A trio of month-old Bat-eared Fox kits are stealing hearts at Germany’s Zoo Krefeld since they emerged from their den in early June.

It’s been ten years since Bat-eared Foxes were born at Zoo Krefeld, and the arrival of a new female in February revived the breeding program.

Photo Credits: Hella Hallmann (1, 2, 4), Stjepan Ivekovic (3), Zoo Krefeld (5) 

Very few European zoos hold these charismatic African foxes. Bat-eared Foxes differ from other members of the Canid family in many ways. Instead of 34 differentiated teeth, they have nearly 50 needle-sharp teeth, which are used to chew their favorite food – insects (mainly termites). Their large ears help them locate insects hiding below ground and help cool the body as blood passes through the ears’ thin skin.  

Bat-eared Foxes live on the grasslands and savannahs of eastern and southern Africa. They are not under significant threat at this time, though changing land use patterns could pose a threat in the future.

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A Bornean Orangutan was born on December 5 at Zoo Krefeld, in Germany.

Proud mother, Lea, welcomed the lovely female infant. Because of the baby’s beautiful orange-red coloring, keepers decided to name her Suria, from the Malay (Sanskrit) word for “sun”.

Suria is the third infant born to Lea, and her older brother, Changi, has embraced the presence of his new sibling.

Although Suria is beginning to explore her exhibit, she still prefers to cling to the safety of her mother, as can be seen in these amazing images captured by photographer, Arjan Haverkamp.

Photo Credits: Arjan Haverkamp

The Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is a species of Orangutan native to the island of Borneo. Together with the Sumatran Orangutan, it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia. Like other great apes, Orangutans are highly intelligent, displaying advanced tool use and distinct cultural patterns in the wild.

The Bornean Orangutan is classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, with deforestation, palm oil plantations and hunting posing a serious threat to its continued existence.

The total number of Bornean Orangutans is estimated to be less than 14% of what it was in the recent past. This sharp decline has occurred mostly over the past few decades due to human activities and development.

Species distribution is now highly patchy throughout Borneo; it is apparently absent or uncommon in the southeast of the island, as well as in the forests between the Rejang River in central Sarawak and the Padas River in western Sabah (including the Sultanate of Brunei). A population of around 6,900 is found in Sabangau National Park, but this environment is at risk.

According to Harvard University anthropologist, Cheryl Knott, in 10 to 20 years, Orangutans are expected to be extinct in the wild if no serious effort is made to overcome the threats they are facing.

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On May 4, Zoo Krefeld, in Germany, welcomed two new Snow Leopards. The two females were born to dad, Patan, and mom, Dari.

Patan and Dari’s first offspring, Shan, was born in 2013 and now resides at Highland Wildlife Park, in Scotland.  Zoo visitors can see the newest cubs as they explore their outdoor facilities. 

Photo Credits: Iris Stengel (1,7), Jan Willemsen (2,5), Dagmar Göddemeier (3,4), Doris Henn (6), Tina Sagemann (8)

The Snow Leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. They prefer alpine and subalpine zones and elevations from 9,800 to 14,800 feet (3,000 to 4,500 m). In the northern range countries, they also occur at lower elevations.

Snow Leopards are slightly smaller than other big cats and have a relatively short body, measuring in length from head to tail 30 to 50 inches (75 to 130 cm). However, their tail is quite long, at 31 to 39 inches (80 to 100 cm).

Their fur is long and thick, and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with white underparts. They have dark gray to black open rosettes on their bodies, with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tails. Their eyes are pale green or gray in color.

The Snow Leopard cannot roar, despite possessing partial ossification of the hyoid bone. Instead, their vocalizations consist of hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing.

Adults are somewhat elusive and solitary, except for females and cubs. Snow Leopards have a gestation period of 90 to 100 days, with the offspring generally born in April to June. The mothers prefer secluded, rocky dens for birth and rearing. The litter sizes vary from one to five cubs. Newly born cubs have full black spots, which turn into rosettes as they grow to adolescence. Cubs leave their den at around two to four months of age, but they remain with the mother until around 18 to 22 months.

