they would each feel about the heft of a small lime!

Area Supervisor, Rachel Alvarez, said, “We are excited about the birth of this second set of twins. It’s difficult to breed Slow Lorises, and it’s taken a lot of work from our staff to have these successful births. Through our work with Kym Ly, we have been able to help her become a confident and cooperative mother.”

The births are part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), to aid in the species’ conservation. The exhibit is currently blocked off to allow mom and twins to bond. They are expected to be on exhibit later this month.

See more amazing pics below the fold!

The Philadelphia Zoo recently celebrated the public debut of some amazing new residents: Four African Lion cubs!

Photo Credits: Philadelphia Zoo

Two of the cubs were born on June 25^th, and the other two were born the next day on the 26^th.  The proud mother is four-year-old Tajiri, and their father is five-year-old Makini. They are the first lion cubs born at the Philadelphia Zoo since 1996, and the quad makes their home at the zoo’s First Niagara Big Cat Falls.

Keepers have tried to keep first time mom, Tajiri, as comfortable as possible and allow her as much space as she desires with her new family.  It will be a little while longer before keepers are allowed to get close enough to the cubs to determine their sexes. However, the cubs have been given names. The Philadelphia Zoo conducted a contest, through social media, and the public was able to cast votes for their favorite names for the cubs.  Mali, Kataba, Sabi, and Msinga are already known to be as unique as their new monikers.  Kataba has marks on both front feet, Mali has no dye marks, Msinga has a lighter mark on the left front foot, and Sabi has a mark on the left hind foot.

See more, learn more, below the fold.

The Children’s Zoo exhibit, of San Diego Zoo, has a dynamic new inhabitant, a three-month-old Fennec Fox cub!

Photo Credits: Ion Moe (Photos 1,3,5); Deric Wagner (Photos 2,3)

The new ball of energy weighs just less than 2 pounds. He will remain in quarantine for a while, but will soon begin training for his new position as Animal Ambassador for his species at the San Diego Zoo. 

Animal Ambassadors serve an important role at the zoo. Their job is to help educate guests, especially children, by allowing them to get up close and learn even more about animals they wouldn’t normally have an opportunity with which to interact. This kind of intimate education encourages a vital interest and concern for species preservation.

Native to the Sahara of North Africa, the Fennec Fox is the smallest species of canid in the world. They are currently classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.