Here we are ! The little black and white furballs (not so little!) celebrate their 1st birthday on August 2nd. The twins are in perfect health! When they are not resting, Huanlili and Yuandudu spend their time playing, climbing and heckling… Touching and funny scenes to the delight of visitors.
The video shared by the zoo with us recaps the evolution of the twins over the last 12 months.
On the occasion of this 1st anniversary, a real "bamboo party" is organized at the ZooParc de Beauval!
From 9:00 a.m., the trainers will place an ice cream cake in the outdoor enclosure of Huanlili and Yuandudu. The twins love these icy treats that the keepers give them in case of high heat. Click here to learn more about Huanlili and Yuandudu’s forthcoming party:
An aardvark pup was born at the Prague Zoo on Sunday July 10 just after nine o'clock in the morning. The now two-week-old pup drinks breast milk from its mother Kvída. According to keepers, it is active. At birth, the pup weighed 1,450 grams and measured 54 cm in length, which is a reasonable birth weight and size for aardvarks.
"We welcomed the little rascal into the world on Sunday at 9.12, the birth went quickly, the cub got its first drink from its mother at noon and now tries to drink every one to two hours. We don't know its gender yet, it will only be revealed by DNA analysis of hair samples," says Zoo director Miroslav Bobek, who is happy about the new addition.
MARCH 3, 2022 — An exceptional new birth has just taken place at the ZooParc de Beauval on February 28: a giraffe! He is a male, son of Baya and little brother of Kimia born on July 22, 2019. His father is Momo, the only adult male in the group.
The newborn is doing well. The veterinarians carried out his first auscultation about 24 hours after his birth, thus leaving time to create the mother-child bond. He already weighs 79 kg and is about 2 m tall. Full of life, the little one easily stands up to go and suckle his mother many times.
You most certainly know Zoo de Beauval’s Giant Panda Cubs Huanlili and Yuandudu! But did you know that other "panda" twins were born in Beauval last summer? They are Kamala and Nuo, 2 young red pandas (who are brother and sister)! A look back at their first months in episode 2 of the zoo’s series Un Oeil en Coulisse!
The moment has finally arrived: The two tiny panda cubs are visible to the public for the first time at ZooParc de Beauval! They are doing wonderfully and recently took their first steps! These first steps are sometimes uncertain, and result in a few "tumbles" for the adoring visitors.
ZOOPARC’S MAIN SITE: zoobeauval.com 🐼
And discover their commitment to preserve animal species on: beauvalnature.org
Zoo Beauval’s Panda cubs are just over 3 months old now. We never tire of seeing Huan Huan, the female panda taking care of her babies with such dedication!
Learn about the Zoo’s commitment to preserve animal species at: http://www.beauvalnature.org
Cotton Flower and Little Snow, the baby panda twins at ZooParc de Beauval, will be celebrating their 2 month birthday! Not only are they active and moving, but... they are starting to open their eyes! Little by little, their eyelids are finally opening. Their bodies are now abundantly covered in black and white fur.
Their weight is perfectly on track: it has more than doubled in 1 month: 2.8 kg and 2.7 kg. Still a little way to go before arriving at the 105 kg of their mother Huan Huan!
The atmosphere is always calm and apart from all the hustle and bustle behind the scenes of the pandas. Beauval's teams of healers and veterinarians as well as the 2 healers from China take care of it as much as possible because Huan Huan is quite sensitive at the moment: nothing can distract her from her role as a mother.
Babies spend around 3 to 4 hours on their mother in turns and nurse twice a day. A daily bottle was added because Huan Huan does not have enough milk for her 2 little ones. It should be remembered that in nature, the mother panda would probably have abandoned her weakest baby.
Mother and young are not visible to the public, only via screens in the ZooParc. The babies are still far too fragile to go out into the outdoor enclosure. We will have to wait a few months.
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.
ZooParc de Beauval announced that Sheila, one of its three female Gorillas, gave birth to a baby on October 27 in full view of zoo visitors. The infant is the first Great Ape born in France this year.
Photo Credit: ZooParc de Beauval
So far, the baby and Sheila appear to be doing well. The infant’s gender has not been confirmed, although the staff suspects it is a male. For now, the care team feels no need to intervene or interrupt the bonding process between mother and baby.
Though the baby is nursing and Sheila is exhibiting appropriate maternal behavior, the staff remains cautious because, as with all babies, the first few days are always precarious.
The baby’s arrival created great interest among the other members of the Gorilla troop, who often gather around Shelia and her new baby. The baby’s father is Asato, the troop's large male silverback.
Western Lowland Gorillas are classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Threats include Gorillas being illegally hunted for bushmeat and the prevalence of infectious diseases such as the Ebola virus. Past Ebola outbreaks have resulted in a 95% mortality rate in some Gorilla populations. Conservationists estimate that it could take up to 130 years for the Gorilla population to recover completely. The current population is estimated at a few hundred thousand individuals.
Gorillas’ dire scenario in the wild makes the birth of this infant at ZooParc de Beauval even more important to the survival of the species.