For the second time in its history, the Idaho Falls Zoo has welcomed red panda cubs to its zoo family!

On the morning of July 1, 2021, a zookeeper checking on the pandas early in the morning heard several squeaks and squeals when they entered Marvin and Linda’s off-exhibit nesting space.

Two healthy female cubs were born to their mother, Linda, and father, Marvin!

Last October, she came to Maryland Zoo as a tiny baby at 2 months old. From her care team hand-raising her day and night to her successful introduction into the troop, Maryland Zoo couldn’t be more proud of how far baby chimp Maisie has come—and now she’s one year old! 😍

He grew up in Schönbrunn Zoo, but his future home will be the Lower Austrian forests. A small owl that hatched in the Vienna Zoo on March 25th has now embarked on a great adventure. In an aviary in the middle of the Dürrenstein wilderness area, he is being prepared for his life in the wild. “The Ural Owl was exterminated around 150 years ago in Austria. We have been poaching the offspring from zoos and bird stations since 2009. This is an extremely important cooperation. Together we keep this endangered owl in human care and ensure that the Ural Owl returns to our local forests in the long term, ”explains Richard Zink from the Austrian Ornithological Institute of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. Since the start of the project, 41 owls have been who hatched in the Schönbrunn Zoo, were relocated. There are now 30 breeding pairs in Austria's forests.

Iris Starnberger, research assistant at the zoo: “If we protect the Ural Owl and its forests, we also protect many other, lesser-known species, such as the white-backed woodpecker and the hazel grouse. The owl needs old trees to nest. In areas where these are rare, nest boxes are installed. We are proud to finance the production, assembly and annual inspection of 15 pieces. ”In Schönbrunn, a new aviary for owls was only opened in February. The young breeding pair that moved in here successfully raised offspring in the first year. In the next few weeks your young animal will be flying through the forest. Initially, it will remain near the release site and will be fed. By autumn the little owl will develop into a successful mouse hunter and then live independently. However, a ring on the foot ensures that the project team members can always be identified as “Schönbrunn” owls.

Zuzu has done it again: The head of the meerkat group at Schönbrunn Zoo had offspring for the third time on July 25th. This time it's just a cub. This is unusual because there are usually two to four young animals in a litter. For the little one, however, it is definitely an advantage. “The young animal is really round. It finally gets all of the milk. In addition, as an only child, it enjoys everyone's full attention. The older sister Chimara likes to look after the little one and is also a playmate, ”says zookeeper Nadine Bräuer. The young animal was born in a protective cave in the earth - only about 30 grams in weight, blind and completely helpless. It is now big enough to accompany the group of seven on their forays through the area.

Meerkats live in the savannas and semi-deserts in southern Africa. Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck researched African reptiles as part of his doctoral thesis in the Kalahari. He got to know meerkats as cheeky guys. “They kept sneaking into our tent to steal reptiles or our own food,” recalls Hering-Hagenbeck. Meerkats are small predators. The young animal, whose sex is not yet known, was suckled in the first few weeks. It is now eating insects. Meerkats are known for standing upright on their hind legs to keep an eye out for birds of prey and other dangers. Even the little one can do it like a big one with its four weeks.

Photos: Daniel Zupanc

Thanks to the implementation of breeding programs, part of the contributions of the Government of the State of Mexico for the conservation of endangered species, the Ministry of the Environment and the State Commission for Natural Parks and Fauna can celebrate the birth of three lion cubs in the “Zacango” Ecological Park.

Lion parents "Barbara" and "Popeye" welcomed two females and a male on 13 August. The arrival of the emblematic felines was supervised by veterinarians and animal welfare promoters from the Subdirectorate of Fauna Under Human Care, who, upon observing that the mother did not produce milk and failed to care for them, made the decision that they be raised by hand to keep them healthy and ensure their survival.

The artificial rearing of animals under human care is carried out through adequate feeding processes, stimulation of primary behaviors of each type of species and hygiene. This is carried out when the offspring are not cared for by the mother or due to weather conditions.

During the current administration, more than 100 specimens of different species are part of this program, achieving a survival rate of 90 percent.

The little lions are practicing their first roars and are in excellent health. They were born weighing 1,250, 1,290 and 1,200 grams, have 24-hour medical surveillance and are fed with food formula for felines every three hours, strengthening their immune system and filling them with energy to play and socialize with each other.

During the next months the charismatic lions will remain in the Artificial Rearing Area and later, having complied with the preventive medicine protocol, they will be transferred to another area.

For the present administration, this event represents a significant achievement, since the birth of lions had not been registered for five years in the “Zacango” Ecological Park.

