The Newest, Cutest Baby Animals from the World's Zoos & Aquariums

Category: Artis Zoo

  • Meet Little Douli, The Netherlands’ Newest Baby Gorilla!

    ,

    Artis Zoo Gorilla 4

    On Monday, February 27th, after an 8.5 month gestation period, Artis Zoo Gorilla Dafina gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Artis, The Netherlands' oldest zoo, is already home to 10 gorillas, two of which were born last year. There are plenty of experienced moms for Dafina to learn from, although she appears to be having no trouble playing the part. From birth, gorilla mothers typically hold their young tightly to their belly buttons, making it difficult for keepers to determine their sex, often for weeks. By a stroke of luck, Dafina lifted the young baby in the presence of keepers late yesterday, giving them a clear view that the tiny baby is in fact a boy. He's been given the name Douli, after a place in the Gabon state of Africa.

    Artis Zoo Gorilla

    Id1913_picture_dafinababy_2012R2_1
    Photo credits: Artis Zoo

  • Tapir Trio Takes Twenty-Twelve By Storm!

    , , ,

    Chester-Zoo-Tapir-Calf

    Three baby Tapirs are taking 2012 by storm! First it was the U.K.'s Chester Zoo, whose female Tapir, Jennifer, gave birth to a little girl (pictured above) on December 27. The calf, named Talia, is doing really well and has already been seen out and about, foraging for food. Then on New Year's Eve a male South American Tapir (2nd and 3rd pictures) was born at the Netherlands' Artis Zoo. Last but not least, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo welcomed a female Tapir calf (last 2 pictures) on New Years Day. There are four species of tapir native to Southeast Asia and in Central and South America, all of which are classified as endangered due to ongoing decline.

    Artis-Zoo's-Tapir2

    Artis-Zoo's-Tapir

    Tampa's-Lowry-Park-Zoo-Tapir-Baby2

    Tampa's-Lowry-Park-Zoo-Tapir-Baby

  • Brand New Gorilla Baby Mugs For the Camera

    ,

    6136837986_da7fb8fa35_b

    The Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, Netherlands welcomed a tiny baby gorilla just over one week ago. The infant, whose sex and name have yet to be determined, is under the close care of her experienced mother, Shindy. The expressive young gorilla is a huge hit with zoo visitors, and so far with the other gorillas in Artis' troupe as well.

    6120886898_61a5ca4fd9_b

    6127326903_564e4abbec_b

    6120391057_d6d468bf61_b

    6120901678_c4e143b595_b
    Photo credits: A.J. Haverkamp

  • What’s a Muntjac?

    ,

    Muntjac_5

    A Muntjac, sometimes called a Barking Deer, is the oldest known species of deer. The Muntjac first appeared some 15 to 35 million years ago in Germany, France, and Poland, but its current range is South Asia including Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Japan, India and Indonesia. A.J. Haverkamp photographed this baby Muntjac at Amsterdam's Artis Zoo just days ago.

    Muntjac_1

    Muntjac_2

    Muntjac_3

    Muntjac_6

    Muntjac_4
    Photo credits: A.J. Haverkamp

  • Giant Anteater Baby Hitches Year-Long Ride (On Mom)

    ,

    Back Ronald van Weeren

    Late Friday night, Amsterdam's Atris Zoo welcomed its third baby Giant Anteater. The delivery took a little over an hour, after which the baby climbed on the back of its mother, where it will spend the better part of its first year of anteater life. The young are almost invisible to predators on their mothers' backs, as the stripes of mother and baby naturally blend together. 

    Giant Anteaters have a remarkably long snout, a 60 inch tongue and long claws on the forelegs. The gestation period of the great anteater is about six months.

    On back, Ronald van Weeren

    Tongue, Ronald van Weeren

    Photo Credit: Ronald van Weeren

    (more…)

  • What’s a Gundi?

    ,

    Gundi_Artis-Zoo-2

    The Gundi is a small rodent found in the rocky desert regions of Northern Africa. Female Gundis usually produce two offspring at a time after a two month period of gestation. Since moisture is so scarce in their native desert environment, mothers produce very little milk and their young are fully weaned within four weeks. These photos were taken over the weekend at Artis Zoo by visitor and regular ZooBorns contributor A.J. Haverkamp.

    Gundi_Artis-Zoo-5

    Gundi_Artis-Zoo-4

    Gundi_Artis-Zoo

    Gundi_Artis-Zoo-3
    Photo credits: A.J Haverkamp taken at Artis Zoo

  • “Wild” Animal Encounters

    , , , , , , ,

    Spotted:  Interspecies conoodling at the San Francisco Zoo…

    Red-Kangaroo-and-Joey-2

    Photographer Susan Pettitt caught these kangaroos coming nose to nose with a wild squirrel just the other day at the San Francisco Zoo…

    Red-Kangaroo-and-Joey-3

    Meanwhile, at the Artis Zoo, A.J. Haverkamp comes through again with some heart warming photos of Dayo the gorilla baby coming face to face with a meerkat and her own baby…

    Dayo_and_meerkat2

    Momma meerkat valiantly protects her babe, but we suspect Dayo is "meer"ly curious…

    Dayo_and_meerkat

  • Papa Pygmy Marmoset Carries Babes on His Back

    , , ,

    If these guys don't remind you of "Gizmo" from Gremlins, I don't know if anything will. A.J. Haverkamp captured these priceless marmoset moments at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam just the other day. There are actually two babies in that fluffy mound, can you make out both? Thanks for the incredible pics A.J.!

    3104354751_00b25ebba1_b

    3122132001_5f17104efe

    3122134801_8162b0f674_b

  • Gorilla Baby Snacking and Piggybacking

    , ,

    A troupe of young gorillas awaits visitors to the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam.  Photographer A.J. Haverkamp has collected an impressive set of images showing Mom Dafina with her precious baby Dayo.

    New

    After a snack with Mom, baby Dayo gets ready for piggyback lessons…

    2

    "Dafina walked a couple of times around with
    Dayo on her back. He knows how to do it, he
    faced the right way all the time. Dafina
    could even signal him to climb a bit higher
    on her back. You can tell by the look on
    Dayo's face that he loves to be on that warm
    & soft back."

    3

    Dayo almost has the hang of it, but backwards is sometimes easier (and softer!)

    4

    (more…)