lincoln park zoo Archives - Animal Fact Guide

Endangered Crown Lemur Born at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on April 30, 2017 by admin

Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago proudly welcomed a baby crowned lemur on April 15. The sex and measurements of the lemur infant are still to be determined because mother Tucker is keeping her newborn close.

“With any birth, our animal care staff carefully monitors the new arrival to ensure they are passing critical milestones,” said Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy. “Tucker is an attentive and experienced mother and the infant is holding tight to her and regularly nursing, which is exactly what we’d hope to see.”

Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed a crowned lemur infant on April 15. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

Crowned lemur baby and mother at Lincoln Park Zoo

Crowned lemur mama Tucker is keeping her baby tucked in safely. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

In the wild, crowned lemurs inhabit the forests of Madagascar. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN), crowned lemurs are considered endangered due to forest loss caused by slash-and-burn practices, habitat fragmentation, charcoal production, mining and other human-wildlife conflict.

PHOTOS: Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes Baby Colobus Monkey on Christmas Day

Posted on January 6, 2017 by admin

Newborn black-and-white colobus monkey with mother Kutaka at Lincoln Park Zoo. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.

It was a white Christmas at the Lincoln Park Zoo as they welcomed a newborn black-and-white colobus monkey on December 25.

The baby monkey was born to 12-year old mother Kutaka and 23-year old father Keanjaha. At birth, black-and-white colobus monkeys have all white fur. The signature black markings start to appear around 3 weeks and are fully evident around 3-4 months.

“Kutaka is an extremely attentive mother,” said Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy. “We’re excited for the newest member of the multi-generational colobus troop to interact with the entire family from juvenile to geriatric members. In fact, we’ve already observed the infant’s aunt and older sister briefly carrying the new infant, a species-typical behavior called alloparenting or ‘aunting behavior.'”

The sex and measurements of the newborn are yet to be determined as the baby is clinging tight to mom. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.

Black-and-white colobus monkeys are one of five different species of colobus monkey. In the wild, they are native to equatorial Africa.

For more information, see the Lincoln Park Zoo website.

Baby Grevy’s Zebra Born at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on June 22, 2016 by admin

Adia and her new foal, born June 18. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago celebrated Father’s Day weekend with the arrival of a female Grevy’s zebra foal. It was the first zebra birth at the zoo since 2012! The baby zebra is the third foal for mother Adia and the first for father Webster.

In the wild, Grevy’s zebras are considered endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. They are native to eastern Africa, ranging from Ethiopia to Kenya.

Lincoln Park Zoo participates in the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan, a shared conservation effort by zoos throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

“Research tells us that fostering an emotional connection between humans and animals is key to creating a real commitment to wildlife conservation,” said Lincoln Park Zoo Vice President of Education and Community Engagement Dana Murphy. “Species like zebras, with which we are relatively familiar—and become so at an early age—help us forge that connection and inspire our guests to care about their future.”

For more about Lincoln Park’s baby zebra, visit their website.

Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes Baby Camel

Posted on May 27, 2016 by admin

Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

On May 9, a male baby Bactrian camel was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. It is the first camel calf born at the zoo since 1998!

Weighing 81 pounds at birth and standing at 4 feet tall, the calf joins his mother Nassan, his father Scooter, and two adult female camels at the zoo’s Antelope Zebra Area.

“We’re ecstatic to welcome a Bactrian camel calf to the zoo,” said Curator Diane Mulkerin. “He is still a bit wobbly on his feet but remains quite strong and is ready to begin meeting the rest of the herd.”

When the calf matures to an adult size, he could weigh as much as 1,500 pounds and stand as tall as 7 feet.

Bactrian camels have two humps (as opposed to dromedary camels, which have only one hump on their back). The humps are filled with fat, which provides energy to the camel when food is scarce. The camels also have thick brown fur to keep them warm in the winter. During the summer months, they shed fur to make their coat thinner.

To learn more about the Bactrian camel calf, visit the Lincoln Park Zoo website.

Chilean Flamingo Chicks Thrive at Chicago Zoo

Posted on March 8, 2016 by admin

The animal care staff at Lincoln Park Zoo successfully hand-reared 5 Chilean flamingo chicks that had hatched between September 11-28, 2015.

Now on view at the zoo’s Waterfowl Lagoon, the grey and fuzzy chicks weigh around 2-3 kg, roughly 30 times their weight since hatch.

