20.2.2012 – Source: Zooborns

St Louis Zoo’s New Baby Bongo

The St Louis Zoo has seen a bounty of winter babies in their Hoofed Stock department and this is another addition: a Mountain Bongo. This little male calf named Tundra was one of the last births of 2011, having come into the world on December 27. At his neonatal exam, the calf weighed 52 pounds (23.6 kilos).

Unlike the more common Bongo, the Mountain Bongo is an endangered subspecies of antelope that lives only in a few pockets of mountain forests in Kenya. This birth is the result of a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Bongo Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program which manages Bongo in AZA zoos.

The new calf can be seen with his mother and herd at the Red Rocks area on warmer days.

Bashful Agouti Pups Stick Close to Mom

Last week, Wellington Zoo welcomed two tiny Agouti pups. Agoutis are rodents, similar to Guinea Pigs, only with longer legs. One of the twins has white markings on its feet, distinguishing it clearly from its sibling. Adept swimmers, Agoutis have five front toes and only three hind toes. By adulthood, the pups may reach up to 24 inches in length.

New Meerkat Pups For Wellington Zoo

New Zealand’s Wellington Zoo welcomed a pair of Meerkat pups in January. The couplet is vivacious and healthy according to zoo officials. The birth of new Meerkats is a great opportunity for zoo visitors to observe how each Meerkat has special duties that benefit the group. The babysitters stay close to the burrow with youngsters under their care. The sentries will scan the horizon and sky for predators and the hunters will dig for food, some of which will be given to the young. The young will accompany the group on foraging trips from about 2 months.

New Giraffe Baby Debuts at Oakland Zoo

There’s a new giraffe calf at the Oakland Zoo in California and it’s a little girl! Born in January 12, to mom Twiga and dad Mabusu, she’s been named Maggie and weighed 80 pounds and was seventy-two inches tall at birth. This is the first female giraffe born at the Zoo in nearly a decade. On February 2 Maggie made make her grand debut to the public.

The Oakland Zoo is thrilled to be a partner and supporter of the Reticulated Giraffe Research Project based in the Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. John Doherty, principal researcher for the project, joined the Oakland Zoo giraffe keepers at the Zoo on February 2nd to speak about some of the crucial conservation issues facing this majestic species.

Maggie is on exhibit every day between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. with the rest of the herd.

Rescued Sea Otter Pup United With Surrogate Mom On Valentine’s Day!

A rescued male Sea Otter pup, being cared for by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, was just placed on the Sea Otter exhibit on Valentine’s Day with experienced surrogate sea otter mother, Joy. The debut of the 8 week old pup makes him the youngest Sea Otter in the aquarium’s history to become part of the two-story exhibit, which is a permanent home for rescued Sea Otters that can’t be returned to the wild. The pup, known as 572, is the 572nd stranded Sea Otter to be brought into the aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation program since 1984. He will be named after he is transferred to his permanent home – another accredited facility – later this year.