In the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 14, 2020 The Toronto Zoo welcomed an endangered female red panda cub, affectionately known as #BabyRed, and they need YOUR help to give her a name! Beginning Saturday, September 19, 2020 – in celebration of International Red Panda Day - through Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 11:59 pm vote at torontozoo.com for your favorite from the selected names below:
Ada - meaning first daughter, happy, prosperous, adored
Adira - meaning strong
Apple - mom's favorite treat
Kenna - meaning born from fire
ZooBorns will cast a vote on your behalf as well! Watch this behind-the-scenes "A Day In The Life Of A Keeper" video and vote in the comments. We'll tally up the votes and submit the most popular name to Toronto Zoo.
Their ungulates team went through 1000+ submissions from the public and chose the name Nyah, which is Swahili for goal or purpose. This is such an apt name for this precious calf who has a very special purpose – connecting with Auckland Zoo’s visitors as well as advocating and raising awareness for her species in the wild.
In this video with ungulates keeper Gemma you can see the calf venture out with mum Jamila into the African Savannah habitat for the first time, and learn how zoo visits and donations help Auckland Zoo support rhinoceros in Africa and Asia.
The second manatee born (September 11, 2020) in Poland this year and the fourth in three years is a female! This is important for conservation programs run by zoos. There are only 8 such facilities in the Europe and 20 in the world. At the moment the mother (Ling) is not nursing, so ZOO Wrocław had to step in. The baby gets special milk formula for manatees, which Wroclaw imports from Australia.
African Elephant Calf, Mapenzi (Penzi for short), was born on April 6, 2020 at Tuscon, AZ’s Reid Park Zoo. This video tracks some of her cutest moments. In the very last clip, listen closely for when we hear Penzi's Mom call her calf from off frame!
Visitors to the Budapest Zoo Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert are daily treated to the most moving moments as mother Lia dotes on her month-old infant Móric. Móric was born in early August. Other orangutan family members also appear in this short clip. For a few moments, even three-year-old gorilla Indigo, who lives next door, is seen observing their dynamics with curiosity.
There is new activity afoot in the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) habitat at the Queens Zoo as three cubs have made their public debut.
The cubs, one male and two females, were born in May while the zoo was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, they bonded with their mother and are now mature enough to begin exploring their exhibit.
“Lynx cubs are really fun to watch at this age. Their characteristically large paws look enormous in comparison to their size,” said Mike Allen, Queens Zoo Director. “Their playful stalking and pouncing is how they learn to hunt in the wild. Our guests will enjoy watching their development and the opportunity to observe these behaviors as the cubs mature.”
The trio was born as a result of a breeding recommendation from the Canada Lynx Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program designed to enhance the genetic viability of animal populations in zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Canada lynx are medium-sized cats that have a thick grayish-brown coat and short tail. They are easily identified by the pointed tufts of fur on their ears and cheeks. Their oversized paws act as snowshoes to prevent them from sinking in deep snow during the harsh winters of their native range, which spans Alaska, Canada, and portions of the northern and western United States.
Canada lynx populations are healthy in some portions of their range, and the species is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the United States, they are protected under the Endangered Species Act where their numbers have declined due to fur trapping and habitat destruction.
The Queens Zoo, along with the other four Wildlife Conservation Society parks in New York City (Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium), has reopened to the public and is welcoming visitors in accordance with the COVID-19 safety guidelines issued by the State of New York. All guests over 3 years old are required to wear masks and all tickets are date-specific and must be purchased in advance online. For a full list of COVID-19 protocols, visit the zoo’s Know Before You Go page.
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo – Open every day of the year. Admission is $9.95 for adults, $7.95 for seniors 65 and older, $6.95 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10am to 5pm weekdays, and 10am – 5:30pm weekends, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November through April. The Queens Zoo is located at 53-51 111th Street in Flushing Meadow’s Corona Park in Queens. For further information, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.queenszoo.com.
WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.
The Dallas Zoo is celebrating the birth of three adorable African lion cubs – one male and two females – born on August 17 to Bahati and Kijani. This is the first time since 1974 that the Zoo has welcomed a litter of multiple lion cubs.