The Snow Leopard is listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. As of 2003, the size of the global population was estimated at 4,080 to 6,590 adults, of which fewer than 2,500 individuals may reproduce in the wild.

Zoo Krefeld is a supporter of the Snow Leopard Trust, a Seattle-based organization that endeavors to “build community partnerships by using sound science to determine priorities for protecting the endangered Snow Leopard.” For more information, check out the Snow Leopard Trust’s website: www.snowleopard.org

More pics below the fold!

The last of the goat kids have arrived at Zoo Krefeld in Germany. The zoo now has eleven juvenile goats—what a handful! Energetic and playful, they're up to all kinds of mischief, like climbing all over mom.

Photo credit: Vera Gorissen / Zoo Krefeld

See more photos after the fold. 

In early March, Zoo Krefeld in Germany welcomed a litter of two Agoutis! Normally they would have liked to see the mother raise both babies, but she was not able to provide  enough milk for both. One baby has stayed with mom and the other is bend hand-fed a milk-replacer for kittens.  

At first, the hand-raised Agouti, named Flo, had to be fed every two hours, even at night. The baby has been gaining about .07 to .1 ounces (2-3 g) per day, and at three weeks old tipped the scale at 4.6 ounces (130 g). 

Photo credit: Zoo Krefeld / Andreas M. Bischof (1, 2)

Agoutis are rodents that live in the rainforests of South America. They are nocturnal and usually live in pairs on the forest floor. They cache extra food, such as nuts and seeds, in holes in the ground which they often forget about. This makes them important seed dispersers for trees.  

The secret’s out: there’s a Snow Leopard cub at Germany’s Zoo Krefeld!  

Because the cub’s mother, Dari, is a first-time mom and experienced a difficult delivery, the zoo staff waited a few weeks to announce the cub’s arrival. Born June 13, the cub is now healthy, strong, and as you can see from the pictures, quite photogenic!

Photo Credit:  Hella Hallman (1), Magnus Neuhaus (2,3,4,5,6)

Snow Leopards inhabit high mountainous regions in central Asia, where they hunt for wild goats, wild sheep, or any prey they can find.  Snow Leopards are able to kill and eat animals weighing four times as much as they do. Cubs remain with their mothers for almost two years. Snow Leopards are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

See more photos below the fold.

On May 17, this little Jaguar cub came into the world, born to Krefeld Zoo’s breeding pair Bess and Porgy. This is the second offspring for the parents in their time at the zoo. It was a difficult birth, but mother and cub got to do the necessary bonding for the first week of his life. At that juncture, Bess suffered from an inflammation of the uterus, and had to be treated under general anesthesia for the condition. Fortunately, she made a full recovery, reunited with her cub, and has been doing a great job of caring for her baby ever since.

At his recent health check, keepers had their hands full trying to subdue the little fella. He’s a feisty one! The cub has grown to weigh about 8.8 pounds (4 kilos), so he should start to venture out into the habitat sometime next week.  A camera has been installed in the birthing box so zoo visitors can watch Mom and cub on a TV screen in front of their exhibit, while the pair remains behind the scenes. 

Photo Credit: Hella Hallmann/ Krefeld Zoo

Jaguars, the largest cats in the Americas, are threatened in the wild by massive conversions of their natural habitats for human economic interests, being shot or poisoned by livestock owners, and the depletion of the cat's natural prey due to overhunting. There are several organizations whose work is devoted to helping on all of these fronts, to preserve this beautiful species.

See more photos after the fold:

In Germany, Zoo Krefeld's Black Rhino couple, Nane and Usoni, gave birth to their fourth baby on July 13. The baby, whose gender is unknown, weighs almost 30 kg, or about 66 pounds. Zoo Krefeld is one of only five zoos in Germany that successfully breed the rare species.

Black Rhinos, also known as hook-lipped Rhinos, are native to central and eastern Africa. They are one of the largest species of Rhinos, with horns reaching up to 5 feet in length. Despite the name, Black Rhinos generally have light gray or white skin. The species is currently listed as Critically Endangered and is considered to be on the brink of extinction in the wild.

Photo Credit; 1,4,6,8 Hella Hallman; 2,3,5,7,9 Zoo Krefeld

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