The Zoo’s male eastern bongo fathered a
calf, the first of his offspring since he arrived at the Virginia Zoo
last year.  The female baby, named Eva, was born the morning of
September 23.

The Zoo also is proud to announce the hatching of two eastern box turtles on September 24.

The  Zoo’s six-banded armadillos, Bobby and June Bug, are the parents of two male armadillo  pups born on July 24.

“Armadillo
mothers are highly nervous and sensitive, and breeding pups that
survive past the fourth week is quite rare,” noted Bockheim, “So we are
very pleased that the babies born at the Virginia Zoo are doing so
well.” Named Beauregard and Ed by their keepers, the pups have grown
quickly and will be mature at 9 months old.
            

Six-banded
armadillos are native to South America, and the Virginia Zoo is one of
only a few Zoos in the country that have six-banded armadillos. This
addition to the United States’ captive population will give even more
Zoo visitors the opportunity to see these unique creatures and
appreciate the amazing diversity of the world’s many animals and their
habitats.

Bouncing Baby Bongo Girl!
            

Thunder
is a proud papa. The Zoo’s male eastern bongo fathered a calf, the
first of his offspring since he arrived at the Virginia Zoo last year.
The female baby, named Eva, was born the morning of September 23.  Her
mother is Esi. Eastern bongos are native to Africa. The beautiful
antelope, which feature large ears, a bright chestnut coat with vivid
white stripes and spiraled horns, are highly endangered in the wild.
Although bongos have a reclusive nature, the Virginia’s Zoo bongos are
very calm and friendly.  The Zoo’s herd includes two additional adult
females and is part of the Zoo’s participation in the Species Survival
Plan (SSP).          

A
program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the SSP program
manages the breeding of species in accredited Zoos to maintain a
genetically healthy and self-sustaining population that is genetically
diverse and demographically stable.

The
Virginia Zoo has successfully raised four previous bongo calves, and in
2004, 18 captive bred bongos, including a male born at the Virginia
Zoo, were flown to African as part of the Bongo Repatriation to Mount
Kenya Project.   Bongos are nearly extinct in Africa’s Mount Kenya, due
to hunting, poaching and habitat destruction. Eleven baby bongo have
since been born to that herd and are living safely in the Mount Kenya
Wildlife Conservancy.  In May, the project welcomed the second
generation of bongos born to the repatriated American bongos. 

“Conservationists
hope that in three to five generations, the bongos will be accustomed
to the wild and ready to be set free outside the preserve,” explains
Bockheim. 

Little Turtle; Big Deal!

A
baby bog turtle hatched at the Virginia Zoo in an off-exhibit holding
area on September 26.  The tiny baby is a big deal, because bog turtles
are listed as an endangered species in Virginia and federally listed as
threatened throughout the country. Collection for pet trade has
contributed to this problem, but habitat loss is the bigger issue,
including wetland drainage. The little guy (or girl) doesn’t have a
name, but it is an important link in preserving this species.      

“The
Virginia Zoo is proud to be part of these important efforts to breed,
conserve and protect our fragile ecosystem and animal populations,”
notes Bockheim. “We will use these births and all of our animals on
exhibit to teach visitors to further appreciate the value of the world
we live in.”