Endangered Penguin Chicks Hatch at Lowry Park Zoo

A baby boom continues at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo with the hatching of three African Penguin chicks. The Zoo’s “clutch mate” chicks hatched on January 7 and January 9 (weighing in at 54 grams and 48 grams) to experienced parents Tinkerbell and Loki.

“Clutch mates,” means that Tinkerbell’s two chicks hatched from eggs that she laid a few days apart. The third African Penguin chick at the Zoo hatched on January 12 (weighing in at 53 grams) to first time parents Tyke and Tyra.

“Both pairs of parents are doing a great job taking care of their chicks,” said Chris Massaro, General Curator at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. “The addition of these chicks is a great win for the species and an exciting time for our community to learn more about these beautiful birds.”

Photo Credits: TLPZ

The Zoo, currently home to a colony of twelve African Penguins, participates in the African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP). The program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) protects wildlife species at risk of extinction. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo (TLPZ) also participates in the AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction program which focuses on having animal experts identify threats, develop action plans, raise new resources and educate visitors on animal conservation. At the same time, SAFE will build capacity to increase direct conservation spending, as well as our members’ impact on saving species through work in the field, in our zoos and aquariums, and through public engagement. We have done it before. Some species exist only because of the efforts of aquariums and zoos and their contributing partners. The three chicks will be the first additions to the Zoo’s colony since June 2014.

According to keepers, it is very difficult to tell a penguin chick’s sex. A DNA blood test will be used to determine the sex of the chicks when they are old enough. The Zoo uses bands on the adult penguins’ flippers to differentiate: right flippers for males and left flippers for females. TLPZ plans to publicly reveal the sex of the chicks in the near future.

Native to the coastlines of South Africa and Namibia, the African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is one of five true warm weather species. The species is classified as “Endangered” by the IUCN due to food shortages from commercial fishing, oil spills, egg collection and fishing nets. The population declined more than 50 percent during the last 40 years.

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/endangered-penguin-chicks-hatch-at-lowry-park-zoo.html

Maryland Zoo Welcomes 1,000th Penguin Chick

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is thrilled to announce the hatching of their 1,000^th African Penguin chick!

This historic milestone marks the first time that any zoo or aquarium in North America has hatched 1,000 African Penguin chicks! The newest chick hatched on February 13^th and is the thirteenth to have hatched at the Zoo during the 2017-2018 breeding season. The little one is being parent-reared, behind-the-scenes, in the Zoo’s Penguin Coast Conservation Center.

“I am sure the people who started this penguin colony in 1967 had no idea where it would take the Zoo over time,” stated Don Hutchinson, President/CEO of The Maryland Zoo. “But they had the foresight to manage the penguin colony strategically, applying new scientific techniques as they emerged, while creating one of the most historically memorable Zoo exhibits at Rock Island. Today, we welcome the 1,000th chick at the award-winning Penguin Coast exhibit. This is truly a momentous achievement.”

Photo Credits: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

The Maryland Zoo has been a leader in African Penguins for 50 years, hatching their first chick in 1969 and winning the prestigious Edward H. Bean Award for the “African Penguin Long-term Propagation Program” from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) in 1996. The Zoo currently has the largest colony of African penguins in North America.

“This chick is not only the 1,000^th to hatch, it also becomes the 94^th in our Penguin Coast colony,” said Jen Kottyan, Avian Collection & Conservation Manager. “Our penguins are bred according to recommendations from the AZA African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP) which helps maintain their genetic diversity. Many of the penguins previously bred at the Zoo have helped establish new colonies at zoos and aquariums around the world.”

Penguins from the Zoo have moved to zoos and aquariums in thirty-five states and six countries including: Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Hungary and South Africa.

At Penguin Coast, which opened in 2014, chicks stay with their parents for about three weeks after they hatch and are fed regurgitated fish from their parents. During this time, zoo keepers and vets keep a close eye on the development of the chicks, weighing and measuring them daily for the first week to make sure that the parents are properly caring for each chick. When a chick is three-weeks-old, the animal care staff remove it from the nest, and start to teach the chick that the staff are the source of food. This step is critical as it will allow staff to provide long term care for the birds including daily feeding, regular health exams and both routine and emergency medical care.

