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April 2021
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May 2021

Three Litters of Critically Endangered Red Wolves Born in Span of Three Days

The North Carolina Zoo announces the birth of three litters of critically endangered American red wolves as part of its red wolf breeding program. The litters comprising 12 pups were born during three days from April 28 to April 30. All pups and their mothers are healthy and doing well. This is the first time in the Zoo’s breeding program that three litters were born in one spring.

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The newest pups bring the number of red wolves currently in the Zoo's breeding program to 36, making it the second-largest pack in the U.S. after Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington.

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Only 15-20 red wolves remain in the wild, and they're all in eastern North Carolina. They're considered the most endangered canid in the world.

For the first time in two decades, one of the litters was born on the red wolf public habitat, giving Zoo guests a rare chance to view the pups for a limited time. The pups most likely will be visible starting in mid-June, when they begin to venture outside of the den. The wolf family will be moved to the non-public breeding area when the pups are older and weaned from their mother. The other two litters were born in non-public viewing areas of the Zoo.

The parents of two females born April 28 are Denali (male) and Ayita.

The parents of two males and two females born April 30 are Solo (male) and Taylor.

The parents of six pups – two males and four females born April 30 - are Flint (male) and Sassy. This is the pack born on the public habitat.

The Zoo will be announcing a public naming poll for one of the litters within the next month.

"Congratulations to the North Carolina Zoo for playing an essential part in the survival of this critically endangered species," said Secretary Reid Wilson, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. "These births are important because many of our wolves, once matured, have been moved to other breeding packs to continue to help bring this species back from near extinction. Our hope is that more and more red wolves can soon be placed into the wild."

Once common throughout the southeastern United States, the wolves were driven to near extinction during the late 1960s, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began an aggressive conservation effort – the American Red Wolf Recovery Program – that led to new ways to track and protect the species. Those efforts led to increasing numbers of wild red wolves in eastern North Carolina, but changes in how the recovery program was managed have resulted in the wild population again plummeting in recent years.

The Zoo has been part of the American Red Wolf Recovery Program since 1994. The Zoo's red wolf pack has successfully bred 48 wolves since the program began.

The North Carolina Zoo led the successful efforts to have the American red wolf become part of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Species From Extinction) program. 

Under this program, the Zoo leads in conserving the species and growing the wild population and the animals under human care.

AZA SAFE Species programs aim to protect endangered species around the world. For more information, visit https://www.aza.org/aza-safe.

To learn more about the North Carolina Zoo and our red wolf program, please visit www.nczoo.org

Photo and video credit Moriah Angott/N.C. Zoo


Orangutan Dad Steps Up After His Mate's Death

You are witnessing the unusual bond between a 3-year-old Sumatran Orangutan (Cerah) and her father, Berani at Denver Zoo.

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After Cerah’s mom and Berani’s mate Nias passed away suddenly from fatal heartcomplications, Berani stepped in as the most doting parent.

In the wild, male orangutans are not known to be involved in the raising of offspring at all. 

​Berani has always been an exception to the typical role of a male orangutan.

Well before Nias' (the mother) death, Berani was known for treating Hesty, Nias' first daughter, like his own offspring.

Hesty is not Berani's biological daughter, but he always treated her as such.

So it's no surprise now that he's stepped in to take care of Cerah. 

Since Nias’ December death, Berani continues to be a source of comfort for Cerah.

The whole troop is doing well, and 11-year-old Hesty, who is only a few years away from being able to start having her own children, is doing a good job playing with Cerah throughout the day.


One of the World's Most Endangered Animals Needs Help Hatching

San Antonio Zoo is excited to share this very special and rare footage: their Aviculture team welcoming a Micronesian kingfisher chick – one of the world’s most endangered animals – to the world!

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This is the youngest of the 2 Micronesian Kingfishers hatched this year.  

He was malpositioned in the egg, and was not going to be capable of hatching on his own.

San Antonio zoo specializes in moments like this where "assisted hatches" are necessary. 

Support their new babies by donating to their Baby Shower Fundraiser at ow.ly/BbYy30rGBrO


Edinburgh Zoo Welcomes Tiny Endangered Pygmy Hippo Calf 

A tiny Endangered pygmy hippo calf has been born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo to visitor favourites Otto and Gloria. 

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The female calf arrived on Saturday 17 April and staff at the wildlife conservation charity will be keeping a close eye on the family as viewing gradually opens to visitors from today (Monday 3 May). 

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Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said, “Our new arrival is doing really well and is growing stronger and more confident every day.  

“As she is still so young, we are limiting opening hours and numbers in our indoor viewing area to give the calf and mum Gloria some time to get used to visitors. The first 30 days are critical for her development, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on them both at this sensitive time and plan to name her in the coming weeks.” 

Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa where populations are declining rapidly due to habitat destruction caused by logging, farming and human settlement among other threats. RZSS support for the species includes publishing the first ever genomic study of pygmy hippos through work in the RZSS WildGenes laboratory. 

After reopening to local visitors earlier this year, Edinburgh Zoo was able to welcome back people from across the UK and open indoor areas again on 26 April, with a wide range of safety measures in place including restricted numbers and online advance booking required. 

Jonny added, “It has been great to be able to welcome our wonderful visitors back to the zoo and hope it won't be long before they can spot our little calf.  

“Every visit helps care for our amazing animals, like our pygmy hippos, and protects threatened species in Scotland and across the world.”  

