Houston Zoo Welcomes First Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon
HOUSTON (June 13, 2023) – It’s a Houston Zoo first! A male northern white-cheeked gibbon was born on May 30 to first-time parents Ting and Max. This is the first time this species has been born at the Houston Zoo. Guests can see the new family in Wortham World of Primates, next to the De Brazza’s monkeys. While mother and baby bonding is going well at the moment, the first few weeks are crucial, and the animal care team is keeping a close watch on the pair. The keepers who have dedicated their lives to caring for the gibbons will have the honor of naming the newborn.
HOUSTON (May 11, 2022) – Double the cuteness at the Houston Zoo! Two healthy capybara pups were born April 11 to first-time mom, Squirt, and dad, Rio. The brother and sister have been named Bruno and Pepa after characters from the beloved children’s film “Encanto.” Squirt gave birth to the pups behind the scenes in the Zoo’s South America’s Pantanal exhibit under supervision of her keepers and veterinary staff. After delivery, Squirt and the pups spent several days bonding privately before making their public debut. This is the third capybara litter the Zoo has had in the past 10 years.
Spot 6 Differences in this outstanding photo of Houston Zoo's baby Goeldi’s Monkey! Facebook Supporters and Patreons will receive the answer key tomorrow!
Last month, the primate keepers at the Houston Zoo found a surprise waiting for them when they approached the Goeldi’s (pronounced "gell-dees") monkey night house—a tiny baby hanging onto a branch in her enclosure. The team moved swiftly to reintroduce her to her mother, Kylie. In doing so, the animal care professionals found the infant to be significantly smaller than a typical Goeldi’s newborn.
Unfortunately attempts to encourage Kylie to take the baby—named Betty in honor of the late, beloved actress and animal lover, Betty White—were not immediately successful so the team made the decision to hand-raise Betty while continuing to encourage parental bonding.
Houston Zoo Experts Rally to Save Extraordinarily Small Infant
HOUSTON (Feb. 2, 2022) – On Jan. 15, 2022, the primate keepers at the Houston Zoo found a surprise waiting for them when they approached the Goeldi’s (pronounced “gell-dees”) monkey night house—a tiny baby hanging onto a branch in her enclosure. The team moved swiftly to reintroduce her to her mother, Kylie. In doing so, the animal care professionals found the infant to be significantly smaller than a typical Goeldi’s newborn. Usually, the primates are around 50 grams or larger at birth, but this tiny one weighed in at only 34 grams, about the weight of a standard light bulb.
Unfortunately attempts to encourage Kylie to take the baby—named Betty in honor of the late, beloved actress and animal lover, Betty White—were not immediately successful so the team made the decision to hand raise Betty while continuing to encourage parental bonding. Betty and both of her parents, Kylie, and father Opie were moved to the Zoo’s state-of-the-art Animal Hospital to further her care under the supervision of the veterinary staff.
Just two months after baby elephant Winnie was born, there’s a new pachyderm in the herd! Sunday at 8:04 p.m., 37-year-old Asian elephant Tess gave birth to a 391-pound male, and the calf began to nurse within hours. The calf has been named Teddy by the team who have dedicated their lives to the care, well-being, and conservation of these incredible animals.
“Our animal team is thrilled that the birth has gone smoothly,” said Lisa Marie Avendano, vice president of animal operations at the Houston Zoo. “We look forward to continuing to watch Teddy and Tess bond, and introducing him to Houston.”
Tess gave birth in the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat cow barn under the supervision of her keepers and veterinary staff. She and the calf will undergo post-natal exams and spend several days bonding behind the scenes before they are ready for their public debut. During the bonding period, the elephant team is watching for the pair to share several key moments like communicating with mom and hitting weight goals.
Tess is also mother to Tucker (16), Tupelo (10) and Tilly (2), and grandmother to Winnie, born March 10. This calf raises the number of elephants in the Houston Zoo herd to 13—six males and seven females.
Over the next several years, the Zoo animal care team will watch the young elephant for signs of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). EEHV is the most devastating viral disease in elephants worldwide. It occurs in elephants in the wild as well as those in human care such as in sanctuaries and zoos.
The Houston Zoo is an integral part of finding treatments and developing management strategies for the virus. The Zoo’s veterinarians and elephant care team established a research collaboration in 2009 with herpes virologist Dr. Paul Ling at Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Virology and Microbiology, which recorded significant advancements in the study of EEHV, and toward a vaccine.
The Houston Zoo’s EEHV testing methods, treatment protocols, and experience serve as a global elephant care resource and have contributed to saving elephant calves around the world.
Just by visiting the Houston Zoo, guests help save baby elephants and their families in the wild. A portion of each Zoo admission and membership goes to protecting wild elephants in Asia. The Zoo provides support, equipment, and training for local researchers to place satellite collars on wild elephants and track them in Asia. The Zoo’s Malaysian conservation team is now watching over and protecting three groups of wild elephants with babies in Borneo. The data collected from these groups will inform future national protection plans for elephants.
