After an initial respiratory illness, the now nearly 5-week-old Tamandua pup, born April 23 at Tacoma, Washington’s Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, is on the mend. She’s also got a name! The pup continues to nurse from her mom Terra and receives additional supplemental feedings to ensure she continues to grow and gain weight. Terra is a wonderful mother and continues to bond with her adorable pup behind-the-scenes.
Keepers have named the one-month-old tamandua pup “Liana.” Liana (pronounced lee-aa-nuh) means a woody climbing plant that hangs from trees. The name is fitting: tamanduas are excellent climbers, using their long prehensile tail for balance and support. A public debut for Liana has not yet been set- she will make appearances once she’s a bit older, and strong and confident enough. Liana is still nursing from mom regularly and has grown to 1.8 lbs. The tiny pup weighed just over a half pound when born – so she’s more than doubled in size.
The patients at Children’s Hospital New Orleans have spoken, and the votes are in. The female Sumatran orangutan infant born in February at Audubon Zoo has affectionately been named “Madu,” which means honey in Malay.
Audubon Zoo partnered with Children’s Hospital to name the newest member of its orangutan group. Staff and patients at the hospital voted for their favorite of a list of three names.
The three names included:
Madu - Malay word for honey
Bani – Indonesian word meaning “children”
Matahari - Malay word meaning sun
Children from the hospital exuberantly unveiled the winning name yesterday morning in a celebration at the Zoo. The event took place directly in front of the Sumatran orangutan habitat, so the orangutan group, including the infant and her mother, Reese, attended.
“Our patients had so much fun being invited to help name Audubon’s baby orangutan,” said President and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans John R. Nickens IV. “Working together with our partners at Audubon, we love being able to bring enrichment opportunities to our patients at the hospital. This is a great example of finding creative ways to work together to deliver a little something extra for our patients and families. We’re so excited to watch the baby grow and thrive for many years to come.”
This infant is Reese’s first offspring and the second infant born at Audubon Zoo to dad Jambi since his arrival from Hanover Zoo in German in 2018. Jambi also fathered Bulan, the female born to orangutan matriarch Feliz in 2019.
“We were thrilled to have our long-time partners Children’s Hospital New Orleans help us make this big decision,” said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman. “Throughout this last year, they have offered immense support that has been essential to the recovery of our attractions.”
Audubon is committed to helping create experiences that spark action and empower visitors to impact the natural world for the better. The orangutan group at the Zoo serves as ambassadors for their species, teaching guests about the plight of Sumatran orangutans in the wild due to human-wildlife conflict.
Maintaining a genetically diverse population in human care is important because Sumatran orangutans have been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “critically endangered” and therefore threatened with extinction—there are fewer than 14,000 living in the wild, and their numbers are declining, mainly due to human-wildlife conflict due to the spread of palm oil plantations into their forest habitat.
There are currently 95 Sumatran orangutans in human care across 27 Association of Zoos and Aquariums organizations.
To help orangutans in the wild, Audubon recommends purchasing products with sustainably grown palm oil. Around the world, those using sustainable practices in logging and agriculture are demonstrating that it is possible to conserve wildlife habitat while supporting the local economy.
Staff at the wildlife conservation charity say the one-week-old cubs, born on Tuesday 18 May, are doing well so far but they remain cautious at this early stage.
While the tiny triplets are being nursed by mum Dominika away from public view, visitors to the park can still spot dad Botzman who will be gradually introduced to the cubs as they grow older.
Vickie Larkin, carnivore team leader at Highland Wildlife Park said, “We are really excited about our new arrivals but the first few weeks of a cub’s life are crucial, so we are keeping public viewing closed for now to give Dominika and the youngsters lots of peace and quiet.
“The cubs’ eyes will start to open any day now and in the coming weeks they will be weighed and sexed during their first health check and named shortly after. Amur tigers grow quite quickly, increasing almost four times in size within the first month of their life, but they will remain dependent on their mum for at least 15 months. We hope visitors will start to see them out and about towards the end of July.
“Dominika is a very attentive mother and it is beautiful to see her given the chance to display these natural behaviours again.”
As well as being part of the endangered species breeding programme for Amur tigers, with Dominika giving birth to a previous litter in 2013, the charity has supported tiger conservation in Nepal by developing methods to evaluate tiger diets within the RZSS WildGenes laboratory based at Edinburgh Zoo.
Vickie continued, “There are just 500 Amur tigers remaining in the wild, so our adorable cubs represent an important contribution to the future of this endangered species which is at risk of extinction due to extensive habitat loss and poaching.”
Once the cubs are old enough for visitors, one lucky winner and their loved ones could have the chance to feed the tiger family by entering an RZSS prize draw to help raise funds for Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre, a new visitor experience at the park. Entry is just £5 and closes on 31 May, with the prize valid until March 2022 - find out more at crowdfunder.co.uk/NightAtHighlandWildlifePark
Providence, Rhode Island’s Roger Williams Park Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of four nine-banded armadillos on April 23rd! Meet Sophia, Rose, Dorothy and Blanche. Mom Patsy and her pups are doing well and bonding off-exhibit. Animal and vet care staff will continue to monitor them.
Nine-banded armadillos have four identical pups of the same gender in every litter.
Baby armadillos are often called pups and when born, their shell is soft and a light gray/pink.
After a few days their shell will begin to harden until they reach maturity.