“These chicks are a true testament to the dedicated animal care staff here at Lincoln Park Zoo,” said Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds. “We’re excited to share the chicks with our visitors and to learn from these chicks to further our knowledge of the species.”

When the flamingos hatched, animal care staff collected shell fragments for DNA testing. This is a non-invasive way to determine the sex of the birds. The tests revealed that two of the chicks are male and three are female.

In the wild, Chilean flamingos live in large flocks in Peru, Brazil and Argentina. Like all flamingos, the Chilean species has pink plumage – or feathers – but are born with white-grey plumage and show the full iconic coloration at around 2-years-old. Chilean flamingos have the ability to tolerate extreme conditions, which makes them well suited for Chicago’s harsh winters.

Learn more at the Lincoln Park Zoo website.

Adorable Baby Sloth at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on August 11, 2015 by admin

Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed a baby Hoffman’s two-toed sloth on July 25. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

Visitors to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago now have the opportunity to see an adorable baby Hoffman’s two-toed sloth on exhibit. The adorable baby was born on July 25 to 21-year-old mother Hersey and 32-year-old father Carlos.

“The sloth infant appears healthy and is passing critical milestones such as nursing regularly and clinging well to mother,” said Curator Diane Mulkerin. “Hersey is a first-time mother and is being very attentive to her new young.”

Hoffman’s two-toed sloths inhabit the rainforests of Central and South America. Their large hooked claws help them hang upside down from treetops, which is how they spend most of their time.

Crowned Lemur Infant at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on May 8, 2015 by admin

Tucker with her newborn lemur. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

On April 23, a baby crowned lemur was born at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The newborn is staying snuggled up to mother Tucker and is doing well.

“The infant is healthy and is continuously passing critical milestones such as nursing regularly, gaining weight and holding tight to mother,” said Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy. “Being an experienced mother, Tucker is providing excellent care to the newest arrival.”

In the wild, crowned lemurs inhabit the African island of Madagascar. They are considered endangered by the IUCN due to forest loss.

Baby Snow Monkey at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on May 4, 2015 by admin

Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is excited to announce the birth of a Japanese macaque (pronounced muh-‘kak), also known as a snow monkey, born on May 2.

Zoo staff has determined the little baby is a male. He and his mother Ono are doing well.

According to Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy, “The baby appears healthy, is regularly nursing and visually exploring the exhibit while clinging tightly on Ono’s torso.”

He joins a troop of eight snow monkeys at Regenstein Macaque Forest, the newest exhibit at Lincoln Park Zoo. The expansive exhibit includes microclimates, a hot spring, stream and various levels, creating an ideal environment for the growing snow monkey population.

“From a research perspective, this is a significant addition to the population,” said Research Scientist Katie Cronin, PhD. “The new baby will be the first in this population to grow up with access to touch screen computers – a tool that the monkey can decide whether or not to use – so that we can study cognitive abilities and gain a better understanding of how they think and feel.”

In the wild, Japanese macaques inhabit extreme climates throughout most of Japan, from sub-tropical lowlands to sub-alpine regions. Learn more at snowmonkeys.org.

Endangered Gorilla Born at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on March 5, 2015 by admin

February 24th saw the birth of an endangered female lowland gorilla at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. The little baby ape has been named Bella and is doing well with her mother, Bahati, and father, Kwan.

For more information, see the Lincoln Park Zoo website.

Baby Francois Langur at Lincoln Park Zoo

Posted on October 9, 2014 by admin

Just in time for Halloween, a Francois langur named Pumpkin gave birth to a bright orange baby. This is the fifth baby for mother Pumpkin and father Cartman.

“The newest Francois’ langur is healthy, nursing regularly and is showing signs of growth,” said Curator of Primates, Maureen Leahy. “Older sister Orla has already shown her support by alloparenting, a process in which the other female monkeys take turns carrying and providing care to the young.”

Although adult Francois langurs are distinguished by their black and white coloring, baby Francois langurs have an orange coat. Scientists believe this encourages alloparenting because the infants are easily identified. The orange fur fades to black after 3-6 months.

In the wild, Francois langurs inhabit southern Guangxi province of China, northern Vietnam and west-central Laos.

Learn more about the Francois langur baby at the Lincoln Park Zoo website.