“The chick, whose gender will not be known for several weeks, will stay behind-the-scenes in the Penguin Conservation Center for a few months until its juvenile feathers have grown in and it passes swimming lessons,” said Kottyan. “Yes, we do have to teach them to swim, but they get used to the water quickly! African Penguins are more suited to a temperate climate and so the weather will play a factor in this particular chick’s public debut.”

“The work here is not just about breeding penguins,” continued Kottyan. “Our program has grown substantially to incorporate health and disease studies, sharing expertise with zoos and aquariums in breeding and rearing chicks, holding a seat on the African Penguin SSP Steering Committee, having two of our veterinarians as SSP Veterinary Advisors and now leading various aspects of the new AZA Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program.”

“Over the years we have focused efforts here at the Zoo on topnotch animal care and breeding, cutting edge medical care and research, and creating strong education programs for raising awareness and making connections with our guests in regards to general penguin knowledge as well as the challenges they face in the wild,” said Dr. Ellen Bronson, Director of Animal Health, Conservation, and Research. “The future will see us putting more focus on action in the wild and creating stronger conservation partnerships.”

During the past couple of years, The Maryland Zoo has sent staff to South Africa to work with the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and other conservation partners.

“Two of our staff spent a couple of intense weeks in November at the SANCCOB facility in Cape Town in their chick bolstering areas, caring for chicks which had been abandoned by their parents. They were also able to participate in releasing penguins back to their wild colonies. Another staffer spent a couple of weeks in South Africa with our partners tagging penguins in the wild so we can better track them through their lives,” continued Bronson.

In addition, two Zoo staffers are individually spearheading projects, which are part of the AZA African Penguin SAFE program: the Disaster Relief and the Marine Movement Programs.

The Disaster Relief program involves working with organizations in country to formalize a disaster management plan for the individual penguin colonies in South Africa. This includes devising training protocols that will be needed to train first responders and volunteers, using an Incident Command System similar to that used in the U.S. and other countries, as well as working with Port Authorities to ensure involved companies are compliant with the laws and find ways to engage them in the conservation of the penguins.

The Marine Movement Program is designed to monitor marine foraging and movement patterns of African Penguins in-and-around breeding colonies in South Africa. The goal is to learn how the penguins are hunting and orienting in open water as well as how they navigate and return to the nesting sites (via cameras which are attached to several penguins for short periods of time.) This project could have a huge impact on how the government in South Africa collaborates with the fishing industry.

“We will continue to focus on providing the best care possible for the birds in the colony, but are excited to broaden our conservation efforts to help save this very beloved, yet endangered species,” concluded Kottyan.

For updates on the historic 1,000^th chick in the weeks before its public debut, please visit www.marylandzoo.org or www.facebook.com/marylandzoo .

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/maryland-zoo-welcomes-1000th-penguin-chick.html

Otter Family Welcomes Pups at Potter Park Zoo

Potter Park Zoo is overjoyed to announce the February 6^th birth of two North American River Otters to mother, Nkeke, and father, Miles.

Although it is still very early in their life, keepers report that the babies seem strong and are nursing on a regular basis. To keep mother and pups comfortable, the Zoo’s staff monitors the new family through a camera in the nest box.

“The Zoo staff’s excitement of their birth has to be tempered with the realization that it’s still very early in the life of the Otter pups. While Nkeke seems to be doing an excellent job as a mother, she is a first-time mom and is learning as she goes. For most wild mammal babies, the critical period is usually the first month or so of life. This is where ‘failure to thrive’ is most likely to occur. Careful monitoring of Nkeke and the pups will continue for quite some time,” said Sarah Pechtel, Potter Park Zoo General Curator.

