ZooBorns

How Do You Do, Little Pudu?

A tiny female Pudu fawn was born at the Detroit Zoo on September 7 to parents T. Roy and Carol.  Weighing only 2.3 pounds (1.06 kg) at birth, the diminutive deer is the fourth Pudu born at the zoo since 2008.

Due to habitat loss, Pudus are listed as Threatened by the IUCN.  Many programs are underway to protect Pudus from possible extinction, including releasing Pudus born in South American zoos back to their wild habitat.

 

Pudus are the world's smallest deer species.  Weighing only about 26 pounds and standing 15 inches at the shoulder as adults, Pudus live in South America's temperate rain forests.  They feed on leaves and fruit as they move through the dense underbrush, and rarely need to drink due to the high water content of their diet.  Little is konwn about Pudus in the wild, because they inhabit remote regions on mountain slopes at relatively high elevations over 6,000 feet.  Despite their small size, they are agile climbers and jumpers.

Photo & Video Credits:  Lee Ann Fisher & Patti Truesdell

Detroit Zoo Welcomes Brown and White Bundle of Joy

Detroit Zoo welcomed a brown and white bundle of joy to its fold on April 17th. After a 13 month gestation period, Jimmy the Grevy's Zebra foal stumbled onto the scene and was up on his feet in just a few hours. Wild Grevy's Zebras must quickly learn to stand and run to escape the potential threat of predators. This endangered East African species is declining in numbers due to habitat loss and competition with livestock.

Meet Roxannne! Amani the Aardvark's Kid Sister

Long time ZooBorns readers and anyone whose read our books will know Amani the Aardvark, born in December of 2008. Today, Detroit Zoo announces the arrival of Amani's kid sister, Roxanne, born on January 8th. “Aardvarks are believed to be relatively plentiful in the wild, but not in zoos.  Babies like Roxanne are special because they’re both uncommonly cute and just plain uncommon,” said Detroit Zoological Society Chief Life Sciences Officer Scott Carter.  “We’re excited to have our third baby Aardvark in two years and to help this small population in zoos grow.”

Photo credits: Detroit Zoological Society

Detroit Zoological Society veterinarians and zookeepers are monitoring Rachaael and Roxanne closely.  Aardvarks are small, hairless and fragile at birth, and aardvark mothers are sometimes clumsy and can accidentally injure their little ones.  Roxanne weighed less than 4 pounds at birth and has since more than quadrupled in size.  Mature aardvarks can weigh from 90 to 145 pounds and grow 5 to 6 feet in length.

“Aardvarks are the real estate developers of their African grassland communities,” said Carter.  “They dig tunnels and burrows with ease, which are used by other animals when the aardvarks move on.”

More to read below the fold

Lemur Twins Look Awfully Surprised

Black-and-white ruffed lemurs may look like stuffed animals come to life, but they are actually important ambassadors for their critically endangered species, native to Madagascar. These wide-eyed twins were recently born at the Detroit Zoo and serve as a reminder to the desperate conservation needs of their wild relatives. Donations can be made to help protect these adorable little guys via the Lemur Conservation Foundation.

Caught in the act... of being lemurs!

If this isn't a ready-made donation postcard for the Lemur Foundation, I don't know what is.

Naked into the World: Amani the Baby Aardvark

As we have said in the past, cute is in the eye of the beholder. Newborn baby aardvarks may not be your typical bundle of furry joy, but keepers and mama aardvark, Raachael, at the Detroit Zoo are enamored with their most recent arrival, baby Amani, born Dec. 8th.

Oversized ears and a long snout make aardvark's experts at seeking out and slurping up termites. However, their relatively primitive brains (for a mammal) make them rather clumsy so keepers are keeping a close eye on the new family.

Happy Hallzooween!

While babies are our specialty, we just couldn't resist the Halloween Spirit, and hope you'll enjoy the furry (and-sometimes-not-so-furry!) festivities going on at zoos around the world this week...

Read on and see who else has a taste for pumpkin this year!