What kind of baby weighs 281 pounds and stands three feet tall at birth? The newest member of Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Asian Elephant herd!
Photo Credits: Jaime Alvarez (3,7,8,9); Cassie Guerra (1,2,4,5,6)
Eighteen-year-old Mali gave birth to the male calf on Tuesday, May 12. The calf’s father is 17-year-old Doc. The calf hasn’t been named yet.
The calf represents the third generation of his family to live at the zoo. His grandmother Targa gave birth to Mali in 1997. This calf is Mali’s second offspring. Another female is expecting a baby later this summer, which will bring to total number of Elephants in the herd to eight.
Asian Elephants are highly social animals, so the calves will thrive in the herd with their mother, grandmother, and “aunties” to look after them.
The calf’s birth was recommended by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Asian Elephants to maintain a high level of genetic diversity in the North American population of this endangered species. Only about 35,000 of these magnificent beasts remain in the wild.
A spunky Przewalski’s Horse was born on April 30 at Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park. Once extinct in the wild, Przewalski’s (pronounced Shevalsky’s) or Mongolian Wild Horses have been reintroduced to their native habitat thanks to the efforts of several European zoos.
Photo Credit: Highland Wildlife Park/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland The little foal, which has not yet been named, follows its mother Val around the drive-through reserve and appears to be healthy and strong.
Found in the steppes of Central Asia, Przelwalski’s Wild Horses are the last surviving species of wild Horse and are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Formally listed as extinct in the wild in 1969, the IUCN reclassified Przelwalski’s Wild Horses to Endangered after the species was successfully re-introduced into their native Mongolia in 1992.
Though zoos have had success breeding this species and they have become reestablished in the wild, Przelwalski’s Wild Horse populations are still considered precarious, partly due to threats from poachers.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is celebrating a conservation milestone; for the first time, a rare Spider Tortoise has hatched in the Reptile Discovery Center. Animal care staff are closely monitoring the hatchling, which emerged May 10 in an off-exhibit area.
Photo Credits: Connor Mallon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Staff have not yet verified the three-week-old tortoise’s sex, as when they are young they show no sexual dimorphism. Keepers report that it appears to be thriving and are encouraged by its growth. If the tortoise continues to progress, it will be on exhibit this summer. In the meantime, Zoo visitors can see a family group of adult male Spider Tortoises on exhibit.
The tortoise’s parents came to the Zoo in January 2014 per a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan. Female Spider Tortoises do not lay a clutch of eggs; rather, they lay one egg at a time, over a period of months. The Zoo’s female laid her first egg in August 2014, but that egg did not hatch. The second egg was laid in September 2014, and this hatchling emerged. A third egg, laid in October 2014, has yet to hatch.
Spider Tortoise eggs can be difficult to hatch in human care, in part because they must be incubated, cooled, and incubated again during the embryo’s development. The Zoo will share the information gathered about this species’ breeding and development with AZA, for the benefit of other institutions that exhibit and want to breed this species.
Brookfield Zoo, in Chicago, Illinois, is excited to share photos of ‘Will’, a male Okapi born at the zoo on April 21. Born to first-time mom, ‘Augusta K.’, Will is currently behind the scenes, but he can be seen via a live video feed that is set up in the zoo’s “Habitat Africa! The Forest”.
Photo Credits: Brookfield Zoo
During Will’s first few months of life, he will spend the majority of his time in an indoor nesting area. In the wild, a mother Okapi leaves her calf at a protected nesting site, to keep it hidden from predators. She returns only to allow the calf to nurse. Once Will is more active, at about 3 months old, guests will be able to see him exploring his outdoor habitat with Augusta.
Brookfield Zoo was the site of the first Okapi birth in North America in 1959 and has had 27 successful births, including this newest addition.
The Okapi, also known as the “forest giraffe”, is a rare hoofed mammal, native to the dense Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. American and European scientists did not discover the species until the early 1900s. Because of the Okapi’s elusiveness, little has been known about their behavior in the wild, including how they raise their calves. The Chicago Zoological Society, which operates the Brookfield Zoo, has been a leader in gathering information on mother-calf relationships and calf development. This information has been instrumental in developing husbandry methods to help Okapi mothers raise their calves successfully.
