Spring is FINALLY here.
You know what the means!
It’s time to load up on Zytrec, throw off the last remnants of SAD, and… visit adorable zoo animals!
Zoos around the world are celebrating the birth of cuddly, squirmy, scaly, and altogether astounding creatures. Let’s take a look at some of the cutest.
#1: Sabra the Giraffe
Location: Zoo Miami
Birthday: March 28, 2018
Zoo Miami welcomed little Sabra on the morning of March 28th. The leggy babe is Zoo Miami’s 52nd Giraffe calf! Early indications show that Sabra is male, but we won’t know for certain for a little bit.
In light of recent news that giraffes are now on the endangered species list, we’re especially thankful that Sabra has a safe home at Zoo Miami and is bonding with his/her mom.
#2: Carina the Gazelle
Location: Indianapolis Zoo
Birthday: September 28, 2017
Carina is a rare species of gazelle known as Addra Gazelle. She had a bit of a rough start to life – zookeepers assessed that Carina wasn’t receiving enough care from her mother when Carina was first born. So, they intervened – bottle feeding her several times a day and giving her all the TLC a baby Addra Gazelle could need.
It paid off! The Indianapolis Zoo says that Carina is doing great today.
#3: Baby Sloth Bears
Location: Woodland Park Zoo
Birthday: December 27, 2017
These two male sloth bear cubs are so cute it actually hurts. They were born on December 27, 2017 to parents Tasha and Bhutan.
Sloth bears are extremely endangered – there are less than 10,000 left in the world. Sloth bears have been victims of deforestation, illegal poaching and trade, competition for food and space, and more. The Woodland Park Zoo is working with Wildlife SOS to learn more about sloth bears and hopefully create more safe spaces for them to live.
#4: Clouded Leopard Cub
Location: Nashville Zoo
Birthday: February 19, 2018
We recommend shrieking for a good five to six seconds before attempting to learn about this ball of fluff.
This baby clouded leopard was one of three cubs born to mom Lom Choy on February 19. The other two cubs were victims of parental predation, which is a fancy way of saying that their mother killed them. Parental predation is common in clouded leopards, so the Nashville zookeepers were on the lookout. When they saw what happened to the other two cubs, they rescued this little lady and have started to raise her themselves.
#5: Baby Manatee
Location: Zoo Wroclaw
Birthday: March 3, 2018
Baby Lavia is the first Manatee calf to be born at Zoo Wroclaw. Zookeepers were waiting anxiously for Lavia’s arrival since they learned that her mother, Ling, was expecting in November of 2017.
Zoe keepers are using a special formula to feed Lavia, since Ling has had a hard time bonding with her calf. Manatees are often vulnerable in wild areas, because of their large, slow-moving nature. Every Manatee birth helps ensure the survival of this beautiful species.
#6: Baby Forest Dragons
Location: Chester Zoo
Birthday: March 2018
The Chester Zoo was thrilled to announce the hatching of a number of rare Bell’s Anglehead Lizards. These sneaky little guys are native to Southeast Asia, an area which has been almost completely decimated to make way for palm oil plantations.
Breeding the “Forest Dragons” at the zoo helps biologists learn more about the elusive species. The birth of these little guys taught biologists that Forest Dragons incubate their eggs for between 151 and 155 days and reach sexual maturity at three-years-old.
#7: Emu Chicks
Location: Brevard Zoo
Birthday: March 14-15, 2018
These baby emus were born in mid-March at the Brevard Zoo in Florida. Their parents are Lafawnduh and Napoleon.
After laying the chicks, Lafawnduh skipped town, which is the way emus do things. Napoleon took over for his lady, and “did a great job of sitting on the eggs” until they were ready to hatch, according to Michelle Smurl, director of animal programs at Brevard.
The zookeepers at Brevard are hand-rearing the chicks until they’re big enough to go out and visit guests in the next few weeks.
Get Your “Awww!” On!
This spring, pay a visit to your local zoo to get your “awww!” on. We guarantee you’ll have a wild time!
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