A white-tailed porcupine has been born at Amersfoort Zoo. The baby can occasionally be seen outside. It is the second porcupette for this mother. The sex of the animal is not yet known. "We hope to get an answer to that soon," says animal caretaker Marc Belt. “We leave the young alone as much as possible. The mother is also very protective of the little one.”

The little porcupine keeps up well with the group and has already taken its first steps outside. “We have made a special staircase for this, so that he or she can easily walk out of the indoor accommodation,” Marc says. The other porcupines are also used to their new inhabitant. “They are often close to each other.”

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A sloth was born in DierenPark Amersfoort. "It is already the tenth time that mother Amaka carries a baby on her stomach", animal caretaker Christel Broekman says. The Amersfoort sloths Amaka and Quasimodo thus remain the most successful sloth couple in Europe: the couple has given birth to the most young in recent years. Christel: “It is very special that the sloths have been caring for offspring for so long.”

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DierenPark Amersfoort welcomes seven Bonte Bentheimer piglets. Mother Liv has given birth to her first litter. "It is always exciting how the delivery goes and how Liv reacts to her new offspring," says animal caretaker Marc Belt. “Everything seems to be going well. The youngsters are drinking well and carefully taking their first steps.”

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In the early morning today (Mar. 22), a camel came into the world at Amersfoort Zoo. The baby nurses well and, under the care of mother Rosa, walks around in the enclosure. "After birth, it is important that the young camel is on its own feet within a few hours. In the wild, a camel is vulnerable if the animal remains on the ground," says zookeeper Corine de Ruiter. Camels are native to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China. "There, the wild camel is threatened with extinction. Among other things, poachers and drought reduce the survival rate of the animal. In addition, the habitat is used for livestock and industry, for example, so there is less and less land for wild camels," explains the zookeeper.

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Two Senegal galagos have been born at Amersfoort Zoo. “The two young monkeys are doing well”, animal caretaker Christel Broekman tells. “Galagos are native to the forested areas and savannas from Senegal to Somalia and Tanzania. The monkeys can now mainly be found with their mother, but they will soon discover their habitat one step at a time. Then we can also determine their gender.”

In early December, an infant Night Monkey was born at Amersfoort Zoo in The Netherlands! This is dad whom we see baby clinging so tightly to. As with many small monkey species, it’s not just mom, but also dad who takes care of the babies. In the wild, this type of night monkey is found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Rainforests are under threat. The habitat of many creatures, including that of the Night Monkey, is in peril. Check out the link in the video description and consider a donation to help protect their native habitat.

Donate now to protect the night monkey’s native habitat: https://www.npo3fm.nl/kominactie/acties/een-naam-geven

The two red pandas recently born at The Netherlands’ Amersfoort Zoo have been given names: “The female is called 'Suki' and the male is called 'Hikaru'. “Suki” means “love”, “Hikaru” means “brilliant”, says animal caretaker Saskia van Soest. “The animals were born in July, but sexing, and therefore also naming, takes place when the young are a bit older. The pandas are doing very well and they are exploring their enclosure to the fullest.”

Red pandas are native to the Himalayas in Southeast Asia.

“We are very happy with the young pandas, because this species is not doing well in the wild. With their fluffy fur and dark brown eyes, they have a great appeal to people and are very popular as pets. Many people therefore bring a panda into their home,” explains Saskia. Also, due to poaching and felling, only 10,000 red pandas are left in the wild. The Amersfoort Zoo Wildlife Fund therefore supports the Red Panda Network, which trains the local population to become forest rangers. These 'forest police' keep control of the panda's habitat.

The sex of the two newborn red pandas is known: a male and a female. “There are now two female and two male pandas living in Amersfoort Zoo”, says zookeeper Mirthe Wesbonk. “The cubs are doing really well. They are growing like weeds. They’re are still in the nest with their mother, but they could go outside at any moment.”

“The animals were born in early July. Now the young were old enough to weigh, vaccinate, sex and microchip them. The chipping takes place so that in the future we can quickly find out what the animal's medical history is," explains Mirthe. Although pandas are often in the treetops, mating often takes place on solid ground.

The animals are native to the slopes of the Himalayas in Asia. With their fluffy fur and dark brown eyes, they have a great appeal to people. Sadly, they are illegally kept as pets and their numbers in the wild suffer as a result. Also, due to poaching and felling, only 10,000 red pandas are left in the wild. The DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund therefore supports the Red Panda Network, which trains the local population to become forest rangers. These 'forest police' keep control of the panda's habitat. Mirthe: “Since things are unfortunately not going well for the species in their original habitat, we are extra happy with this double panda birth in DierenPark Amersfoort .”

Four meerkats have been born at Amersfoort Zoo.

“Last spring, pups were born at Amersfoort Zoo for the first time in twenty years and now we are welcoming meerkat pups again, just before the start of autumn,” says animal caretaker Marc Belt. “This loving Meerkat couple has really bonded and that's special: meerkats are very picky when it comes to choosing a mate.”

“For meerkats to form a breeding pair, there must be a strong click between the two before they land on a pink cloud. A pregnancy lasts about 2.5 months in these animals. At birth, the young are initially blind, deaf and bald. After about ten days, their eyes and ears open and they explore the world. When mother goes out in search of food, the rest of the group babysits the young meerkats. They are very caring animals,” says Marc.

The birth of another four meerkats is hopeful. Marc: “The two seem to be a good match, so I hope that this 'birth wave' continues and that we can welcome even more young meerkats to Amersfoort Zoo.”

After more than twenty years, three meerkats have been born at Amersfoort Zoo.

“A very special moment, because a meerkat birth is no easy feat,” explains animal caretaker Marc Belt.

“Before meerkats form a love couple, they have to like each other very much. After two decades there is a match between a male and a female and that now results in three youngsters that are doing very well.”

These African predators have been living in the zoo for many years, but births have been delayed for a long time.

Meerkats are choosy in choosing their love partner.

There has to be a strong click between the two before they end up on a pink cloud.”

A pregnancy lasts about 2.5 months in these animals.

“At birth, the young are initially still blind, deaf and bald. After about ten days their eyes and ears open and they explore the world. When mom goes looking for food, the rest of the group babysits; they are very caring animals”, says Marc.

The birth of these three meerkats gives hope. Marc: “Love is in the air, so maybe we can expect more births soon.

Hopefully the park will be able to open its gates again on 11 May and visitors can come for a maternity visit in Amersfoort Zoo .

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