With these actions, the Government of the State of Mexico redoubles its commitment to the welfare of species under human care and invites Mexicans to meet the new members of the Zacango Ecological Park through their social networks @ParqueEcológicoZacango on Facebook, @zacangoedomex on Twitter and @parque_ecologico_zacango on Instagram.

There are three of the Schönbrunn sloths again. Alberta and Einstein became parents on June 3rd. For the first six months the young animal lies somewhat hidden in its mother's soft peritoneum. In the meantime, however, it has grown a lot and is easy to see. “The news of the offspring is sure to please the many sloth fans. Unfortunately, the last young animal, Pauline, was never seen by our visitors due to the corona protective measures. In the meantime, Pauline has moved to Loro Parque as part of the European Stud Book and hangs out there comfortably, ”says zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. The zoo keeper team can only see whether the current offspring is a female or a male when they are no longer so closely attached to their mother.

Two-toed sloths are native to South America. With their comfortable way of life and a nose like a socket, they are among the visitors' favorites in Schönbrunn. If you can't make it to the zoo, you can admire the sloths in the new Family Planner 2022, which was published for the first time. Family life can be organized very well with five columns for personal entries. Sloth father Einstein would only have three things in the crevices: eat, doze and hang around. Alberta's undisturbed sloth existence is now history. District manager Petra Stefan: “Alberta takes care of its eleventh youngster. It is suckled for half a year. But it can also be carried to the food bowl on her stomach and nibbles on vegetables such as celery and lettuce. "

This significant birth contributes to the conservation of this vulnerable species.

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden announces the birth of a rare clouded leopard kitten. Following approximately a 90-day gestation period, the OKC Zoo’s two-year-old female clouded leopard, Rukai, gave birth to a female kitten on Friday, August 6, 2021, at the Zoo’s Cat Forest habitat. This is the first successful birth of an offspring for Rukai and her mate two-year-old male, JD.

Because this is such a significant birth, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for clouded leopards recommended the Zoo’s animal care experts hand-rear the kitten to ensure she thrives. Immediately following the kitten’s birth, the Zoo’s carnivore caretakers stepped in and began caring for this little cloudie. She was moved to a climate-controlled incubator to help regulate her body temperature and caretakers started round-the-clock bottle feedings of a specialty felid formula and continuous monitoring. Caretakers report the kitten is healthy and doing everything a newborn should be doing – eating, sleeping and growing! Additionally, her eyes are now fully open. Clouded leopards are born with their eyes closed and begin to open them at two weeks of age.

 “The kitten appears very strong and healthy, and we are thrilled by the progress she’s making,” said Tyler Boyd, OKC Zoo’s curator of carnivores. “For myself and entire team, the opportunity to care for this offspring, who is incredibly valuable to the conservation of this critically vulnerable species, is a career highlight.”

Clouded leopard parents, Rukai and JD, arrived at the OKC Zoo in December 2019, after being paired together as part of a breeding recommendation through the clouded leopard SSP and the hope is they will continue to breed and their offspring, including this kitten, will contribute to the growth of a genetically diverse population.

The mission of an AZA cooperatively managed SSP Program is to oversee the population management of select species, including the clouded leopard, within AZA member institutions like the OKC Zoo and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild. Each SSP Program coordinates the individual activities of participating member institutions through a variety of species conservation, research, husbandry, management and educational initiatives.

Native to Nepal and Bangladesh, clouded leopards are the smallest of the big cat species. Adult clouded leopards weigh between 30 and 50 pounds and are about five feet long, with approximately half that length being their tail. They are the world’s strongest climbing cats, which gives them an advantage over the other big cats sharing their territory. The species is listed by the IUCN as vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation, poaching and the pet trade. Clouded leopards are protected in most range countries although enforcement in many areas is weak. Precise data on clouded leopard population numbers is not known (they are among the most elusive cat species) but researchers estimate there are around 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild.

As part of the clouded leopard SSP, this kitten will eventually relocate to another AZA-accredited organization to be paired with a mate. This is an important part of the breeding process and making this introduction at an early age is necessary as clouded leopards are often bonded for life. While being cared for at the Zoo, the kitten will remain off public view but we will share updates about her on social media.

Now in its summer hours, the Oklahoma City Zoo is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last entry no later than 4 p.m. Purchase advance tickets at  www.okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. A summer deal just for you, the Zoo is offering free general admission for guests, weekday afternoons, August 16–20. Advance reservations are required at www.okczoo.org/tickets for all guests and ZOOfriends members wanting to visit, capacity is limited to six people per reservation.

Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree and by visiting our blog stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a ZOOfriends member. Starting at $45, memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org and provide access to the OKC Zoo for an entire year plus, additional benefits and discounts. To learn more about Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

The rare Francois' langur primate, who is only three months old, is still being carefully looked after and bottle-fed by Belfast Zoo Keeper, Geraldine Murphy.

As her “adoptive mother”, Geraldine takes the baby monkey home every night so she can continue bottle feeding her every few hours.

Born on 8 May, the female primate has been nicknamed “wee red” by Geraldine’s family and so she has been officially named Hóngxīn, meaning “red heart” in Chinese. The name is also a nod to the small distinctive heart-shaped birth mark on the back of the infant’s head.

Geraldine has spent several months raising Hóngxīn and has now begun the process of slowly reintroducing her into the family unit.

Listed as endangered with estimates of less than 2000 left in the wild, the monkey is native to China and Vietnam and is threatened by poachers and loss of habitat in its home countries.

These rare primates have black fur with white streaks of hair running from their mouths to their ears. They also have a tuft of hair on top of their head. However, infants are born with orange fur which gradually changes to adult colouration as they mature.

Keeper Geraldine explained that sometimes animals reject their offspring,

“There are occasions where mothers just do not have the skill set or the instinct to care for their young but thankfully this is not very frequent. After monitoring the mother and baby it quickly became clear that we needed to become involved.”

Geraldine is no novice when it comes to hand-rearing animals as she was tasked with looking after two Chilean flamingo chicks, named Popcorn and Peanut, back in 2018.

Geraldine said, 'We prefer for animals to be reared naturally by their parents but this isn’t always possible. Hand-rearing animals is no easy job, it is time consuming and can be difficult, but it is also very rewarding. Hóngxīn is definitely keeping me busy but it will be worth it when she is fully integrated back into her family again.  Not a lot of people know about this type of primate, but these beautiful monkeys are very vibrant animals, who are incredibly intelligent and agile. It is a real privilege to be able help this endangered species.”

Hóngxīn is not the first of its kind to be born at Belfast Zoo as the zoo has been home to this stunning but threatened species since 1994 with more than 20 births since then. 

Belfast Zoo Curator, Andrew Hope is the studbook keeper for the François’ langur breeding programme. This means he is responsible for co-ordinating the genetic and reproductive management of this captive population, which are living in seven European zoos.

Commenting on the birth, Andrew said, “Here at Belfast Zoo we have been incredibly successful at breeding this endangered primate and we are delighted with the arrival of Hóngxīn. This infant is not just something for us to celebrate here at Belfast Zoo, but globally this is significant as with each new arrival, fresh hope is brought to the species as a whole.  Logging and the expansion of agriculture has destroyed the habitat of the François’ langur and they are also captured and sold as pets or used in traditional medicines. Numbers are in serious decline and we are honoured that we are able to play an active role in the conservation of the François’ langur.”

Zookeepers are celebrating the arrival of an adorable baby tamandua at ZSL London Zoo - after loved up parents Ria and Tobi welcomed their fourth pup on Friday 30 July. 

Footage shared by keepers shows confident mum Ria taking the new little one for a walk around their South American-inspired Rainforest Life home just days later - with the 25cm long camouflaged youngster clinging firmly to her back.  

Juvenile tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) spend the first three months clinging to their mother’s backs, sliding down to feed before pulling themselves back up to nestle into mum’s fur.  

Zookeeper Marcel McKinley said: “We’ve all been waiting excitedly for the baby’s arrival, so when Ria vanished into her nest box the evening before, we had our fingers crossed that the time had come - we came in early the next morning and were delighted to see a tiny baby wriggling on Ria’s back.” 

Marcel added: “We won’t know if the baby is a boy or girl until its first health check in a few months’ time, but in the meantime we’ve decided to nickname the newborn Bueno, which means ‘good’ in Spanish – as the little one is doing such a great job holding on tight to mum.”  

Closely related to giant anteaters, tamanduas hail from South America and have fantastic camouflage, with their matching patterns aligning to create one continuous stripe - allowing the young pup to avoid the eyes of predators in the wild. Their tongues can grow up to 40 cm in length and are perfect for sucking up their favourite food, ants and termites.    

“Visitors will be able to see Bueno in London’s only living rainforest, which the tamanduas share with two-toed sloths Marilyn and Leander, golden-headed tamarins, red titi monkeys and fruit bats,” explained Marcel. 

“The South American-inspired walkthrough is just one of many global stops on our summer Travel the World tour - where staycationers can celebrate the wonder of the world’s wildlife without leaving the country.”  

A great value day out, Travel the World at ZSL London Zoo is the perfect alternative to an overseas trip this year, and is free with Zoo entry – book your summer tickets now at www.zsl.org