The chick, one of only three Andean Condors to hatch in North American zoos in the last year, was named by generous friends of the National Aviary. Today, she fledged the nest for the first time.
September 8, 2022 (Pittsburgh, Penn.) – Welcome, Marijo! The National Aviary today announced that the female Andean Condor chick who hatched on June 7 has been named by Rich Caruso and John and Mary Ann DiDonato, three generous supporters of the National Aviary. Andean Condors are Critically Endangered in Ecuador, where the National Aviary has worked for years to support conservation of the species. In an exciting turn of events, Marijo fledged the nest this afternoon, taking her first steps out of the nest cave where she has been staying with her mother, Lianni. Marijo may continue to spend a majority of her time in the nest cave as she acclimates.
Oakland Zoo’s pair of Southern Pudu have welcomed a fawn to their family — a male, born August 7.
The following day, Vet and Animal Care staff did an exam and found that he is doing well. They’ve observed the fawn nursing on several occasions, and he has been taking very short trips around the habitat with Mom. Animal Care staff will continue to monitor the family closely to make sure everyone is staying happy and healthy.
In just one year of life, Zoo Madrid’s baby pandas have grown from just 200 grams to 30kg! They’re already eating their first bamboo leaves and never stop playing with each other, testing the patience of their mother Hua Zui Ba.
Mierlo, September 6, 2022 – A white-cheeked gibbon was born on September 1 in Dierenrijk, a zoo in The Netherlands. The white-cheeked gibbon, found in China, Laos and Vietnam, is a critically endangered monkey species in the wild.
In the wild, this gibbon species is mainly found in the tops of high jungle trees. The greatest threat to these animals is humans. They are widely hunted for food and for the preparation of traditional medicines. In addition, a lot of habitat is disappearing due to the felling of trees and increasing agriculture.
European management program
There is therefore a European management program for this gibbon species. In this way zoos ensure a healthy reserve population. The birth of this gibbon in Dierenrijk also falls under this program. Stephan Rijnen is therefore very happy with this birth: "We are happy to be able to contribute in this way to the preservation of this species."
In addition, Dierenrijk also supports Association Anoulak through the Wildlife Foundation. This organization focuses on biodiversity research, anti-poaching patrols, education and support of the local population. They focus on various plant and animal species in the area, including the white-cheeked gibbon.
Second time
It is the second time that a white-cheeked gibbon has been born in Dierenrijk. Father Eric and mother Kanette became parents of Jaya in 2018. Rijnen says: "Both the parents and Jaya and the newborn young are doing well. With this birth, four white-cheeked gibbons now live in the park."
Flexible singers and singers
Gibbons can almost always be found in the trees and they rarely come to the ground. These animals have long arms and the joints in their shoulders and wrists are very flexible. They can rotate their arms 360 degrees without letting go of a branch. Because they have such long arms and flexible joints, they can swing distances of about three meters between trees. In addition, these monkeys can also walk through the trees. They do this upright with their arms above their heads or to the side to maintain their balance.
“This gibbon species marks their territory by singing. The sound can be heard up to three kilometers away,” says Rijnen. “They also sing to seduce others and to strengthen the bond with each other. In addition, they also let each other know where they are in this way, because in the tropical rainforest they can hear each other better than they can see each other.”
Family groups
The gibbons are born with a light brown coat and after about one year it turns black. The coat color of the females becomes light brown again at the age of five to six years, when they are sexually mature. From this age, the males and females can therefore be distinguished from each other by these color differences. As the name suggests, both the males and females have white cheeks.
This monkey species lives in a group of two to six animals. The group consists of one family: a man, woman and their boy. Gibbons are one of the few monkey species where the male and female remain loyal to each other. These animals can have young all year round and they give birth to one young about every two to three years. The young feed on their mothers until they are about two years old and around the age of four or five they really mature. When they are five or six years old, the gibbons can have young themselves. At that point, they leave their family to start a new group of their own.
Vultures have one of the worst reputations in the Animal Kingdom just by doing what comes naturally—eating carrion. These unique birds serve as the custodians of the wild, and are critical to ecosystems around the world.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has a long history of success in breeding endangered vultures, including Ruppell's vultures like this one, Egyptian vultures, and most famously, the California condor.
Click the link below to learn more about San Diego Zoo’s vulture conservation efforts:
Milwaukee County Zoo Keepers share that Asante (Born August 4th) and mom, Ziggy, continue to bond and are now spending the night with the other females in the indoor habitat. During the day, Asante and his half-sister, Poppy, can often be seen romping together, studying the public, or napping. Asante, like other calves his age, is experimenting with solid food and eating a small amount of alfalfa, browse (leaves from trees and shrubs), and pelleted chow — although he’s still nursing quite a bit as well. Along with Poppy, he spends a lot of time following his older half-sister, Maya, his aunt, Rahna, and other female, Marlee, outside. And he continues to grow, standing tall at roughly 6’6” now!
On May 7, 2022 the Topeka Zoo welcomed their newest addition. A critically endangered Bornean Orangutan named Udara, the Malay word for "air." Use #HelloUdara to follow along, or visit topekazoo.org/hellobaby. You can also follow along on the zoo’s social media platforms.
Ohio’s Toledo Zoo is tickled pink to share that eight Flamingo chicks have hatched at the Toledo Zoo this year!
The Flamingo chicks are fed six times a day with a diet consisting of fish, shrimp, egg yolks, baby rice cereal and water until they're fully weaned after two months. After one week of hatching, the chicks are exercised daily to ensure their legs develop properly.