Population numbers of Okapi, in the wild, have been declining and are predicted to continue on this downward trend due to habitat loss, human settlement, mining, war and political instability in these animals’ region, and the bushmeat trade. A global initiative formed in 2013 is helping to attract and strengthen international support for the species, and its closest relative: the giraffe, by providing an official forum to support the implementation of much-needed conservation strategies.
An incredibly cute…and incredibly stripy South American Tapir calf was born, May 19, at Prague Zoo. The little male is the offspring of 15-year-old ‘Ivana’ and 12-year-old ‘Tex’.
Photo Credits: Prague Zoo
The delivery was smooth, and Ivana immediately stepped into her role as new mom. Ivana has successfully reared two other calves, and so far, the newest baby appears healthy and content.
Father, Tex, is very attached to his mate, Ivana, and keepers decided not to separate them during the pregnancy and birth. Tex has been a model father, and has been responding very well to his new son.
South American Tapirs were first bred in Prague Zoo between 1950 and 1957. Then, for a period of almost 47 years, there was not another tapir birth until the arrival of Ivana’s first offspring in 2004.
The South American Tapir, or Brazilian Tapir, is one of five species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, Malayan Tapir, Baird’s Tapir, and the Kabomani Tapir. It is the second-largest land mammal in South America, after the Baird’s Tapir.
The tapir is an herbivore. It uses its mobile snout to feed on leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches it tears from trees. Tapirs also enjoy fruit, grasses, and aquatic plants.
The Brazilian Tapir is currently classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Dwindling numbers are due to poaching for their meat and hides. Habitat destruction also plays a role in their endangerment.
Four Clouded Leopard cubs, born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, on May 12, recently had their first official portraits. The quadruplets were born to mom, ‘Chai-Li’, and father, ‘Nah-Fun’.
Photo Credits: Ingrid Barrentine/Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
The tiny cubs are not yet on exhibit. The zoo will announce later this month when the public will be able to see them and reveal details on how and when they’ll be named.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff biologist Andy Goldfarb, who has worked with exotic cats for three decades, is pleased with their progress. “They are eating and gaining weight,” he said. “All four are active and moving around well.”
Caring for four Clouded Leopard cubs keeps zookeepers hopping. The tiny cubs require feeding about every three hours, and one feeding session for all four cubs takes about two hours. There is a lot of care, besides giving bottles of formula, which must be done for each cub, Goldfarb pointed out.
Hand raising cubs is routine in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® program for Clouded Leopards, and produces the best results for their health and well-being, zoo General Curator, Karen Goodrowe Beck said.
Zookeepers ensure the little cats urinate and defecate following their feedings and provide the human touch and connection that will be important as they grow and move into other zoo-based populations.
Clouded Leopards, named for their thundercloud markings, are so shy and elusive; it’s impossible to know how many of these arboreal cats remain in the wild. Fewer than 100 live in accredited North American zoos.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is a recognized global leader in Clouded Leopard conservation. Grants, from the Dr. Holly Reed Conservation Fund, support Clouded Leopard research, education, and anti-poaching work in Southeast Asia. Goldfarb and Goodrowe Beck make periodic trips to Thailand to help keepers at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo with a collaborative breeding project there.
“These cats are precious,” Goldfarb says. “Clouded Leopards are endangered, and there is constant pressure on the species from poaching, habitat loss and other human-animal conflict.”
Recently, at Schönbrunn Zoo, in Vienna, five Arctic Wolf pups were seen exploring their exhibit for the first time, with mom, ‘Inja’. The pups were born April 25, in a protective, low-lying burrow in their forest exhibit enclosure.
Photo Credits: Norbert Potensky
The curious wolf pups are eager to explore, but zoo visitors will need patience if they want a glimpse of the juveniles. “The pups are still very timid and only take very short trips from the building. For Inja, it is her fourth litter, and as an experienced mother, she takes very good care of her offspring, said Zoo Director, Dagmar Schratter.
After three months, the pups will be weaned and begin to eat meat. Their current coloring is in stark contrast to the gleaming white fur of adult Arctic Wolves. “The white coat is an adaptation to their many months in their snow and ice-covered native habitat. Even the coat of young animals is every day brighter,” Schratter continued.
