JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (July 8, 2021) — Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens welcomed its first reticulated giraffe born in two years. The calf was born Friday to 13-year-old Luna.

In March, Schönbrunn Zoo’s sea lion patriarch had to be euthanized at the age of 19. But the visitors’ favorite sea lion left one last offspring. On July 19th a sea lion pup came into the world. “Female sea lions have a gestation period of almost a year. The mother of the young animal is the female Nina, who gave birth to little Pedro in 2019 and therefore already has experience in raising young", explains zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. In the first few days, the mother and young animal were almost exclusively in the backstage area. Now the baby sea lion is waddling more and more often at the side of its mother in the outdoor area and can be seen by the visitors.

Nina and her offspring live in the mother and young animal area of ​​the sea lion facility. Hering-Hagenbeck: “Maned sea lions live on the coasts of South America. They are able to swim from birth. So far, the young animal has not yet dared to go into the water. Once it is skillful enough on land and in the water, the two of them can join the group. ”Since yesterday the team of keepers has been certain that the young animal is a male. Now keepers are in search of a suitable name. In any case, the little one already knows exactly what he wants. If he is hungry, he loudly draws his mother's attention to himself. The young animal is suckled in the first six to eight months. Slowly he’ll start to nibble playfully at the fish that will later be on the menu.  

Last Wednesday, August 4, Maisie, the 11-month-old chimp, went for the first time to explore the outdoor chimp habitat with Bunny, Lola (mother/daughter), Raven and Violet (also mother/daughter), and it went quite well! Bunny, with Lola on her back, did partially bring Maisie out clinging to her belly, which is the first time we observed this particular behavior.  

Maisie, as expected, was a bit nervous at first, but ended up doing lots of exploring and was seen climbing on both the top and bottom platforms.  She was observed playing with Lola and Violet on a back corner hammock as well.

The Chimpanzee Forest animal care team also noticed that Lola was very vigilant. Maisie ventured into the thick bamboo and got a bit nervous, perhaps disoriented.  Both Lola and Violet quickly responded and helped Maisie find her way out.

Maisie's mother would not care for her and she was brought to The Maryland Zoo in September of 2020 to be hand-reared before being integrated into the Maryland Zoo chimpanzee troop. Maisie will turn 1 on August 28, 2021.

Lola and Violet were both born at The Maryland Zoo. Lola recently turned 2 and Violet is 19-month-old.

The four hatchlings tested the waters with their new feathers, important milestone before joining the colony on exhibit

CHICAGO — Shedd Aquarium’s four Magellanic penguin chicks have officially left the nest and reached important milestones before they join the full penguin colony in the Polar Play Zone and are viewable to the public. The chicks recently fledged their fluffy feathers for their juvenile waterproof feathers and had their first introduction to water for their first swim. While penguins don’t get airborne, they do fly through the water, flapping with strong solid wings.

In addition to their first swim, the penguin chicks have been reaching additional developmental milestones, including eating fish, socializing, and exploring new spaces around the aquarium, and more. The chicks are also starting to build relationships with the animal care team.

Regular check-ups with the aquarium’s animal care team show that birds are hitting all their growth targets and a test of biological samples taken from the chicks’ eggshells will help determine their sexes since penguins’ reproductive organs are internal. Once the sex of the birds is determined, the aquarium will share any potential naming plans for the birds and the expected timing for when guests can see the newest arrivals.

Although these four chicks may not be out in the exhibit yet, the public can plan a visit to the aquarium to see the rest of the penguin colony or attend a virtual or onsite penguin encounter to come face-to-face with the birds. The public can also support Shedd’s mission and dedication to top-quality animal care by symbolically adopting a penguin to receive a plush, photo of the animal and regular updates on the birds.

BACKGROUND: This spring, Magellanic penguins began creating nests and preparing for the breeding season after animal care experts shifted the light cycle and scattered nesting materials in the Polar Play Zone exhibit. This new chick arrived on Saturday, May 29, following hatchlings on Thursday, April 29, Wednesday, May 5, and Wednesday, May 12.

Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium

An emu chick which is having to be reared by keepers at Longleat after being rejected by its parents has made an unusual friendship with a flock of farmyard chickens.

The two-month old chick, who keepers have named Bueno, is the first to have been successfully reared at the Wiltshire safari park.

Keepers initially cared for the youngster at home, however it has now been returned to Longleat’s Family Farmyard area where it has struck up the unlikely alliance with the resident chickens.

“We decided to rear Bueno ourselves as there were signs first time mum and dad Bounty and Biscuit were not the most attentive of parents,” said keeper Gemma Short.

“As this was the first chick which had been reared here we wanted to give it as much of a chance of reaching adulthood as possible.

“Since returning to Longleat, it has settled in really well and, in addition to the chickens, it is also bonding with its adopted auntie Bourbon, an adult female emu,” she added.

If all goes well the plan is to reintroduce Bueno back to its parents once it has grown large enough to fend for itself.

Emus are among the largest birds in the world, growing in excess of two metres tall. They're found primarily in Australia, but also in New Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and the Philippines and are part of the ratite family, along with rheas and ostriches.

Mating pairs stay together for up to five months, after which females lay large, emerald-green eggs in expansive ground nests. The males incubate the eggs for about seven weeks without drinking, feeding or leaving the nest.

Emu eggs, which are emerald green in colour, have to be incredibly tough to survive in their native Australia. The emu chick will start by pecking a hole in the egg before expanding his body to break the hard, brittle shell.

When the chicks are fully grown they can reach land speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour making them one of the fastest land birds alongside their ostrich cousins.

