ZooBorns

New Pictures, New Video! Bronx Zoo Giraffe Calf Update

The Giraffe calf born in March at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo has made her debut on the African Plains, and she's one busy girl. See her nuzzle with mom, romp around her exhibit, and interact with a surprise visitor—an interloping butterfly. You can see earlier pictures of this tall baby from our ZooBorns article on March 23.

The calf has not yet been named. The Bronx Zoo names all of its giraffes in memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Carter, benefactors for the Carter Giraffe Building.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo Just Got Six Feet Taller!

A female Baringo Giraffe calf was born this month at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. The calf was approximately 6 feet tall and over 100 pounds at birth. As an adult, she could eventually grow to 16 feet and weigh 2,600 pounds.

Giraffes are native to grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands in central, east, and southern Africa. The Baringo, or Rothschild’s, Giraffe is found in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. While Giraffe populations are robust in many places, overall the population is decreasing. The Wildlife Conservation Society works across the globe and within the giraffe’s African range to save wildlife and wild places. WCS is working to protect giraffes in key African landscapes like Zakouma, Chad, Murchison Falls, Uganda, and in the Sahel of South Sudan.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

The calf has not been named as of now. The Bronx Zoo names all of its giraffes in memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Carter, benefactors for the Carter Giraffe Building.

Okapi Breeding Program Succeeding at Bronx Zoo

A baby okapi was born this summer, at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo following more than a year of careful animal husbandry science by the zoo’s mammal curators. The calf, named M’bura, just made her public debut in the habitat. She'll be on exhibit intermittently as she adjusts to her sourroundings.

Upon birth, the mother and the calf are allowed time to bond. Unlike what would be normal practice for other ungulate species, a neonatal exam is not performed and the calf is not weighed because the species is very susceptible to stress.

Curators give the mother and calf plenty of room to encourage natural behaviors. In the wild, okapi females will leave their calves for long periods of time to feed and return only for short periods to nurse them. The female and calf spend relatively little time together.  For the first two months of its life the calf will spend about 80 percent of its time in its “nest” area. Okapi calves start sampling solid foods by three weeks of age and are usually weaned by the time they are six months old. At the Bronx Zoo, this new calf will slowly transition to a diet of leaves, alfalfa hay, specially formulated pelleted grain, and produce.

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher

 

Growing Up Giraffe at New York's Bronx Zoo

Earlier this month, a Baringo giraffe calf made its public debut at the Bronx Zoo’s African Plains. Born on September 14, 2011, James Marjani is the first giraffe calf born at the Bronx Zoo since February 2009. He was approximately six feet tall at birth and estimated to weigh more than 100 pounds. As an adult, he could eventually grow to more than 17 feet and weigh close to 4,000 pounds. The baby was born to mother, Margaret Sukari, and father, James Michael. The Bronx Zoo names all of its giraffes in memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Carter, benefactors for whom the Carter Giraffe Building is named. His birth brings the total number of giraffes in the herd to eight.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen-Maher (c) WCS's Bronx Zoo

Bolivian Gray Titi Monkeys: It's a Family Affair

A Gray Titi Monkey was born at the Bronx Zoo in April and has just now gone made it's debut on exhibit with mom. In fact, you can hear them sing together early in the morning.

Gestation for the Bolivian gray titi monkey is about 132 days, a little over 4 months. A single baby is usually born; very rarely, twins are born.  Gray titi monkeys live in family groups, which usually consists of a breeding couple and several offspring. The father will help wtih the baby, carrying it on it's back in the first few days after birth. Older brothers or sisters may also help in this same way.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which owns the zoo, works in Bolivia where gray titi monkeys live in the wild. This species is endangered largely due to habitat destruction.

Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/WCS

Yessssssss!

Officials from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo announced yesterday that after a thorough seven-day search in the zoo’s Reptile House, the missing Egyptian cobra has been found inside the building. Officials made the announcement at a news conference, where they showed a photograph of the adolescent snake resting comfortably in a secure enclosure. This morning kicked off a whirlwind media tour with the yet to be named female Cobra joining the ladies of The View for a special live broadcast.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen Maher / Wildlife Conservation Society

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

Merten's Water Monitor Hatches Before your Eyes!

A Mertens’ Water Monitor hatched from its egg last week in the World of Reptiles nursery at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.  The hatchling measured more than eight inches from nose to tail once it freed itself from the egg, which is approximately the same size as a chicken egg. The hatchling is one of 9 siblings at the Zoo.  Mertens’ Water Monitors are a protected species native to Australia and are threatened by collection for the pet trade. WCS works around the globe to protect wildlife and wild places and stop the illegal collection of wild animals.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher © Wildlife Conservation Society

Bronx Zoo Debuts Hoover the Baby Aardvark!

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo today debuted the first baby Aardvark ever born at the zoo. The new male Aardvark, nicknamed Hoover, was born in September to parents Dora and Arthur. Hoover spends all of his time with his mother and will continue to nurse until he is three months old. Zoo-goers can see the Aardvarks in their naturalistic nocturnal exhibit in the Carter Giraffe Building. The Bronx Zoo was the first North American zoo to exhibit Aardvarks in 1924. The zoo’s current Aardvark exhibit opened in 2008.

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher © Wildlife Conservation Society

 

Twice the Tiger Triplets at the Bronx Zoo!

The popular Tiger Mountain exhibit at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is booming as six tiger cubs make their public debut today. The six cubs include three Amur and three Malayan tigers. The last litter of Amur tigers born at the Bronx Zoo was more than 13 years ago; and this is the first litter of Malayan cubs ever exhibited at the Bronx Zoo.  The arrival of the cubs has brought a new dynamic to Tiger Mountain.  For the first time, zoo-goers will see Amur and Malayan tigers, in adjacent exhibits, allowing them to compare the notable size and coloration differences between the two subspecies.

Amur Tiger Cub Triplets

Malayan Tiger Cub Triplets

Photo credits: WCS Bronx Zoo / Julie Larsen Maher

“The birth of these tiger cubs is true cause for celebration,” said Jim Breheny, WCS’s Senior Vice President of Living Institutions and Director of the Bronx Zoo.  “The opportunity to be present and watch as these majestic creatures mature from playful cubs to awe-inspiring adults is an experience every New Yorker will enjoy.  That both the Amur and Malayan tigers are part of the Tiger Mountain experience will make it easy for our guests to learn about both subspecies of tigers and how important it is to protect them in the wild.” 

(Read more below the fold)

A Handful of Baby Tenrecs

In late June, the WCS Bronx Zoo welcomed two baby Lesser Hedgehog Tenrecs. While they might look like hedgehogs, and even have hedgehog in their name, they are actually a totally different family of mammals. Tenrec species come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with some looking like hedgehogs, some like mice, and some even like otters!

Photo credits: Julie Larsen Maher / WCS Bronx Zoo