Nkeke arrived at Potter Park Zoo in the fall of 2016 from Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island, and breeding was first observed between she and Miles the following February. The North American River Otter Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommended the pairs introduction and breeding. This SSP, one of many in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), is responsible for developing an annual breeding and transfer plan for the species. This plan identifies population management goals and makes recommendations that help ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population.

Photo Credits: Potter Park Zoo (Image 4 = New mom, Nkeke / Image 5 = New dad, Miles)

The birth of the pups marks a milestone for Potter Park Zoo staff, being the second successful River Otter litter in the Zoo’s history. Miles, the father of the new pups, was the first Otter pup born at Potter Park Zoo in 2013.

The veterinary and animal care team first observed signs of Nkeke possibly being pregnant over the past month, but since the species has delayed implantation, it was very hard to predict if she was pregnant or when a possible due date could occur. Delayed implantation occurs when a fertilized egg “floats” in the uterus until a later date. River Otters often delay implantation for as many as 273 days. After the egg has implanted, actual gestation is only about 60 days. Once keepers observed signs of possible pregnancy, veterinary technician, Deb Paperd, took an x-ray of Nkeke using a non-invasive technique while keepers fed her in a crate. Veterinarian Dr. Sally Nofs, Director of Animal Health at Potter Park Zoo, confirmed the suspected pregnancy after she and Deb noted a clearly defined fetal spinal column on the x-ray.

On the pup’s second day of life, Dr. Nofs performed their first neonatal wellness exam. This quick physical exam is necessary as it allows veterinary staff and keepers to check for any abnormalities or injuries and to get a body weight for a baseline.

“We keep the exam as brief as possible to avoid interrupting the maternal bond with the offspring from the stress of separation. These two Otter pups look normal and healthy so were promptly placed back into the nest box and mom returned in a matter of a few minutes. We can continue to monitor their health and wellness with regular body weights to monitor growth, as well as observations via nest box camera that show nursing and maternal care,” said Dr. Nofs.

Though a first time mother, keepers say Nkeke is a natural and is calmly attending to her motherly duties. She will spend most of her time in the nest box with her pups for the first month of their lives.

The pups were born with fur on their bodies and their eyes closed. Their eyes will open around 10 days old. Otter pups are not born knowing how to swim but will begin swimming lessons around 28 days.

Potter Park Zoo visitors will be able to see father Miles on exhibit, but won’t be able to see Nkeke or the pups for the next few months. Follow Potter Park Zoo on social media, and on their blog, for regular updates on the new Otter family.

The North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis), also known as the ‘Northern River Otter’ or the ‘Common Otter’, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to the North American continent and is found in and along its waterways and coasts. An adult can weigh between 5.0 and 14 kg (11.0 and 30.9 lbs.).

Fish is the most prominent food among the Otters, but they also consume various amphibians, freshwater clams, mussels, snails, small turtles and crayfish.

The range of the North American River Otter has been significantly reduced by habitat loss. River Otters are also very susceptible to the effects of environmental pollution.

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/otter-family-welcomes-pups-at-potter-park-zoo.html

A Tiny New Addition at Hamilton Zoo

There’s a tiny new addition at the Hamilton Zoo – a Pygmy Marmoset!

The baby was born to mom Picchu and dad Salvador. Both are providing attentive care to their newborn. Marmoset parents share the responsibility of looking after their young, and the zoo staff is glad to see Salvador helping out.

Photo Credit: Lisa Ridley

Pygmy Marmosets are the smallest Monkeys in the world, and one of the smallest primates. They inhabit rain forests in the western Amazon Basin, which includes Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. These Monkeys gnaw holes in tree trunks using specialized teeth, then lick the flowing sap with their tongue. They also eat the insects that fly in to feed on the sap, as well as fruits and nectar.

Parents carry their babies on their backs. Babies vocalize early and often, and entire Marmoset troops use a complex system of calls to maintain contact when foraging or traveling. Marmoset troops are small, usually made up of a breeding pair and a few generations of their offspring.

The current population of Pygmy Marmosets is widespread and not under serious threat. They are listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. However, habitat loss and illegal capture for the pet trade could pose a threat in the future.

