Audubon Zoo's 10 newborn African Painted Dogs had their first doctor's visit last week and passed with flying colors.

Examining 10 pups is a big job, but veterinary staff and zoo keepers conducted the exam in just one hour, moving quickly to return the pups to their parents.

The exam, conducted inside the pups’ habitat, revealed for the first time the gender breakdown of the litter: five females and five males.

Photo Credit:  Audubon Zoo

The pups received vaccinations along with eye, ear, and heart exams. They were weighed and photographed from multiple angles to assist animal care staff with visual identification.  The vets also inserted transponder microchips under the skin of the neck between the shoulders of each pup - identical to the procedure used for domestic pets.

The chips can be scanned whenever the animal is in hand to determine its identity. This will be especially important when a Dog moves on to another zoo to join or develop packs as they would in the wild.

Born on September 11, the pups’ birth is a first for the Audubon Zoo and a significant development for the highly endangered species.

ZooBorns first reported on the pups when they were released into their habitat after spending the first weeks of their lives in the den with their mother.

The pups will get two more sets of vaccinations over the next two months. Now that the sex of each Dog has been determined, zoo staff will name them in the near future.

The newborns are the offspring of first-time parents Sienna, 4, and Pax, 9. Only a handful of accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has bred Painted Dogs, one of the most endangered carnivores on the African continent.

See more photos of the pups below.

Twin Manatees orphaned after their mother suffered fatal boat-related injuries arrived at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium this month as part of the zoo’s Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership.

Weighing about 100 pounds each, the twin calves were rescued from Florida waters earlier this year.  Twins are extremely rare among Manatees, making up about one to four percent of births.  The pair have been named Millennium and Falcon.

Photo Credit:  Grahm S. Jones/Columbus Zoo & Aqaurium
The twins will join Stubby, a long-time resident of the zoo, and new arrivals Jedi and Junebug.  Manatees are very social animals and keepers expect the five to get along well. 

Most of the orphaned Manatees taken in by the Columbus Zoo and its partners are released back into the wild once they reach adulthood and are deemed able to survive on their own. 

Manatees give birth to live young and nurse their babies just like humans and other mammals.  Adults typically weigh more than 1,000 pounds.  They feed only on vegetation that grows on the sea floor and move slowly, never leaving the water.  Manatees live in coastal waters, rivers, and inlets, where they may encounter motorboats or become tangled in fishing nets.  They are listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

See more photos of the twins below.

Adelaide Zoo excitedly welcomed a baby Hamadryas Baboon to their family. Born in the early hours of October 27, the infant is the second offspring born to parents Chappi and Horus.

Soon after the birth, Adelaide Zoo Primate Keeper, Pij Olijnyk, said, “The baby is suckling well and clinging tightly to mum. Both Chappi and Horus are doing a wonderful job looking after their newest family member. The little one is already keeping mum busy, as it becomes aware of its surroundings.”

For now the baby is under the care and protection of mum, Chappi. Once the baby becomes old enough, 2-year-old brother Tomkay will be introduced, and keepers are sure he will be “over the moon” to have a new playmate.

The sex of the baby is yet to be confirmed.

The Zoo reports that the new addition is on public display with the rest of the harem, and zookeepers are continuing to monitor them closely.

Photo Credits: Adrian Mann/ Adelaide Zoo

The Hamadryas Baboon (Papio hamadryas) is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons, being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These regions provide habitats with the advantage for this species of fewer natural predators than central or southern Africa where other baboons reside. The Hamadryas Baboon was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians and appears in various roles in ancient Egyptian religion, hence its alternative name of 'sacred baboon'.

Although they are currently only classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, wild populations are under pressure with their habitat being converted into farmland.

The Hamadryas Baboon is omnivorous and is adapted to its relatively dry habitat. During the wet seasons, the baboon feeds on a variety of foods, including: blossoms, seeds, grasses, wild roots, and leaves from acacia trees. During the dry season, the baboons eat leaves. They are also known to eat insects, reptiles and small mammals.

