The Newest, Cutest Baby Animals from the World's Zoos & Aquariums
The Zoo Knoxville African lion cubs names have been chosen, Maji and Anga! The names are Swahili in origin, Maji for the male meaning water and Anga for the female translating to sky. These little ones just turned a month old and are growing up so fast. This week they began visits to the Valley of the Kings for howdy with their parents.
Happy Lunar New Year! To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, Dallas Zoo shared some paw-some footage of tiger cubs, Nety and Rudi.
The cubs are almost 3 months old now and getting bigger every day. Both are doing really well – not quite ready for a public debut just yet, but we'll keep you posted on that.
TORONTO, ON, Friday, January 28, 2022: Your Toronto Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of three beautiful cheetah cubs born Monday January 24! Emarah, a 4.5-year-old female cheetah and first-time mom, gave birth in the early hours of the morning after a 92-day pregnancy.
In preparation for cubs, the Wildlife Care team set up a maternity den for Emarah, selecting a quiet space in the cheetah house and furnishing it with a large nestbox lined with a thick layer of bedding. Emarah began exhibiting signs of labour on Sunday, including restlessness and lack of appetite. The team monitored the labour using video cameras in her habitat to ensure her privacy. She gave birth to her first cub just after 3:30 am, followed by a further three cubs over the next few hours. Unfortunately, one of the cubs did not survive, but the remaining cubs appear to be doing well and have been observed nursing and wriggling around close to their mother.
When cheetah cubs are born, their eyes are closed, and it will be about a week before they begin to open them to have a look around. During this time we minimize disturbances to give mother and cubs time to bond. The cameras allow the team to monitor Emarah and her new family as she navigates her maternal duties for the first time, and we are pleased to say she is doing very well – a real natural mom! She has been very attentive and has been seen grooming and nursing the cubs, both of which of which are excellent signs for a first-time mother. She also has been comfortable enough to start leaving the den to feed and to stretch her legs.
Unless there is cause for concern, it will be a few weeks before the vets will do their first full quick check on the cubs. Until they are fully vaccinated and the weather warms up, the new family will remain cozy in their indoor habitat; once they are several months old, we will introduce them to the outdoor habitats, including the main cheetah exhibit where guests will be able to visit them.
Emarah was part of the last cheetah litter born at the Toronto Zoo. While her brothers and sister have moved to other accredited zoos as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Emarah remained in Toronto . Emarah and her new family are important as her genes are not widespread in Cheetah populations in accredited Zoos. The SSP makes recommendations to best manage the cheetahs in our care. These cubs represent that next step in terms of preserving these important genes to ensure they are protected for the future.
In addition to conservation research, the Toronto Zoo team supports cheetahs in the wild through partnerships with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Cheetah populations in the wild are declining rapidly, with estimates putting the world population at somewhere around 7000. The primary threats to cheetahs in the wild are the poaching of cheetah cubs to meet demand for illegal pets and human wildlife conflict. You can support Emarah and other threatened cheetahs in the wild by making a donation to the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy, or through the Adopt an Animal program.
Monarto Safari Park in Australia has some pawsome news! Five African lion cubs have been born to African Lioness Husani. 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
The cubs arrived late on Monday night into Tuesday morning with Husani inside the birthing den at Monarto Safari Park.
A 'den cam' captured the moment of each arrival with the firstborn getting a ride on mum's tail!
It will be a while before the cubs are out and about in exhibit as for now they are left to bond with mum and fill their tums with milk. 🍼
Keeping staff, everyone at Zoos SA and YOU will be over the moon – Husani and her fab five will, in the not too distant future, enjoy roaming in hectares of plains – safe and sound with the rest of the pride. However, lions in their native Africa face a very different future with their population decreasing due to indiscriminate killing, habitat loss, and trophy hunting.
It is therefore imperative that breeding programs like the one at Monarto Safari Park exist – they are pivotal to securing the future of this beautiful species.
Month-old Sumatran tiger cub takes wobbly first steps outside at ZSL London Zoo’s Tiger Territory
Footage taken by zookeepers at ZSL London Zoo yesterday (Wednesday 12 January) shows a Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger cub taking its first wobbly steps outdoors – a month after its December birth.
ZSL London Zoo tiger keeper Kathryn Sanders said: “The cub has so far mostly stayed tucked up with Gaysha in their cosy behind-the-scenes cubbing den, but with such lovely weather yesterday it’s clear she decided it was time for her little one to take its first steps in the outside world.”
River and Ember are the names of two caracal kittens born in October to adult caracals living in a behind-the-scenes area of the Nashville Zoo. The kittens, whose mother was not able to care for them, are being hand-reared by the Zoo's veterinary and carnivore teams for eventual close-up experiences with zoo visitors.
