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

Category: San Francisco Zoo

  • Big Day for a Little Joey

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    The San Francisco Zoological Society is proud to announce the birth of a female Queensland, Koala. This is the first Koala birth at the Zoo since 2000 and the new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her first public debut today. San Francisco zookeepers confirmed the birth during a pouch check in December and caught their first glimpse of the bean-sized joey in mid-January. A small hand appeared and over the next few months, little by little, she slowly made her way out of the pouch. It wasn’t until February that the joey made it all the way out and onto her mother’s back.

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    Photo credits: San Francisco Zoo


    http://www.youtube.com/e/NFpHzt45QZo

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  • Rescued Alligator Finds Home at San Francisco Zoo

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    There is a new face at the San Francisco Zoo and he is indeed one lucky Alligator. Named after one of the jazzy legends of New Orleans, Miles is a young American Alligator that was rescued in the thick grasses of East New Orleans. He now joins the Zoo family and will become an important ambassador in many of the Zoo’s education programs.

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    Photo credits: San Francisco Zoo

    Miles was found on the grounds of a school and was rescued by an individual who was mowing the lawn on a ride-on mower. The individual saw something moving in the grass and stopped to find out what was causing the stir. To his surprise, it was a tiny Alligator. Miles was brought to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, but it was too late for him to be released back into the wild with another group of young Alligators. The San Francisco Zoo had an older alligator that was ready to return to the wild, which allowed the Zoo to provide a home for this rescued gator. This was the perfect scenario for young Miles, and Zoo staff anticipate he’ll be on exhibit sometime next week at the Koret Animal Resource Center.

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  • Check Out that Tongue!

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    Baby Giant Anteater and Mom at San Francisco Zoo 1

    Only three days ago we brought you news that the San Francisco Zoo had welcomed a happy and healthy baby Giant Anteater. Well we can't get enough of the long-schnozzed and even longer tongued little critter. These exceptional images were taken by May Woon, a San Francisco Zoo member and volunteer photographer. If you live anywhere in the Bay Area, or have been looking for an excuse to visit, we suggest you make the trip ASAP.

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    Baby Giant Anteater and Mom at San Francisco Zoo 3

    Check out that tongue!!! 4Photo credits: May Woon

    Many more outstanding photos below the fold…

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  • Baby Anteater Clings Tight to the Mom-Mobile

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    Baby Anteater enjoys the mom-mobile at the San Francisco Zoo 2

    For the first time in 10 years the San Francisco Zoo has welcomed a baby Giant Anteater. Mom proudly carried her youngster into the exhibit this past Thursday for the public and press. The infant was born on December 22, 2010 and has been bonding with its mother over the last four weeks. Both mom and infant are doing extremely well and the two will spend the next few months in the front yard area, until the baby is more independent. The sex of the infant is not yet known. Growing up to 7 feet long, Giant Anteaters are solitary animals that roam through Central and South America. They are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat destruction.

    Baby Anteater lazily holds on for a ride 2

    Baby Anteater close-up at the San Francisco Zoo 2Photo credits: First and second photo – Marianne Hale. Third photo – Eric Krussman

  • San Fran’s Francois’ Langur Babies say, “Hi!”

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    On September 7, 2010, animal keepers at the San Francisco Zoo were greeted by a wonderful and unexpected new addition — the birth of an infant François’ Langur. Then, on Thursday, September 23, 2010 another infant was born, this one was planned through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. The two vibrant orange-headed infants were welcomed with open arms by the rest of the langur group and both mothers and newborns are doing incredibly well.

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    Photo Credits: Paul Chamberlain

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  • “When is it my turn?”

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    Last week our pal Hasani, the Western Lowland Gorilla at San Francisco Zoo, made headlines. His adoptive Mom Bawang picked up a boy's dropped Nintendo DS and began to try and figure it out.  Photographer Christina Spicuzza was on hand to record every moment. Bawang wasn't so eager to share "her" new toy with Hasani. That didn't stop the curious little fellow from trying to get a game in before the DS was safely returned to the boy by keepers.

    Bawang wants to be the King of Kong

    First, a boy dropped his Nintendo NDS into the Gorilla enclosure. Bawang was more than happy to swoop it up and investigate.

    Hasani soon drops by to see what all the fuss is about

    It wasn't long before Hasani had to see what was going on.

    High Score?

    Bawang tried to figure it out.

    No Mom, you're holding it the wrong way!

    That way didn't work, so she flipped it over.

    Trying to get inside the game; Tron style

    Then they held it really close to their eyes hoping to see something through it.

    C'mon Mom, you've been playing for hours!

    "OK Mom, let the pro try!"

    http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

    Photo and Video Credits: Christina Spicuzzi

    Peek-a-boo!
    Above Photo Credit: Eva Thorensen / San Francisco Zoo

    Hasani in his infancy at the SF Zoo.  No stranger to human games like Peek-a-Boo.

  • Tiny Things Debut at the SF Zoo!

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    Earlier this week the San Francisco Zoo introduced some of their newest, and smallest, friends to the public. First we have two baby Emperor tamarin twins who will spend the next few weeks clinging tightly to mom's back. This species gets its name from the regal mustaches of adulthood. Secondly we have a feisty black-tailed prairie dog pup. Prairie dogs are a type of highly social ground squirrel that live in huge "towns" made up of countless individuals across hundreds of miles. They often make "house calls" on neighbors and greet each other by touching noses, which looks an awful lot like Eskimo kisses.

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    Kisses for mom!

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    Photo credits: Tamarins twins – Amy Hansen, Prairie pups – Marianne Hale

  • Gorilla Tickles: Bawang and Hasani at the SF Zoo

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    In May of 2009 we brought you the story of a baby gorilla named Hasani who had been abandoned by his mom but was adopted by a surrogate mother, Bawang, at the San Francisco Zoo. Today we check back in on mother and baby to find that they are doing very very well. In the first pictures, mother Bawang is tickling little Hasani.

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    Hasani laughing

    Bawang and hasani

    Auntie Nneka and hasani 2 Photo credits: Marianne Hale


    This last picture is actually Hasani with Aunti Nneka but you get the idea.

  • Baby Gorilla Meets His New Mom

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    Raised by keepers since birth in December, experts at the San Francisco Zoo decided to introduce baby Hasani to his new surrogate mom, Bawang, yesterday. After a few cautious hours, the two got along wonderfully as you can see in this touching video. 

     

    ZooBorns has been following little Hasani since he was just 9 days old. Here's a reminder.

    Surrogate gorilla mom Bawang has raised three offspring of her own and has proven to be a outstanding mother. Keepers noted that Bawang's handling of Hasani was very gentle and clearly demonstrated her natural maternal instincts kicking in.

  • It’s a Giraffe!

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    SAN FRANCISCO (April 2, 2009) – Today, the San Francisco Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a reticulated giraffe calf to proud mom, Kristin.

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    This is Kristin’s third calf and marks the sixth calf sired by Floyd at the San Francisco Zoo. This is the second giraffe birth this year for the herd. A female named Bititi gave birth to a calf, Camilla, on January 26, 2009.

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