The Big Cat Sanctuary are proud to announce the latest addition to the cat family! On 6th April 2021 our resident jaguars Keira and Neron became parents to a rare black female jaguar cub.
So far, our little cub has been doing brilliantly. She is a stunning black jaguar and is often seen cuddling up and playing with mum, Keira. Whilst Keira takes a break from parenting, the Keeping Team ‘baby-sit’ and carry out necessary health checks such as weighing as well as familiarisation time.
Conservationists at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of a rare red-bellied lemur - the first of its kind ever to be born at the zoo.
The fluffy youngster, whose sex is currently unknown, arrived to parents Aina (4) and Frej (8) following a 127-day pregnancy.
The new baby was born around six weeks ago but keepers say the precious primate was so small and hidden in among mum’s thick fur that only now is it starting to become more visible. It was estimated to weigh just 70 grams at birth - around the same weight as a banana.
The birth is an important boost to the European breeding programme for the species with the red-bellied lemur listed as vulnerable to extinction in its native Madagascar – the only place where lemurs are found in the wild.
Experts say destruction of their forest homes, caused by people for agriculture and timber, as well as hunting for their meat has resulted in huge declines for all of the island’s 100 different species of lemur.
Claire Parry, Assistant Team Manager of Primates at Chester Zoo, said:
“The birth of any lemur is real cause for celebration as these primates are vulnerable to extinction in the wild and every new arrival is a vital addition to the endangered species breeding programme. This one, however, is extra special as it’s also the first baby red-bellied lemur ever to be born at Chester Zoo.
“Aina is a first-time mum who’s really taking motherhood in her stride - she’s very confident with her new addition. The baby is always seen clinging on tightly to her, which is exactly what we want to see, and this lovely little lemur looks incredibly content hidden in among mum’s warm fur.”
Mike Jordan, Director of Animal and Plants at the zoo, added:
“With lemurs considered as being the most endangered group of mammals in the world by the IUCN, every birth is significant. Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar where they are severely under threat with over 94% of all lemur populations at risk of disappearing forever. Sadly, we know that many larger lemur species have already become extinct.
“We need to ensure the species that do now remain on this diverse island are safe and protected. That’s why our conservationists have been engaged in protecting habitats and the unique species they are home to in Madagascar for over 10 years now. In 2015, the Malagasy government established The Mangabe New Protected Area, co-managed by our field partner Madagasikara Voakajy and the communities that live in Mangabe itself, providing a safe haven for nine species of lemur, as well as lots of other threatened species. We are fully involved in efforts to prevent their extinction.”
Just two months after baby elephant Winnie was born, there’s a new pachyderm in the herd! Sunday at 8:04 p.m., 37-year-old Asian elephant Tess gave birth to a 391-pound male, and the calf began to nurse within hours. The calf has been named Teddy by the team who have dedicated their lives to the care, well-being, and conservation of these incredible animals.
“Our animal team is thrilled that the birth has gone smoothly,” said Lisa Marie Avendano, vice president of animal operations at the Houston Zoo. “We look forward to continuing to watch Teddy and Tess bond, and introducing him to Houston.”
Tess gave birth in the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat cow barn under the supervision of her keepers and veterinary staff. She and the calf will undergo post-natal exams and spend several days bonding behind the scenes before they are ready for their public debut. During the bonding period, the elephant team is watching for the pair to share several key moments like communicating with mom and hitting weight goals.
Tess is also mother to Tucker (16), Tupelo (10) and Tilly (2), and grandmother to Winnie, born March 10. This calf raises the number of elephants in the Houston Zoo herd to 13—six males and seven females.
Over the next several years, the Zoo animal care team will watch the young elephant for signs of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). EEHV is the most devastating viral disease in elephants worldwide. It occurs in elephants in the wild as well as those in human care such as in sanctuaries and zoos.
The Houston Zoo is an integral part of finding treatments and developing management strategies for the virus. The Zoo’s veterinarians and elephant care team established a research collaboration in 2009 with herpes virologist Dr. Paul Ling at Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Virology and Microbiology, which recorded significant advancements in the study of EEHV, and toward a vaccine.
The Houston Zoo’s EEHV testing methods, treatment protocols, and experience serve as a global elephant care resource and have contributed to saving elephant calves around the world.
Just by visiting the Houston Zoo, guests help save baby elephants and their families in the wild. A portion of each Zoo admission and membership goes to protecting wild elephants in Asia. The Zoo provides support, equipment, and training for local researchers to place satellite collars on wild elephants and track them in Asia. The Zoo’s Malaysian conservation team is now watching over and protecting three groups of wild elephants with babies in Borneo. The data collected from these groups will inform future national protection plans for elephants.
A rare short-beaked echidna puggle has emerged at Taronga Zoo Sydney.
The puggle is estimated to be about seven months old and was born to experience mum Ganyi.
It is very rare to get up close to echidna puggles as they spend the first couple of months of their life in a deep burrow that their mum makes.
Echidnas, although iconic, are unusual animals known as monotremes – mammals that lay eggs.
Despite being warm-blooded, their young puggles are hatched from eggs and mothers produce milk for their puggles in their makeshift pouch.
This little puggle, which is yet to be named is progressing well, currently weighing in at 1.7kg and displaying natural behaviours like foraging and digging.
At around seven months of age puggle mums with continue with their own life and leave the puggle to fend for itself.
This is the 10th puggle to be born at Taronga Zoo Sydney since the development of the echidna breeding facility.