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

Category: Zurich Zoo

  • Three Tiny Meerkat Pups Get a Foster Mom

    , ,

    Babymeerkats_haywood (18)a

    Christmas came a little early at the UK's Dartmoor Zoological Park when three adorable Meerkat pups were born just before last month's holiday. Adults Sue and Timon arrived at the zoo in the spring of 2010 and while they settled in well, they left keepers waiting for the kits they were hoping for despite the fact that Sue was an experienced mother.

    Things started to take a positive turn when the zoo received another female named Xena this past summer. "We were apprehensive because meerkats are very territorial, but we were very careful and it seemed to work," said operations manager George Hyde.

    Xena certainly seems to be getting along just fine with Timon and gave birth to their three offspring, a male and two females, just before Christmas. Sue, being an experienced mother, immediately began helping with mothering duties. Xena shouldn't mind the help caring for her dependents who, like all Meerkats, didn't open their eyes or ears for close to two weeks after birth.

    Babymeerkats_haywood (25)a

    Babymeerkats_haywood (52)a

    Babymeerkats_haywood (34)a
    Photo credits: Steve Haywood / Dartmoor Zoological Park

    The tiny trio has been out on exhibit for visitors to admire since early January. Keepers are currently working on coming up with names for their newest arrivals and are taking suggestions from the public. Be sure to contact them with any ideas!

    Related articles

    Meerkat Pups Emerge From the Den at Taronga Zoo
    Top 25 ZooBorns of All Time – Cute by the Numbers
    How does a Giant Anteater pup yawn? Like this!
    Meet Zoo Wroclaw's Baby Giant Anteater!

  • Teensy Mouse Deer baby born at Zurich Zoo

    ,

    Mouse deer 1

    A
    Mouse Deer has given birth to an itty-bitty baby at the Zurich Zoo.  Less than 22 inches (55 centimeters) long as adults,
    Mouse Deer are one of the smallest hoofed animal species.  They are not really deer at all, but belong
    to their own unique family of hoofed mammals.

    Mouse deer 3

    Mouse deer 2

    At
    first, the baby Mouse Deer hid beneath plants in its enclosure, but then began
    to follow its mother around the exhibit. 
    The baby’s sex is not yet known.

    Mouse
    Deer have no horns or antlers, but males have long, dagger-like canine teeth that
    are used as weapons in conflicts with other males.  Adults weigh only about 5 pounds (2.5 kg) and
    have legs about the size of a pencil. 
    Amazingly, the tongue is 5 inches (2 cm) long – long enough for the
    Mouse Deer to wipe its eyes! 

    Mouse
    Deer feed primarily on leaves, shoots, and fruit, and live alone or in
    pairs.  Their tiny size allows them to
    easily pass through the dense underbrush of the forest.  Mouse Deer are eaten by people and sometimes
    kept as pets in their native Southeast Asian range.

    Photo
    Credit:  Zurich Zoo

  • Siberian Tiger Cubs at Zurich Zoo

    ,

     Beauty shot

    Three Siberian Tiger cubs were born on May 15, 2011 at the Zürich Zoo in Switzerland. There's one male named Lailek, and two females named Luva and Liska. Mom Elena was born in 2004 in the Tierpark Hellabrunn, Munich, and has been at the Zürich zoo since March, 2010. The father, Coto, was born in June 2002 at the Zürich Zoo and in fact was the last cub born there before this trio, his offspring.

    Pose crop

    Meat crop

    Mom x

    Carry back
    Photo Credit: Emmanuel Keller

    Also known as Amur Tigers, this species is considered the world's largest cat. They they are mostly found in the birch forests of eastern Russia, though some do live in China and North Korea. According to National Geographic, there were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century.

    Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to perhaps 3,000 to 5,000. Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place. Poaching is a reduced—but still very significant—threat to Siberian tigers.


     

  • Baby Camel Born Today in Zurich!

    ,

    To the amazement of visitors at Zurich Zoo today, a baby camel was born on exhibit! These first pictures show the calf as he tries to get a leg up. 17 year old mum 'Urga' is the proud mother of this her seventh calf. Father 'Ulan' (not pictured) shares his son's white coloring.

    _KBL0792a 

    _KBL0738

    _KBL0781n

    _KBL0792

  • Zurich Zoo’s Wolf Pups

    ,

    Outstanding photographer Tambako the Jaguar captured pictures of Zoo Zurich's new wolf cubs earlier this summer. The Grey Wolf and its subspecies once ranged over most of North America, Europe and Asia but have been pushed to the northern boundaries of most of these continents by habitat destruction and eradication efforts. These wolves share a common ancestry with domestic dogs, although how you get from here to a chihuahua is something we would love to see time lapse photography of.

    Wolf pup zurich zoo tambako 1 rs

    Wolf pup zurich zoo tambako 2

    Wolf pup zurich zoo tambako 3 rs  

  • Zurich Zoo Cat Fight

    , ,

    Two new Asiatic lion cubs at The Zurich Zoo tussle playfully and pose for the camera just days ago. Cubs Jasraj and Jeevanaare are only 9 weeks old.

    3483813455_dbf7afa42a

    3478950181_222b8b6c3d

    3480744721_98b784b2ee

    3483401386_6f2eaf21b9

    3477162584_69d9389c3d

    Thanks to Tambako for the photos.

  • Baby Indian Lions Chow Down at The Zurich Zoo

    , ,

    Baby Lions nuzzle and chow down on adult sized portions at the Zurich Zoo.  The lions are now just two months old.

    3429124893_5b86c31ed3

    3428452251_fa02e4a4b9

    3432195123_bc75590632


    The cubs were born on February 3rd 2009 and are male and female. The male is called Jasraj (King of Fame in Hindi) and the female is called Jeevana (Life in Hindi).

    photos by Tambako