Jabari, the baby elephant born September 4^th at Indianapolis Zoo, went swimming for the first time! He took baby steps going in and made sure he stayed close to mom until he was comfortable. Zahara, a very attentive mother, kept a very close eye on him once he started getting a little adventurous in the water. We think it's safe to say, Jabari is a big fan of the water.

INDIANAPOLIS — This Labor Day was history-making for the Indianapolis Zoo with first-time elephant mother Zahara bringing a male calf into the world. The newest member of the Zoo’s African elephant herd arrived Monday evening shortly after 5:30 p.m. The birth made history as the first elephant in the world (African or Asian) to be born through artificial insemination to a mother who was also born through the same procedure. 

Elephant care staff began staying overnight on Friday when routine blood tests alerted them to the impending birth. Assistant Curator of Elephants Niki Kowalski reported that the calf arrived only 20 minutes after the initial signs of labor. “Zahara’s mother Ivory is known for her short labor times, and this baby came quickly as well,” said Kowalski.  The calf weighs 262 pounds, which is a healthy birthweight. Average birthweight for African elephant calves is 226 pounds, with males typically weighing heavier than females. The calf is strong and was standing within 10 minutes of birth. Mom and baby are doing great and have bonded quickly. “What a great way to celebrate Labor Day,” Kowalsi added.

Prior to the calf’s birth, Zahara was the Zoo’s youngest elephant, at age 17. Her calf is the seventh to be born at the Indianapolis Zoo. “We are especially excited as this calf will begin a third generation in the herd at the Zoo,” said President & CEO Robert Shumaker. The Indianapolis Zoo is recognized as a leader in African elephant reproduction. The first and second African elephants in the world to be conceived and successfully born through artificial insemination were at the Zoo in 2000. Multi-generational herds are the most natural and healthy social setting for elephants.  They are also essential to educate Zoo visitors which creates a conservation ethic to further elephant survival in the wild.

Photos and videos are available here for download and use. Today, Sept. 5 at 2:30 p.m., journalists will be able to talk with elephant care staff at the Zoo.  

By visiting zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, guests are contributing to the fight against poaching and helping to save elephants. Visitors help make possible the field conservation, research, habitat restoration, reduction of human-elephant conflicts and community-

based initiatives necessary to protect wild populations. To learn more, go to IndianapolisZoo.com/exhibits/plains/african-elephant/.

Zoo officials today announced female Amur tiger cub, Helina, made her grand debut at the Indianapolis Zoo! She was very curious about her new surroundings and made sure to climb, sniff and explore her new habitat, thrilling guests who were on hand to see her debut.

Yesterday, the Zoo prepped the public for the debut with this announcement on social media:

“We have some grrr-reat news to share! The tiger cubs are making their public debut this week! 🐯 This Friday at 9:30am, you could have the purr-fect opportunity to see our adorable cubs venture out into their new habitat!

Indianapolis Zoo has an exciting update to its long-tailed macaque exhibit. They’re thrilled to introduce four new female macaque babies: Mae, Gemma, Bea and Emerald, or Emmie for short. The babies were born in May, just weeks apart from each other. Animal care staff reports all four babies are having fun in their habitat jumping on trees, running around and getting to know each other. A total of 38 long-tailed macaques comprise the Zoo family.

Last week Indianapolis Zoo’s Tiger Trio (ICYMI: Here's the announcement) turned 6-weeks old and had their first Vet check consisting of vaccinations, a visual check of eyes, ears and body, and a measuring of their weights. They each weigh in at around 12 pounds. Their personalities are starting to emerge, and the cubs love to roll around and wrestle with one another. While they are still being bottle-fed, soon they will receive some meat to start the transition to solid food.

Mom Zoya is doing great and has healed. The tiger cub trio will remain indoors until mid-September. Don’t forget our tiger cub naming contest is underway on Facebook. https://bit.ly/3APS3Xl One of the male cubs was named Nicolas after the Veterinary Surgeon who assisted the Zoo. Winning names will be announced on July 29, International Tiger Day.

Born to first-time mom, Zoya, the two boys and one girl are doing well

INDIANAPOLIS — On May 27, the Indianapolis Zoo’s 7-year-old Amur tiger Zoya gave birth to triplets. The trio consists of one female cub (the first one born) and two males. The father is 14-year-old Pavel. 

4-month-old Kendi has started venturing outside on days when the weather is nice. Now 7.5 ft tall, Indianapolis Zoo’s curious giraffe calf explored the whole habitat on his first day out with the rest of the giraffe herd.

