Kolmarden Zoo

Handsome Takin Calf Is a First for Swedish Zoo

1_17038528_1489323074412691_8615124714071173116_o

A Mishmi Takin calf, named Nanook, was born on February 19th at Kolmården Wildlife Park. Mother to the handsome male calf is Aisha, and his father is Hobbit.

Nanook is the first successful Takin birth for the Swedish zoo. He was born in the early morning of a cold, snowy day. The name Nanook was chosen by the keepers, in honor of his day of birth, and means ‘polar bear’ in Inuit. At birth, Nanook weighed-in at a healthy 7 kilos.

Kolmården staff reported, “We are very happy that Aisha, first time mum, has taken such good care of Nanook. It’s a break through for us, and the Takin breeding, here in Kolmården. Nanook is a much welcomed addition to our Takin group and the European population.”

2_16836589_1477535495591449_2793480316232022282_o

3_16797027_1477535508924781_3405076308305901347_o

5_takinenPhoto Credits: Kolmården Wildlife Park

Thanks to the zookeeper’s excellent training with Takins, they were able to do a check of Nanook soon after his birth. The calf is considered healthy and is growing.

The new Takin calf is an important part of the EAZA European Studbook breeding programme for Mishmi Takins. Takins are currently classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Populations in the wild are threatened and decreasing due to hunting and deforestation.

The Mishmi Takin (Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor) is an endangered goat antelope native to India, Myanmar and the People's Republic of China. It is a subspecies of Takin.

The Mishmi Takin is native to southern China and eats bamboo and willow shoots. It has an oily coat to protect it from the fog.

Takin are found in small family groups of around 20 individuals, although older males may lead more solitary existences. In the summer, herds of up to 300 may gather high on mountain slopes.

In the wild, mating generally takes place in July and August. Usually, a single young is born after a gestation period of around eight months.

Takin tend to migrate from upper pastures to lower, more forested areas in winter and favor sunny spots. When disturbed, individuals give a 'cough' as an alarm call, and the herd retreats into thick bamboo thickets and lies on the ground for camouflage.


Baby Boom of Baltic Grey Seal Pups at Kolmården

1_babyboom1

In late February, two Baltic Grey Seal pups were born in Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden. The male and female half-siblings weighed in at 17 kilos each at birth.

The pups were born well developed, and in just a couple of weeks, they will be independent, thanks to both of their mother’s nourishing milk.

Keepers report they are happy to see such a wide variety of natural behaviors in their animals. Giving birth and rearing their young is one of the most important behaviors in the animal’s life. Giving them the opportunity means the Park can maintain a high animal welfare.

The male has been given the name Evert, and his sister has been named Eivor.

The proud and protective mothers are Liivi and Vinja and the father to both, who still has to keep some distance from the pair, is named Sten (“the rock” in Swedish).

Grey Seals enjoy swimming and at Kolmården Wildlife Park they have a 9-meter deep pool to swim in. Even though Eivor and Evert haven’t lost their pup fur yet, they have taken short swims. As soon as they loose their protective fur they will leave the cliffs and spend more and more time in the water.

1babyboom55

1babyboom44

1babyboom22Photo Credits: Kolmården Wildlife Park

The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus, meaning "hooked-nosed sea pig") is native to both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus. Its name is spelled ‘Gray Seal’ in the US, but it is also known as Atlantic Seal and the Horsehead Seal.

The Grey Seal feeds on a wide variety of fish, mostly benthic or demersal species, taken at depths down to 70 m (230 ft.) or more. The average daily food requirement is estimated to be 5 kg (11 lbs.), though the Seal does not feed every day and it fasts during the breeding season.

In the wild, pups are born in autumn (September to November) in the eastern Atlantic and in winter (January to February) in the west, with a dense, soft silky white fur; at first small, they rapidly fatten up on their mothers' extremely fat-rich milk. The milk can consist of up to 60% fat. Within a month or so, they shed the pup fur, grow dense waterproof adult fur, and leave for the sea to learn to fish for themselves.

