Tag Archives: san diego zoo

First Ever Porcupine C-Section

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North American porcupette at San Diego Zoo

This male porcupette at the San Diego Zoo is the first North American porcupine to be delivered via C-section. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s veterinarians performed the first ever porcupine caesarian section (C-section) on Maizey, a North American porcupine, earlier this year. 

It was a pioneering veterinary achievement, and it saved the life of both Maizey and her baby during a difficult birth.

Maizey, a North American porcupine who had the first-ever porcupine C-section.

Maizey, a North American porcupine, received the first ever porcupine C-section by veterinarians from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. She is currently doing well, all healed from the surgery. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

“This landmark procedure highlights the critical role that our veterinary teams play in species conservation, not just in emergencies, but as part of a legacy of leadership in wildlife care,” said Greg Vicino, vice president of wildlife care with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The baby porcupine, called a porcupette, was hand-reared due to the complicated nature of the procedure, and to allow Maizey time to heal from the surgery. 

Currently, both Maizey and her baby are doing well. The growing porcupette is very playful, often spinning quickly in circles and flaring up his quills as practice.

Porcupette at San Diego Zoo

The playful porcupette is currently thriving at the San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Porcupette at San Diego Zoo.

Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

To learn more about Maizey’s C-section, visit the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance website.

For more information about porcupines, visit our article: North American Porcupine.

PHOTOS: Baby Monkeys at San Diego Zoo

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Baby squirrel monkeys at San Diego Zoo

Baby squirrel monkeys at the San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Lots of monkeying around happening at the San Diego Zoo these days! The zoo is celebrating the birth of four baby monkeys: two squirrel monkeys – one born Nov. 27 and one born Nov. 28, a Schmidt’ red-tailed monkey born Nov. 11, and a DeBrazza’s monkey born Oct. 28.

The babies and mamas are doing well, and guests to the zoo can now view them in their habitats.

For more information, visit the San Diego Zoo website.

To learn more about squirrel monkeys, see our article, Squirrel Monkey.

Baby red-tailed monkey and mama at the San Diego Zoo.

Baby Schmidt’s red-tailed monkey and mama at the San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Baby red-tailed monkey at the San Diego Zoo.

Baby Schmidt’s red-tailed monkey at the San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Baby DeBrazza’s monkey and mama at the San Diego Zoo

Baby DeBrazza’s monkey and mama at the San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Scientific Breakthrough for Critically Endangered Starfish Recovery

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Sunflower starfish

The sunflower sea star is now critically endangered due to a mysterious illness called sea star wasting syndrome. But researchers have made a breakthrough for their recovery. Photo credit: Marco Mazza/Courtesy of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

A mysterious disease called sea star wasting syndrome decimated 95% of the sunflower sea star population in 2013. Since then scientists have been working to learn more about the disease and figure out ways to save the sunflower sea star from extinction.

For the first time, researchers with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s reproductive sciences team, in collaboration with Sunflower Star Laboratory and Dr. Jason Hodin, senior scientist at Friday Harbor Laboratories were able to hatch dozens of baby sunflower sea stars using cryopreservation technology.

Cryopreservation is the process by which live tissues and cells are frozen in order to keep them for an extended amount of time. In this case, the researchers successfully froze sunflower sea star sperm, thawed it and fertilized eggs that developed into larvae.

According to Nicole Ravida, laboratory manager for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance,  “Cryopreservation is one method reproductive scientists can contribute to the preservation of gene diversity in sunflower sea star populations.”

The researchers believe maintaining gene diversity is the best way for sea stars to adapt to future stressors.

To learn more about this scientific sea star breakthrough, visit the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance website.

To learn more about starfish, read our Starfish article.