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/a-tiny-new-addition-at-hamilton-zoo.html

Cheetah Siblings Get Extra Care in San Diego

Visitors hoping to glimpse three Cheetah cubs at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park weren’t disappointed when the trio debuted on February 22.  The three siblings – one male and two females – watched the people, explored their surroundings, played with each other and, typical of any infant, after one of their five daily feedings, settled in for a long nap.

The 7-week-old Cheetahs were born January 6 at San Diego Zoo Global’s off-site Cheetah Breeding Center to an inexperienced mom named Malana. In an effort to care for her cubs, Malana inadvertently caused minor injuries to them. After being with their mother for five weeks, the cubs were taken to the Animal Care Center to be monitored for medical issues. Keepers will keep close watch over them, feeding them a special diet of soft carnivore food and formula, and weighing them to monitor their health. After they turn 12 weeks old and receive their three-month immunization, they will be returned to their home at the Cheetah Breeding Center.

Photo Credit: Ken Bohn

The Cheetah siblings don’t have names yet, but keepers call them “Purple,” “Yellow,” and “Blue” because of the colors of temporary ID markings placed on their tails. Purple is the smallest of the two sisters, and keepers describe her as feisty and very playful—and she has a big appetite. Yellow is also very playful and loves cuddling with her siblings; and Blue, the only male, loves to play and take extra-long naps.

Cheetahs are native to Africa and a small part of Iran. They are classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. It is estimated that the worldwide population of Cheetahs has dropped from 100,000 in 1900 to just 7,000 today, with about 10 percent living in zoos or wildlife parks.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is one of nine breeding facilities that are part of the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition (CBCC). The goal of the coalition is to create a sustainable Cheetah population that will prevent extinction of the world’s fastest land animal. San Diego Zoo Global has been breeding Cheetahs for more than 40 years, with more than 160 cubs born to date.

Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. Their work includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents.

 

Related articles

Holiday Season Brings Bongos to Two Facilities - ZooBorns

Lynx Kittens Play All Day

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/cheetah-siblings-get-extra-care-in-san-diego.html

Sweet New Tamandua Born at Staten Island Zoo

The Staten Island Zoo recently announced the birth of its fourth baby Southern Tamandua.

Named “NJ” by keepers, the female was born on January 2 to mom, DJ, and dad, EJ. She weighed in at a mere 402 grams (about the same weight as a football). NJ is the fourth birth for the breeding Tamandua pair. Mom and baby will be off exhibit for bonding and to ensure the new little girl is growing big and strong.

To date, NJ weighs 1100 grams (about the weight of a large college textbook). She is currently drinking milk produced by mom but will soon move on to bugs that she will “slurp up” with her 16-inch long tongue.

Photo Credits: Staten Island Zoo

The Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) is often called a ‘Lesser Anteater’ because it is much smaller than its relative, the Giant Anteater. This interesting animal is at home both in trees and on the ground in the rainforests of South America. In the wild, the Tamandua is most active at night, often nesting during the day in hollow tree trunks. It has small eyes and poor vision but can hear and smell quite well. They also have sharp claws and powerful forearms.

According to Kenneth C. Mitchell, the Zoo’s executive director, “Tamandua births are rare in zoos, as the species requires specialized care and has specific nutritional needs. We have had substantial success here, participating in the Species Survival Program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In fact, MJ, one of the males produced by our couple, fathered a baby Tamandua last year at the Dallas Zoo.”

Gestation for the Southern Tamandua ranges from 130 to 190 days, with usually one young born. At birth, a young Anteater does not resemble the parents; its coat varies from white to black. The baby will ride on the mother's back, sometimes being deposited on a safe branch while the mother forages.

The Southern Tamandua is currently classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN. However, there are threats their existence in the wild. Hunters, who claim the creatures kill domestic dogs, often kill them. They are also killed for the thick tendons in their tails, from which rope is made.

Related articles

Christmas Morning Surprise for Nashville Zoo - ZooBorns

source http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2018/02/sweet-new-tamandua-born-at-staten-island-zoo.html