Baby zoo animals beckon visitors in the fall
MOUNTAIN LION KITTEN
Carri Wilbanks
While springtime births seem to get the most buzz, fall is an equally opportune time to spot adorable newcomers at zoos nationwide. From elephant calves to mountain lion kittens and baby baboons, there are plenty of cute new faces to visit this season.
LION CUBS
In early September, four African lion cubs made their public debut at the Philadelphia Zoo. Mali, Kataba, Sabi and Msinga were born in June to mom Tajiri and dad Makini. The first lion cubs born at the Philadelphia Zoo since 1996, the cubs are now on exhibit at the Zoo’s First Niagara Big Cat Falls.
BABY BABOONS
Oakland’s two baboon troops always draw a large crowd to their viewing deck, and this May they welcomed a new addition: Mimi. The baby hamdryas baboon, named after the Swahili word for “I am,” is the third to be born at the Oakland Zoo within a year and a half. Siblings Kodee and Mocha are curious about their little sister, who they welcomed into the family along with parents Martjin and Maya. The baboons can be seen daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Baboon Cliffs exhibit.
ELEPHANT CALF
On Aug. 20, the city of Tucson, Ariz., celebrated both its own 239th birthday and the birth of a brand new African elephant calf at the Reid Park Zoo. The 245-lb. calf, born to mom Semba, is the first ever to be born at the zoo. Newly named Nandi made her public debut on Sept. 19, and she is happily fitting in with the rest of her herd, including her dad, Mabu, and siblings Punga and Sundzu. The calf is allowed access to the public-facing side of the elephant exhibit daily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The newest resident at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pa., has a slightly different background story than most zoo babies. Rainier, a mountain lion kitten, was found abandoned and malnourished on a porch near Spokane, Wash. After the Department of Fish and Wildlife made unsuccessful attempts to reunite the kitten with his mother, he was taken into veterinary care and transferred to ZooAmerica.
RED PANDA
Archibald the red panda cub was born in June, and unfortunately, as the runt of the litter, he was rejected by his mother. Staff at Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke, Va., stepped in to hand-rear him, bottle feeding the little guy, and taking him home at night. Now they are setting up a panda nursery for him and another orphaned red panda cub that will be arriving soon so he can learn to socialize with his own species. Archie will only remain at the zoo until he is 9 months old, and then he will be placed in another facility via the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan.
MUNTJAC FAWN
Kya, a Chinese muntjac fawn, was born on Sept. 19 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, N.Y. Muntjacs are the oldest known deer, with fossilized remains recorded from 15 million to 35 million years ago. Native to the forests of southeastern China and Taiwan, they feed on low-growing vegetation, fruit and nuts, and are predominantly solitary by nature. Muntjacs stand no more than 20 inches tall and can weigh up to 30 pounds, and they’re often referred to as “barking deer” for the sharp, bark-like call they produce. Kya is on exhibit with her mother, father and brother, Fang, who was born in 2013.
SNOW LEOPARD
The Rosamund Gifford Zoo is also welcoming an adorable baby snow leopard, Asa. This is a very special addition considering there are fewer than 7,000 snow leopards left in the wild and only about 144 in zoos across the nation. Head on over to watch a hand feeding.
BABY GIRAFFES
Born on Sept. 5 to first-time mom Grace and dad Travis at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, giraffe calf Jabari was named after the Swahili word for brave and strong. Since giraffes give birth standing up, newborns get an abrupt introduction to the world by dropping up to 6 feet to the ground. Jabari weighed in at about 140 pounds and was 6 feet tall when he was born. He joined half-sibling Adia, who is 3 months old, in the African Savanna exhibit, where they can both be seen now.