Baboons live in multi-level societies in the wild, with as many as 800 baboons in one area. An adult male dominates his harem with up to 10 females.

Related articles

Two Baby Baboons Born at Oakland Zoo

Drill Troop at Hellabrunn Welcomes Newest Member

After a gestation period of 631 days (21 months), it only took a grand total of two minutes for the delivery of Artis Zoo’s new Asian Elephant calf! New mom, Thong Tai, welcomed the quick arrival of her new baby on October 16.

Keepers at Artis Zoo, in Amsterdam, had been carefully monitoring Thong Tai and knew the birth was imminent. In the wild, elephants customarily have a female relative from their herd provide support during the birth. Thong Tai’s oldest daughter, Yindee, was present during the arrival of her latest daughter.

Photographer AJ Haverkamp captured this charming series of photos of the new calf, which has been named Sanuk. Haverkamp has more incredible work that can be seen via his flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajhaverkamp/ 

Photo Credits: AJ Haverkamp / Video Credits: Artis Zoo

The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized: E. m. maximus from Sri Lanka, the E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m. sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. They are the largest living land animals in Asia.

Since 1986, E. maximus has been listed as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. The species is primarily threatened by degradation, fragmentation and loss of habitat, and poaching.

Related articles

Herd Trumpets Baby Elephant's Arrival

Qiyo, the Elephant Calf, Keeps Cool

Little Asian Elephant Calf Is a Really 'Big' Deal - ZooBorns

These adorable twin Capuchin Monkeys are almost guaranteed to make you smile, and could, quite possibly, help you make it through the mid-week blues.

As evidenced by this great series of photos, their tiny, expressive faces also make them excellent practice for any photographer.

The rare twins were born at Zoo Berlin, and excited keepers say they are “developing magnificently”.

Photo Credits: Zoo Berlin

The Capuchin Monkey is considered a “New World monkey” of the subfamily Cebinae. They are readily identified as the "organ-grinder" monkey, and have been used in several movies and television shows.

The native range of Capuchin Monkeys includes Central America and South America, as far south as northern Argentina. In Central America, they prefer to occupy wet lowland forests, notably on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and Panama, and deciduous dry forest on the Pacific coast.

Capuchins are known to be black, brown, buff or whitish, but their exact color depends on the species. They generally reach a max length of 30 to 56 cm (12 to 22 in), with tails that are just as long as the body.

Capuchins are diurnal and arboreal. They spend the majority of their day searching for food, with the exception of a midday nap.

They are omnivores and feed on a vast range of food types, including: plant parts (such as leaves, flower and fruit), seeds, pith, woody tissue, sugarcane, bulb, and exudates, as well as arthropods, mollusks, a variety of vertebrates, and even primates.

Capuchin Monkeys often live in large groups of 10 to 35 individuals within the forest, although they can easily adapt to places colonized by humans. Usually, a single male will dominate the group and have primary rights to mate with the females of their group. They are territorial and distinctly mark their territory with urine. Group dynamics are maintained and served through mutual grooming, and communication occurs through various calls.

Females typically produce offspring every two years, following a 160- to 180-day gestation. The newborns cling to their mother's chest and continue to do so until they are larger, when they move to her back. Adult male capuchins rarely take part in caring for the young. Juveniles are considered fully mature within four years for females and eight years for males. In captivity, individuals have been known to reach an age of 45 years, although life expectancy in the wild is only 15 to 25 years.

More adorable pics, below the fold!

The staff at Stone Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of a Linne’s Two-toed Sloth. The baby, born November 2, is the offspring of Nero (age 11) and Lunesta (age 12). Visitors can see the baby, whose sex is not yet known, with its parents inside the ‘Windows to the Wild’ exhibit.

“As with any new baby, we are closely monitoring its health. The baby appears healthy, bright and alert and is holding on tightly to its mother,” said Pete Costello, Assistant Curator of Stone Zoo, adding, “Lunesta is an experienced mom and she is being very protective of her baby.”