The Arctic Wolf is a sub-species of the Grey Wolf and is native to the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Because of the isolation of their native habitat, they are not threatened by hunting or habitat destruction like their southern relatives. However, industrial development (mines, roads and pipeline construction) is gradually encroaching on their native territory, and will most likely interfere with food supplies, in the future. The Arctic Wolf is the only sub-species of wolf that is not classified as threatened.
They are smaller than Grey Wolves and typically grow to a length of 3 to 5.9 feet (including tail) and a max weight of 99 to 154 pounds. In the wild, the Arctic Wolf survives mainly on muskox, arctic hares and caribou.
After a 15-month-long gestation period, a veteran Giraffe mom, at Taipei Zoo, gave birth on May 13th. The healthy male Giraffe calf fell to earth at a height of 5.9 feet (180 cm) and a weight of 137 lbs (62 kg). He has been given the nickname ‘Xiao Zhang’.
Photo Credits: Taipei Zoo
Mother and calf are doing well, and the newborn is nursing, as hoped. They will be off-exhibit until they are both stronger and have had opportunity to bond.
The calf’s birth occurred just two days after the Zoo’s unfortunate loss of a female calf, named ‘Chick’. Chick’s mother refused to nurse her, and, despite two months of intense intervention by keepers, Chick refused to eat and passed from malnutrition.
Giraffe gestation lasts 400-460 days, after which a single calf is normally born, although twins occur on rare occasions. The mother gives birth standing up. The calf emerges head and front legs first, having broken through the fetal membranes, and falls to the ground, severing the umbilical cord. The mother then grooms the newborn and helps it stand up. A newborn Giraffe is about 6ft (182.88 cm) tall. Within hours of birth, the calf can run around and is almost indistinguishable from a one-week-old. However, for the first 1 to 3 weeks, it spends most of its time hiding; its coat pattern providing camouflage. The ossicones (horn-like protuberance on head), which have lain flat while in womb, become erect within a few days.
The Giraffe species, as a whole, is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. However, Giraffes have been extirpated from much of their historic range, including: Eritrea, Guinea, Mauritania, and Senegal. They may have also disappeared from Angola, Mali, and Nigeria. They have been introduced to Rwanda and Swaziland. Two subspecies, the West African Giraffe and the Rothschild Giraffe, have been classified as “Endangered”.
Biologists at the California Academy of Sciences recently announced that a new African Penguin chick hatched on May 4. The 16-day-old chick is currently bonding, behind-the-scenes, with dad, ‘Robben’, and mom, ‘Ty’. The new chick will join the rest of the colony, on exhibit, in the coming months. The Academy will also announce the chick’s gender and name, via social media, in the next few weeks.
Photo Credits: California Academy of Sciences
African Penguins were classified as an endangered species in 2010 and are at very high risk of extinction in the wild. This new arrival represents the fourth African Penguin chick to hatch at the Academy this year, as part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSP programs are aimed at maintaining genetic diversity of captive populations through controlled breeding and collaborative exchange of offspring among AZA partner zoos and aquariums. The Academy has a long and successful history of breeding African Penguins as part of the SSP program for this species.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recently launched a new program. “AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction” is AZA’s newest conservation initiative. It is aimed at saving endangered species by restoring healthy populations in the wild. AZA SAFE will leverage the collective expertise and resources of the AZA member community, which includes 229 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums across the country, to increase conservation outcomes and impact and engage the public.
Bioparc Valencia, in Spain, recently welcomed their first Zebra foal of the season. Last spring, the Park received a baby boom in their Zebra herd, and, if all goes well, the prospects a very good for a repeat this year.
Photo Credits: Bioparc Valencia
The Zebra herd, at Bioparc Valencia, is currently composed of one male and four females. They draw quite a bit of attention from visitors (especially children) to the Park’s African Savannah exhibit. Keepers have predicted that several of the mares are currently pregnant.
Like most members of the horse family, Zebras, in general, are highly social. Their social structure, however, depends on the species. Like horses, zebras sleep standing up, and only sleep when neighbors are around to warn them of predators.
Female zebras mature earlier than the males, and a mare may have her first foal by the age of three. Males are not able to breed until the age of five or six. Mares may give birth to one foal every twelve months. She nurses the foal for up to a year. Like horses, zebras are able to stand, walk and suckle shortly after they are born.