The Zoo’s carnivore zoologists researched names for each cub that perfectly match their personalities and unique circumstances. The first cub, a male, will be called Izwi (IS-we), which means “vocal” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. Izwi came into this world with a strong personality and a lot to say! The second cub, a female, has been named Ilola (ee-LOH-la), meaning “to become strong” in the Sesotho language of South Africa. Ilola has overcome significant challenges to become strong, including weeks of physical therapy to correct developmental issues in her legs. Bahati’s third cub, also female, will be called Tadala (ta-DAH-la), which means “we have been blessed” in the southeast-African Chewa language. During Bahati’s initial ultrasounds, it was clear that two cubs were developing. During the birth, the Zoo was thrilled to find three cubs instead.
“We are overjoyed to see Bahati, who was our first lion cub in 43 years, become a mother and play a crucial role in protecting her species from extinction,” said Gregg Hudson, the Dallas Zoo’s President & CEO. “These three cubs are the embodiment of resiliency, strength, and hope, which we hope can be a bright spot in our community right now.”
The Zoo’s three-year-old female lion, Bahati, delivered the three cubs via Caesarian section. Bahati was closely monitored as she went into labor, and the Zoo’s veterinary staff made the critical decision to intervene after natural labor failed to progress in a timely manner and created an unsafe situation for the cubs.
“The cubs were not positioned correctly in Bahati’s birth canal, meaning that a natural birth would likely have had a negative impact on her health as well as the cubs’,” said Harrison Edell, the Zoo’s Executive Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation. “Thanks to our veterinarians’ thorough preparation and decisive decision-making from our animal management team, all three cubs arrived without incident and are able to thrive under the close watch of our team and, of course, mom Bahati.”
Bahati remains behind the scenes with her cubs as she recovers from the C-section surgery. She exhibited curiosity early on, and even while she was resting in a different area than the cubs, she positioned herself so she could see them. The Zoo’s veterinary staff monitored and hand fed all three cubs until Bahati was ready for a reintroduction to her little ones. Bahati’s aunt, Jasiri, joined mother and cubs, modeling appropriate behaviors for Bahati and taking an active social role, just as lions would in a wild pride.
Even still, the challenges were far from over for Ilola, one of the female cubs who was born weighing less than her siblings and who had some developmental challenges.
“Developmentally, this cub found it difficult to walk, and she also had trouble maintaining her glucose level, which is vital to support healthy growth,” said Edell. “Our expert veterinary staff kept a watchful eye on her and immediately devised a plan, beginning physical therapy to help her walk correctly.”
Ilola responded well to the initial physical therapy and has made amazing strides to correct her gait. At this point, all three cubs are eating well, gaining weight, and spending time with mom.
Bahati and her cubs will remain behind the scenes in their den for another 4-6 weeks before making their official public debut. The cubs will be gradually introduced to the rest of the pride, including their grandmother Lina, as well as their father Kijani. The Zoo will share updates and the date of the cubs’ debut on its social media channels.
Three-year-old Kijani came to the Dallas Zoo in March of 2020 to breed with Bahati on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP aims to maintain a sustainable and healthy lion population, ensuring genetic diversity of animals in AZA institutions. The pair bonded quickly and soon began exhibiting breeding behaviors. Zoo staff suspected the pregnancy in April, which was later confirmed by ultrasound in June.
African lions are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, where they roam the savanna and open grasslands. Their numbers have dwindled by 50% in the last 25 years, and the species faces ongoing threats from poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. The Dallas Zoo is proud to support a healthy African lion population in human care through our work with the AZA’s Lion Species Survival Plan as a safeguard against extinction. These animals serve as critical ambassadors for their wild counterparts.
Listen close! There is some interesting elephant behavior in this quick clip. Mother elephant Semba walks by, but her young calf Penzi doesn't follow. Turn your sound on to hear Semba emit a low rumbling sound from off-camera, which makes Penzi rush over to mom!
Elephants can make a variety of sounds to communicate different things, and these deep rumbles are one of the most fascinating ways elephants communicate. The rumbles can be so deep in tone that elephants can even "hear" them as vibrations through the ground!
ZooBorns doesn't often post baby spiders, but when we do, the response is... well... polarized! For those of you new to the ZooBorns family, welcome! We may seem like fuzzy and sweet rules the roost here, but, in fact, we have a special place in our hearts for the, well, more... creepy crawly babies! (N.B. They are sometimes fuzzy!) We know there are arachnophobes in the group so this is fair warning: if you can't stand spiders, please avoid this video and what lies beneath the fold, you're not gonna like it. Alas, here come @WellingtonZooTrust 's Bird Eating Tarantula Babies!
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