Photo Credits: Stone Zoo & Zoo New England/ Image 1: Bridget Collins Lyman/ Image 2-4: Dayle Sullivan-Taylor

Stone Zoo and Zoo New England participate in the Linne’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSPs are designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species. The birth is a result of a recommended breeding and is the third offspring for Nero and Lunesta.

Linne’s Two-toed Sloths (Choloepus didactylus), also known as the ‘Southern Two-toed Sloth’, or ‘unau’ is a species of sloth from South America, found in Venezuela, the Guyanas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil north of the Amazon River.

They spend almost their whole lives dangling upside-down from branches that they hold on to with all four clawed feet. While these animals move really well through the branches, once they are on the ground they are very slow and vulnerable to predators, as they are not built for walking.

Sloths eat mainly a vegetarian diet of leaves and shoots, and they spend roughly 15 hours a day sleeping. Although they live in trees, sloths are not related to monkeys; rather, their closest relatives are the anteater and the armadillo.

In celebration of the new baby sloth, Stone Zoo is offering a limited edition mother and baby sloth Zoodopt. Through the zoo’s Zoodopts program, patrons can support the care, feeding and enrichment of the animals…including the sloths! For details visit http://www.zoonewengland.org/act/ways-to-give/zoodopt .

On the night of October 25, Zoo Basel welcomed a baby Hippo. Keepers aren’t sure if the calf is a female or a male, so it has not yet received a name.

Zookeepers suspected for several days that the birth was imminent. Hippo mom, Helvetia, was restless and moody. The day before the birth, Helvetia ate very little and preferred to stretch and stretch in the water.

As the keepers began their rounds on the morning of October 25, the discovered the calf had arrived. Although the weather was still warm and the water was not cold, keepers felt it was a bit too chilly for a newborn, so Helvetia and the calf were moved to the warm barn.

Photo Credits: Zoo Basel

After spending several weeks tucked away with mom, the calf now has access to the public area of the exhibit.

The calf is learning to swim and hold its breath quite well under water. The 30 to 50-kilogram calf currently feeds exclusively on breastmilk, but in a few weeks keepers say it will begin to eat solid food.

The calf’s father, Wilhelm, continuously tries to catch a glimpse of the new little one, but protective mom, Helvetia, does not think it is time for the two to meet. If he comes close to her, she shoos him away with unmistakable head blows. Keepers say that this will settle with time, and as the calf grows, in a few weeks, the whole family will share their exhibit.

Zoo Basel keepers request that visitors approach the mother and calf as quietly as possible, in order to help them maintain the developing bond.

The little Hippo is the eleventh offspring of Wilhelm and Helvetia.

Found alone in frigid Alaskan waters last winter, two Sea Otter pups rescued as infants have found a permanent home at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.

Both pups were just a few weeks old when rescued – far too young to survive on their own. They were brought to Alaska SeaLife Center’s I.Sea.U where they each received 24-hour care.

The pups were deemed non-releasable by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services because without their mothers, the pups never learned basic survival skills. Vancouver Aquarium was asked to provide a long-term home for the pups. Accompanied by animal care professionals, the pups departed Alaska last week for their new home in Vancouver.

The pups do not yet have names.  Fans can help select their names by voting here through November 16.

Photo Credit:  Daniela Ruiz/Alaska SeaLife Center

“After being found without their mothers and unable to care for themselves, these animals have been given a second chance at life,” said Brian Sheehan, curator of marine mammals at Vancouver Aquarium. “The ongoing care for a Sea Otter takes a tremendous amount of resources, and that role will continue here as our marine mammal team helps them integrate into their new home.”

Now weighing a healthy 12 kilograms, the male Sea Otter pup has been maintaining a steady diet, eating about 2.5 kilograms daily of clams, capelin, and squid. At 10.9 kilograms, the female otter eats about 2.0 kilograms of the same seafood mix.