With so much pandamonium happening at Zoo De Beauval (two baby Pandas were born there last night!) we thought it was a good time to turn up the cute even more. Here’s a short video of the first year of Panda Cub Yuan Meng’s life. Born in August of 2017, this cub was France’s first ever baby Panda!

The long-awaited happy event at ZooParc de Beauval has finally arrived!

After long hours of waiting, female Panda Huan Huan, gave birth to twins on Monday, August 2.

The first was born at 1:03am, the second at 1:10am. They are very bright, pink and plump.

The first weighs 149 g. The second weighs 129 g. Everything happened very quickly: the birth took place about thirty minutes Huan Huan’s water broke. Huan Huan is taking great care of her cubs. She took them in her mouth to lick them and clean them. Little cries could be heard! After 8 hours of labor for Huan Huan, the ZooParc team erupted with joy at the sight of these little bears.

This double birth is the happy outcome of a gestation that began last March, following the contact between Yuan Zi and Huan Huan followed by artificial insemination carried out by animal reproduction specialists from Leibniz-IZW Thomas Hildebrandt and Frank Goeritz and by Jella Wauters, Belgian veterinarian from Ghent University and Leibniz-IZW.

At 5 p.m., installed in her farrowing lodge, Huan Huan began going into labor. Then begins the setting up of teams to ensure the best calving conditions for the female. In a corridor, in front of the lodge, the two Chinese carers constantly watch over her and scrutinize her every gesture and attitude. They speak Chinese to her, and gently encourage her. Mao Min took care of Huan Huan and Yuan Zi when they were 6 months old. Both carefully note all observations on a statement. At the same time, they check all the equipment and incubators that will accommodate the little ones.

The veterinarians, Baptiste M and Antoine L, are also at the bedside of Huan Huan to analyze the progress of the labor. They interpret signs and changes in posture. Some healers from the panda sector and an ethologist are also present to note in real time all the attitudes: back against the wall, rolling in a ball, putting on the back ... In the screening room, concentration and tension are palpable as the birth approaches. All eyes are on the monitors. Calm is felt. Only whispers break the silence.

“Everyone is focused and knows exactly what to do. You don't always need to talk to understand each other between caretakers and veterinarians,” declares Delphine Delord, associate director of ZooParc de Beauval, at peace knowing birth can mean waiting long hours.

But suddenly, Huan Huan's behavior changes. The first contractions appear. They intensify over the hours. The female remains in a seated position most of the time with her head between her paws. The hours pass then, suddenly, the the first baby is born takes place!

Huan Huan reacts very quickly and immediately takes care of her first baby. Her gestures are sure. 

“More experienced than 4 years ago, she knows how to go about it, she protects him. Moreover, we see that she does not want to let go,” rejoices Rodolphe Delord, very moved by this double birth. Then after a few minutes, the second is also born very quickly, so much so that it is difficult to see it on the screens. 

How many does Huan Huan have in her mouth?!

Finally, the doubt is quickly removed: Huan Huan has 2 babies! 

A round of applause then arose. 

“We have just experienced a moment of rare intensity. These births are still exceptional, but they also have their share of surprises! We rejoice in the liveliness of babies, felt from their first moments. These births are also the fruit of the efforts of all our teams, who do their utmost to provide the animals with maximum welfare,” explains Delphine Delord, associate director of the Zooparc de Beauval.

Now the night is well under way. A few cries of nocturnal animals can be heard in the distance. It is now time to let Huan Huan rest and let the little ones experience their first moments… under the watchful eye of the teams.

Brookfield, Ill. — Things are really hopping at Brookfield Zoo—with wallabies that is. Three Bennett’s wallaby moms---Becky, Marion, and Talia—all gave birth to joeys in late 2020.

It is difficult to determine the exact date of a wallaby’s birthdate. When born, a joey is about the size of a bumblebee and weighs less than 0.03 ounces. Babies are born blind and hairless and migrate from the birth canal to the mother’s pouch without being noticed. There, they remain for approximately 280 days.

Becky’s joey, born approximately on October 31, 2020, spends the majority of its time outside of mom’s pouch. The youngest of the three joey’s was born to Talia around December 1, 2020, and has recently begun to emerge from its mom’s pouch and explore.

The third joey, a female named Whitney, was born November 12, 2020, and is being handreared, because her mom, Marion, required medical treatment. Out of an abundance of caution, veterinary staff determined it was in the best interest of both animals to remove the joey from Marion’s pouch.

Once Whitney is weaned from a bottle and more independent, she will be reunited with her mom and the rest of the wallabies, including the two joeys, at Hamill Family Wild Encounters. Until then, to keep Whitney socialized and active, animal care staff regularly take her outdoors to get plenty of exercise and sunshine. When not outside, she hangs out in a hand-sewn pouch that her caretakers carry while performing their tasks throughout the day. She seems to enjoy poking her head out and watching all the activity going on around her.

Wallabies, which inhabit coastal areas, woodlands, and grasslands in Australia, are marsupials—mammals best known for their abdominal pouches. There are more than 270 different marsupial species found around the world. Wallabies have a stable population in their range. However, they are sometimes killed as an agricultural pest and hunted for their meat. Fully grown, wallabies can reach up to 3 feet in height and weigh between 24 to 59 pounds, depending on the gender. Wallabies are hardy all-weather animals. In warmer temperatures, they lick their arms and hands, which causes their saliva to evaporate, cooling them off.

Those interested in helping care for the Bennett’s wallabies at Brookfield Zoo can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, a recipient receives the Basic Package, which includes a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of a wallaby, a personalized certificate of adoption, a Bennett’s wallaby fact sheet, and an Animal Adoption program decal. To purchase, visit www.CZS.org/AnimalAdoption.