Kendi, a male reticulated giraffe, was born November 8. He weighed 137 pounds and stood about 6 feet tall at birth.

Native to Sub-Saharan Africa, giraffes bear a beautiful coat of brown spots that helps provide camouflage on the arid plains. While every giraffe’s pattern is unique, the Zoo’s youngster currently takes after his father, 10-year-old Majani, with his lighter, caramel-colored patches.

The tallest mammal on land, giraffes are one of Africa’s most iconic species, yet they are still vulnerable to extinction. To support a healthy population of animals in human care, the Zoo maintains an active giraffe breeding program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.Like all of the Zoo’s animals, this newborn will be an ambassador and help to raise awareness for conservation of the species.

The Indianapolis Zoo is excited to welcome the arrival of two adorable Gentoo penguin chicks, hatched just days before Christmas. They’re also celebrating the beautiful differences of their families, because one of the newcomers was born to a same-sex pair — a first for the Zoo! 

Same-sex pairings have also occurred with penguin species in the wild and in other zoos. The two male birds became first-time dads when their chick hatched on Dec. 15. A female that’s actually paired with another penguin laid the egg and left it with the all-male couple, who have been caring for it ever since. Gentoo penguins co-parent their young, and just as a female-male pair would do, the two fathers have taken turns tending the nest, incubating the egg and now feeding the chick.  

The other chick hatched a week earlier on Dec. 8, to a female-male pair who are also first-time parents. All the adults are doing a great job as caregivers, and while they don’t know the sexes of the two chicks, the young birds are both growing quickly. The first-born chick weighed 99.7 grams at birth and has grown to 2,000 grams (4 pounds, 6 ounces) at its weigh-in today. The second chick has already grown to 1,405 grams (3 pounds, 1 ounce) from its birth weight of 114 grams.   

These are the first two penguin chicks hatched at the Indianapolis Zoo since 2012, and the first for the Gentoo flock since 2011.   

INDIANAPOLIS — At 4:35am Nov. 8, the Indianapolis Zoo welcomed the birth of a male reticulated giraffe. The calf weighed 137 pounds and stood about 6 feet tall at birth. He is already growing and will be several feet taller before his first birthday. 

The newborn is the first calf for 3-year-old mother Kita. Following a 14-month pregnancy, female giraffes give birth standing up. While their arrival into the world is somewhat abrupt, newborn giraffes are extremely resilient and are typically up on their feet in less than an hour. Zookeepers said the calf is curious, following close behind mom and nursing well. The other members of the herd have shown interest in interacting, even licking the calf through the stall fence. 

Native to Sub-Saharan Africa, giraffes bear a beautiful coat of brown spots that helps provide camouflage on the arid plains. While every giraffe’s pattern is unique, the Zoo’s youngster currently takes after his father, 10-year-old Majani, with his lighter, caramel-colored patches. 

The tallest mammal on land, giraffes are one of Africa’s most iconic species, yet they are still vulnerable to extinction. To support a healthy population of animals in human care, the Zoo maintains an active giraffe breeding program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.Like all of the Zoo’s animals, this newborn will be an ambassador and help to raise awareness for conservation of the species. 

The Zoo’s giraffe herd, which is now up to five, will spend much of the winter inside its climate-controlled indoor facility. The new family is expected to make its debut in the spring, and at that time, guests will have an opportunity to meet members of the herd up close during public feeds. 

With the slow arrival of spring in the Midwest, visitors to the Indianapolis Zoo had to wait a few weeks before meeting two Ring-tailed Lemurs born on March 14. But the twins finally went outdoors for the first time on a warm, sunny day late last week.

Photo Credit: Carla Knapp/Indianapolis Zoo

The babies were born to experienced mother Bree, who is attentive and nurturing with her newborns. The one-month-old twins are growing fast, and they have already transitioned from clinging to Bree’s belly to riding on her back.  They’ve begun to explore their surroundings, but never venture far from mom.

The babies’ genders are not yet known, so they have not been named. Twins are common in this species.

Ring-tailed Lemurs are native to the island of Madagascar, where they live in social groups of a dozen or more individuals. These primates feed, huddle, and sunbathe together.

The clearing of Madagascar’s forests for pasture and agricultural land has severely affected Ring-tailed Lemurs, which rely on trees for food and shelter. Recent studies estimate that only about 2,000 Ring-tailed Lemurs remain in the wild. The species is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

See more photos of the twin Lemurs below.