Less than a year after Houston welcomed Asian elephant calf, Nelson, a new kid is on the block! On March 10 shortly after 11:00 a.m., 10-year-old Asian elephant Tupelo gave birth to a 284-pound female calf, and she began to nurse within a few hours. The calf has not yet been named; her name will be announced on the Houston Zoo’s social media channels.
“Our animal team is thrilled that the birth has gone smoothly,” said Lisa Marie Avendano, vice president of animal operations at the Houston Zoo. “We look forward to continuing to watch Tupelo and her baby bond and introducing her to Houston.”
Tupelo gave birth in the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat cow barn under the supervision of her keepers and veterinary staff. Mother and baby will undergo continued post-natal exams and spend several days bonding before they are ready to join the rest of the herd. During the bonding period, the elephant team is watching for the pair to share several key moments like nursing and hitting weight goals.
This is the first calf for Tupelo, whose pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination since she is related to all the male elephants at the Zoo. The calf raises the number of elephants in the Houston Zoo herd to 12 – five males and seven females.
Just five days after her birth, Winnie, the newest member of Houston’s Asian elephant herd, took her first steps with mom, Tupelo, and the rest of the herd.
Just by visiting the Houston Zoo, guests help save baby elephants and their families in the wild. A portion of each Zoo admission and membership goes to protecting wild elephants in Asia. The Zoo provides support, equipment and training for local researchers to place satellite collars on wild elephants and track them in Asia. The Zoo’s Malaysian conservation team is now watching over and protecting three groups of wild elephants with babies in Borneo. The data collected from these groups will inform future national protection plans for elephants.
The Houston Zoo’s four-month-old Jaguar cubs recently made their public debut.
Fitz and his sister, Emma, were born to first-time parents Maya and Tesoro on July 20. The cubs have been behind-the-scenes with mom the past few months.
During most mornings, the family can be seen exploring their outdoor habitat. According the zoo, the cubs and their mom also have access to their “night houses” or caves if they choose to have privacy.
Photo Credits: Houston Zoo
The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat and is the only extant Panthera species native to the Americas. The Jaguar is the third-largest feline species after the Tiger and the Lion, and the largest in the Americas.
The Jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The species has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century.
After a two-year pregnancy, the wait is over for the Houston Zoo’s Asian Elephant, Shanti. On July 12, the 26-year-old gave birth to a 305-pound female.
The calf has been named Joy by the zoo team that has dedicated their lives to the care, wellbeing, and conservation of these incredible animals.
Baby elephants are quite wobbly when they’re first born, so the harness seen on the images and video of Joy assists the elephant team to help her stand-steady while she’s nursing.
Shanti gave birth in the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat cow barn under the supervision of keepers and veterinary staff. She and her calf underwent post-natal exams and are now spending several days bonding behind the scenes. During this important bonding period, the elephant team is watching for the pair to share key moments like communication and hitting weight goals.
“Our animal team is thrilled that the birth has gone smoothly,” said Lisa Marie Avendano, Vice President of Animal Operations at the Houston Zoo. “We look forward to continuing to watch Joy and Shanti bond, and introducing her to Houston.”
More than 100 Peruvian Jumping Stick Insects have hatched at the Houston Zoo since October 20!
Photo Credit: Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo
These unique insects hatched from eggs laid by the adult female in the exhibit substrate. The eggs take six months to a year to hatch. The Houston Zoo’s staff reports finding five to 10 hatchlings in the exhibit every day. They recently found 21 hatchlings in a single day!
Though they appear to be related to Walking Sticks, Peruvian Jumping Sticks are actually a species of Grasshopper. Native to Peru and Ecuador in the Amazon Basin, males and females of this species are dramatically different in appearance – an adaptation known as sexual dimorphism. Males are small and green, while females are two or three times larger than males. Females are brown and look almost exactly like a stick, complete with markings that look like bud scars. Like most grasshoppers, both males and females have large hind legs and are expert jumpers.
In the wild, these insects live in trees and feed on leaves. Their markings provide excellent camouflage that helps protect them from predators.
Opal is one of four baby Nyala born at the Houston Zoo over the past two months, and keepers have formed a special attachment to the new calf.
Photo Credits: Houston Zoo
The Zoo’s keeper team noticed, soon after she was born on August 25, that she wasn’t nursing very well from mom, Ruby. They quickly intervened and taught the calf to bottle-feed, but kept her living with her mother so the pair could continue to bond behind-the-scenes. Soon, however, the keepers saw Opal nursing from Ruby! Recently, the team ended all bottles for Opal, and she is continuing to successfully nurse from mom. Opal now eats solid food, as well, which includes grain, hay, and produce.
Opal and her mom will continue to stay in their barn for a few more weeks, but guests and Zoo members can see the other three new Nyala frolicking around the yard, every day, at the Houston Zoo’s West Hoofed Run. Additional baby Nyala include: Wallace (mom Willow), born July 29; Fancy (mom Lola), August 12; and Fern (mom Ivy), September 8.
The Nyala (Tragelaphus angasil), also called inyala, are mid-sized members of the antelope family. Native to southern Africa, the spiral-horned males can weigh up to 275 pounds, and females weigh up to 150 pounds. When born, Nyala generally weigh around 10 pounds.