Sea Otters face a number of challenges in the wild. During its first six months a Sea Otter pup is highly dependent on its mother for food and, without her, is unable to survive. Much of the mother’s energy is dedicated to the pup and, as a result, her health may decline over the feeding period. Female Sea Otters give birth every year so if she determines that she has a better chance of rearing a pup the following year, due to environmental factors or availability of prey, then she may abandon the pup before it’s weaned. In adult life, Sea Otters continue to face numerous threats including disease, oil spills, predation, interactions with fisheries and overharvest.

Ninety per cent of the world’s Sea Otters live in Alaska’s coastal waters. Within the state of Alaska, the Southeast and Southcentral stocks are stable or are continuing to increase. The Southwestern stock is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) after experiencing a sharp population decline over the last two decades, attributed to an increase in predation from transient Killer Whales.

Related articles

Meet the New Rookie Chicago Cubs

Lynx Kittens Play All Day

Little Giants Come Out Of Their Shells

Two fluffy Cheetah cubs are chirping their way into the hearts of fans at Longleat Safari Park.

The cubs, a male and a female, were born in September and will remain indoors with their mother Wilma until they are 12 weeks old.

In the video below, you can hear the tiny cubs chirping and purring as they climb on their mother.  Cheetahs are among the most vocal of all cats and produce a variety of chirps, growls, and purrs.  They cannot roar like big cats.  

Photo Credit:  Longleat Safari Park

Cheetahs are the fastest-developing members of the cat family. The cubs opened their eyes after just six days, began moving around on their own within three weeks, and started chewing on bones at five weeks.

The birth of these cubs is extremely important to the European Endangered Species Programme, which manages the breeding of rare species in European zoos to maintain a high level of genetic diversity. 

“Both mum Wilma and dad Carl have very valuable genetics within the European population as they came to us from a captive breeding population in Pretoria, South Africa,” said keeper Eloise Kilbane.  “This means they, and their offspring, are genetically distinct from the vast majority of the Cheetah within Europe.”

“It’s crucial for us to be able to widen the gene pool as much as possible within the breeding programme to maintain genetic diversity and create a healthy population,” she added.

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animals, capable of top speeds of 71 miles per hour.

Cheetahs are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which in 2008 estimated that only about 7,500-10,000 adult Cheetahs remain in Africa.  Many believe that the numbers have decreased significantly since then.

Related articles

Feeding Time for Red Panda Cubs - ZooBorns

Okapi Calf Arrives in Time for 'World Okapi Day' - ZooBorns

New Pygmy Slow Loris Baby in Cleveland

Iowa’s Blank Park Zoo recently announced that Ayana, a six-year-old Eastern Black Rhino, has given birth to an 80-pound female calf.

“This is an extremely significant event, not only in Blank Park Zoo’s 50 year history, but also for this critically endangered animal species,” said Mark Vukovich, Blank Park Zoo CEO.

The birth occurred October 11, and within the first hour, the calf was standing and walking. By two hours old, the calf was attempting to feed: all positive signs of a healthy baby Rhino calf.

The Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) is also known as the East African Black Rhinoceros. A subspecies of the Black Rhino, its numbers are low due to poaching for its horn. Fewer than 1,000 remain (a combined estimate of wild and captive populations). Only two have been born in the United States, this year, and a total of seven in zoos worldwide. The species is currently listed as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

"The Eastern Black Rhino is at a 'tipping point' in the wild, meaning that deaths, mostly due to poaching, will soon outnumber births," said Kevin Drees, director of animal care and conservation. “The captive zoo population plays a role in survival of the species, and Blank Park Zoo has partnered with the International Rhino Foundation to secure the species future. This celebrated birth should raise awareness and bring attention to this critical wildlife situation.”

Photo Credits: Blank Park Zoo 

Blank Park Zoo intends to organize a fund-raising campaign that will offer a chance to name the new baby Rhino.

Zoo officials stated that the baby would not be on public exhibit. Their intention is to allow an appropriate amount of bonding time for mom and baby. The Zoo will, however, be releasing updates via pictures, video and live webcams on its Facebook page located at: www.facebook.com/blankparkzoo and on the Zoo’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/blankparkzoo .