The three-month-old kittens are still living in a neonatal care room at the Zoo's Veterinary Center.
Guests can see the newborns daily on a live camera feed. Find a link to the feed below.
Watch veterinarians and animal care at Smithsonian's National Zoo staff give Rosalie's five cubs their 9-week-old checkup.
Yesterday morning Ms. Karin Welge, Lord Mayor of Gelsenkirchen, revealed the secret of the sexes of ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen three lion cubs: There are three females!
The names of the three little lionesses were also announced by Mrs. Welge: Jamila, Kumani and Malaika. All names come from the continent of Africa and were selected by our animal keepers to match the three young animals:
Jamila means "the beautiful one". After birth, she had a strikingly white fur that gradually darkens.
Malaika means “angel” or “good spirit” because the lioness is very relaxed and calm with the animal keepers.
The baby Sri Lankan Leopard at Royal Burgers’ Zoo in The Netherlands has been vaccinated for the second time against cat flu and has been dewormed. Thanks to this booster, the animal is now immune to this common feline disease and hopefully also preventively rid of any worms.
At the age of about three months, the youngster can get acquainted with its mother for the first time in the large outdoor enclosure. Until then, the young can continue to grow in the pleasant warmth of the indoor enclosure thanks to mother's milk.
Taronga Zoo Sydney is brimming with pride to announce the public debut of five beautiful Lion cubs at its iconic African Savannah. The cubs, who are now 12 weeks old, have well and truly found their paws and are ready for a summer of fun as they grow in confidence.
The five cubs were born to experienced mum Maya and first-time dad Ato in August and are now weighing in between 11-13kg each. The youngsters have now been named, with the public coming onboard to name one male cub Khari meaning ‘like a king’ in Swahili while the other was named Luzuko, meaning ‘glory’ which is of South African origin and was picked by Taronga’s carnivore keepers.
The Swahili names of Malika, Zuri and Ayanna were selected for the three female cubs and were chosen by generous Zoo supporters. Malika means ‘like a queen’, Zuri means ‘beautiful’ and Ayanna means ‘beautiful flower’. All three names were chosen in recognition of the African Lion’s native homeland.
Carnivore Unit Supervisor Louise Ginman said like all youngsters, the cubs are growing at a rapid rate: “It’s been such an honour to watch these five precious Lion cubs as they develop their own unique personalities. It has been over 18 years since we’ve heard the pitter-patter of Lion cub paws at Taronga Zoo and it the first time ever we have had a full pride in the new African Savannah,” said Ginman.
“The cubs have changed so much over the course of their little lives. Our guests are going to be in for a real treat every time they come to visit and see the cubs – with so many milestones on the horizon, no two visits will be the same,” said Ginman.
Just like any newborns, the cubs have bursts of activity followed by napping, cuddling up with one another, and staying close to mum until they find their confidence. For this reason, mum and cubs will only have access to this exhibit for certain periods of the day, which may differ daily to allow for rest and family bonding.
In preparation for their move into the main exhibit, the cubs have been spending more time in their holding yard, where they have learnt important Lion behaviours like climbing and foraging, which the public has been able to watch from afar via Taronga TV’s cub cam.
Taronga CEO Cam Kerr AO said: “Cub Cam was such an incredible initiative and gave our community a sneak peek into the lives of the cubs from the very beginning and importantly, an opportunity to support lions in the wild.
“Now that Sydney has reopened, we’re so excited to welcome back our guests and Zoo Friends to meet these new arrivals and to connect with wildlife. As Sydney’s only not-for-profit zoo, every time you visit, you support us to deliver vital conservation work both here in Australia and around the globe,” said Kerr.
With a brand-new pride taking their place, it’s the perfect time to sign up for an all-new Zoo Friends Family Flex membership. With 365 days of unlimited Zoo entry, Zoo Friends will be able to keep up the cubs all year long as they grow, play, tumble, find their paws and even learn to climb. Just like the cubs who keep their mum and dad in check, the all-new Zoo Friends Family Flex membership means the kids are in charge.
The Zoo Friends Family Flex membership allows any nominated adult to accompany the kids on their adventures, which means whether it's mum, dad, grandparents, aunts or uncles, everyone gets a chance to explore!
Taronga Zoo proudly accepts Dine and Discover NSW vouchers, which can be used for a discount of $25 on day tickets and Zoo Friends memberships.
Zoo Friends Annual Membership starts at $99 for individuals, or $130 for the all-new Family Flex that permits entry for 1 adult and kids under 16 from their household. For more information or to register please visit www.taronga.org.au/zoo-friends