More information about visiting Edinburgh Zoo and how people can help care for the charity’s animals is available at edinburghzoo.org.uk/we-are-open.  


Baby Elephant Birth Caught On Camera!

On Saturday, April 24, at 5 a.m., the long-awaited birth of a little elephant at the Budapest Zoo occurred. The calf is the third for twenty-something Angele, and the eighth born at Budapest Zoo. Thanks to night vision cameras placed in the “maternity room,” Zoo Budapest was able to capture the moments of birth. These were also closely monitored by the newborn’s brother, three-year-old Arun. Although it seems as if Angele was trying to kick the newborn, this behavior is natural for elephants: this is how they help the little one get out of the placenta. Shortly after his birth, the little one got to his feet well and began to nurse. Although Zoo officials can't measure the calf’s weight exactly, experienced experts estimate it to be around 80 kg.

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Two Very Different Babies Emerge At Woodland Park Zoo

Baby Gorilla

Visitors to Woodland Park Zoo are oohing and aahing as they catch their first sightings of baby girl gorilla, Zuna (zoo-nah). The 11 week old is now with her mom and family in the public outdoor habitat on a limited schedule: 12:30-3:30 p.m. daily (weather dependent).

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 Zuna, which means “sweet” in the African language, Lingala (lin-gah-lah), is the second baby for 25-year-old mom Nadiri (naw-DEER-ee) and the first between her and the dad, 21-year-old Kwame (KWA-may).
 
“We continue to bottle feed Zuna for her nourishment while mom Nadiri provides maternal care. She’s doing an excellent job. Once Zuna’s feedings are reduced, we’ll be able to extend her time outdoors,” said Martin Ramirez, mammal curator at Woodland Park Zoo.
 
The baby gorilla is becoming more active and steadily becoming stronger and more observant. “Zuna’s watching the other gorillas in her family with growing curiosity. Kitoko, our 1-year-old boy, is especially interested in her,” said Ramirez. “Once Zuna becomes more mobile, our zoo visitors are going to be in for a real treat watching these youngsters romp and play. As symbols of hope for their cousins in the wild, our gorillas can inspire our community to care about and take action on behalf of these gentle giants and other wildlife.”
 
The other members of Zuna’s family are: Nadiri’s 5-year-old daughter, Yola, Akenji and Uzumma, the mom of Kitoko.
 
Stay tuned to updates and milestones by visiting zoo.org/growingupgorilla and following the zoo’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #GrowingUpGorilla.


Every visit to Woodland Park Zoo supports conservation of animals in the wild. Join the zoo by recycling old cell phones and other used handheld electronics through ECO-CELL to help preserve gorilla habitat. Funds generated from ECO-CELL support the Mondika Gorilla Project and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.


ZooParent adoptions are the perfect way to pay tribute to Zuna. ZooParent adoptions help Woodland Park Zoo provide exceptional care for all of its amazing animals and support wildlife conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest and around the world. 

Baby Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo
 
Woodland Park Zoo is jumping for joey over its 8-month-old Matschie’s tree kangaroo! The male joey (a baby marsupial), born last August to mom Omari and dad Rocket, is just beginning to venture outside the safety of his mom’s pouch. To the surprise of no one, he’s positively precious. 

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The 2-pound joey is named Havam (hay-vam) which is the word for “tree kangaroo” in one of the many languages of the YUS Conservation Area in Papua New Guinea, home to wild but endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroos. YUS is home to Woodland Park Zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, whose amazing work for the people and wildlife of Papua New Guinea would not be possible without support from donors and organizations like the Shared Earth Foundation, which ensures that all creatures have an enduring claim to sustainable space on this planet. 

This joey’s journey may surprise you: Tree kangaroos are born hairless, blind and only the size of a jelly bean. In order to survive, the joey must quickly crawl from the birth canal, through its mother’s fur and into her pouch to immediately start nursing. At first, Havam did get a little bit too eager to make his debut, explains animal keeper Beth Carlyle-Askew. 

“Havam exited Omari’s pouch a little early — we actually had to put him back in to finish growing for a few more months. Luckily an animal keeper saw him outside the pouch and knew exactly what to do. She kept him warm by putting him in her shirt, then put him in a fabric pouch with a heated pad until he could be returned to Omari’s pouch,” said Carlyle-Askew. 

As each day passes, little Havam is familiarizing himself with the world around him. He makes short trips out of the pouch to explore his new home, but he still prefers the warmth and safety of Omari’s pouch. When he’s not nursing, Havam is starting to try solid foods, sampling all of his mom’s food to figure out what he likes best. He’s even been learning to climb up and around his enclosure! At 14 months old, Havam will wean from nursing and eventually become fully independent.  

Havam is the third joey for dad Rocket, who fathered Havam’s half-siblings Ecki and Keweng, born to the zoo’s other female tree kangaroo Elanna in 2018 and 2020, respectively. This is the fourth joey for Omari, who had three other joeys at Santa Fe Teaching Zoo before coming to live at Woodland Park Zoo. All of the zoo’s tree kangaroos are currently living in a habitat that is off view to the public. 


Woodland Park Zoo is home to the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program that is working to protect the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo and help maintain the unique biodiversity of its native Papua New Guinea in balance with the culture and needs of the people who live there. Consider supporting the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program here: www.zoo.org/tkcp/donate