The Grey Seal is currently classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. According to the IUCN: “Numerous countries have invoked protective measures to limit Grey Seal harvests, culls, disturbance, and by-catch (Bonner 1981, ICES 2005). Pollutant loads in Baltic Grey Seals have declined following regulations banning the use and discharge of toxic pollutants such as DDT and PCBs beginning in the 1970s. Although the prevalence of colonic ulcers has increased over the last decades, the reproductive health of female Grey Seals has improved, as has the population level in the Baltic (Bergman et al. 2001). Establishment of coastal marine reserves for Seals in Norway have been more effective in protecting Harbour Seals than Grey Seals because the latter are more likely to travel outside the areas closed to fisheries and become entangled in nets (Bjørge et al. 2002).”


UPDATE! Bath-time for Kolmarden Zoo's Elephant Calf

Elephant calf bath
Photo credit: Kolmarden Zoo

Kolmarden Zoo's Elephant calf, born July 27, is growing up healthy and happy with his family. He especially loves his bath-time, when keepers spray him with a hose! The only thing that could make this scene cuter would be an elephant-sized rubber duckie...

To see photos of the elephant calf at two days-old, visit our first story about the calf here.


Four Bush Dogs Pups Born at Kolmården

Bd1

Four Bush Dog pups were born on July 14 at Sweden’s Kolmården Zoo.  The two male and two female pups have spent most of the past month in the den with their mother Salma, but are gradually starting to venture out.  In another month, they should go into the viewing enclosure where they can be seen by zoo visitors.

1157587_10151518772796372_1843074843_n

Bd3

Bd2
Photo Credit:  Kolmården Zoo

Native to Central and South America, Bush Dogs live in packs and hunt cooperatively.  They feed on large rodents like pacas, agouti, and capybaras.  They prefer to live in open forests, but may also live in pastures. 

The Bush Dogs’ closest relatives are thought to be Maned Wolves.  Bush Dogs are not threatened, but they are becoming rarer throughout their range.

See more photos of the pups below the fold.

Continue reading "Four Bush Dogs Pups Born at Kolmården" »


First Photos of Kolmården Zoo's Elephant Calf

Rickard Sjödén  (4)

A male Asian Elephant calf born on July 27 at Sweden’s Kolmarden Zoo posed for his first photos when he was just two days old. He weighed 191 pounds (87 kg) at birth, and you can see from the photos that he is strong and hungry!

Foto Sofia Andersson (5)

205_10151509390706372_164553224_n

Foto Sofia Andersson (2)
Photo Credits:  Sofia Andersson (2,4,7,10,11)  Rickard Sjödén (1,3,5,6,8,9)

 

The calf’s mother, Bua, was a gift to the King of Sweden from the King of Thailand in 2004.  Bua was artificially inseminated in November 2011. The calf’s father is an Elephant from the United Kingdom. 

Asian Elephants are found in fragmented populations throughout Southeast Asia, where they are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are slightly smaller than African Elephants, and are tamed for use in logging operations in remote jungle areas. 

See more photos of the Elephant calf below the fold.

Continue reading "First Photos of Kolmården Zoo's Elephant Calf" »


Kolmården Wildlife Park Welcomes Red Panda Cub

1072667_10151476922511372_289548428_o

The Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden welcomed a Red Panda cub on June 10. The female cub, named Pralin, is doing well.

Bild (4) 

Despite the name, Red Pandas are more closely related to Raccoons than to Giant Pandas. However, they share many traits with their black and white namesakes. For example, both eat bamboo and have a sesamoid bone, known as a 'fake thumb', used to grasp bamboo. They both live in the temperate bamboo forests of China. Unlike Giant Pandas, Red Pandas also inhabit the foothills of the Himalayas. Red Pandas are currently listed as Vulnerable, due to habitat loss.

Bild (2)

Bild (1)

Bild (3)

Bild

1077074_10151482234511372_1938160746_o
Photo Credit: Kolmården 


Sweden's New White Rhino

On November 25th, Sweden's Kolmarden Zoo welcomed a baby White Rhino to its fold. The female calf weighed in at 154 pounds but could grow to weigh a tremendous 5,525 pounds in adulthood. Dad Banyari and now three-time Mom Imfolozi are taking great care of the new arrival. Sadly, few White Rhinos are left in the world, due in part to a belief that their horns can cure disease.

4251600866_bf3f9a662e

Noshorning_400px


4251604288_4b2ab21d1d

Photos: Kolmarden and RickardSjoden