A baby Bactrian camel was born on April 29 at Toronto Zoo! After just two hours, with some encouragement from his mother Suria, the little calf stood on his own.
This camel calf is the third offspring of mother Suria and father Zip. His coloring is similar to his father’s, with a very white-blond coat.
Watch a video of the adorable baby camel and his mama here:
Learn more at the Toronto Zoo website.
In February, the Toronto Zoo in Canada welcomed a baby who is most likely taller than you! Standing at 1.95 m (6 ft. 4 in.) a half hour after being born, the newborn Masai giraffe calf was a very happy (and very tall) addition to the zoo.
Like all giraffes, the female calf, named Imara, had a very long drop to the ground when she was born–about 2 m (6 ft.)! Watch a video of her birth here:
Imari and her mom, Mstari, are doing well and are being supervised by zoo staff.
According to Dolf DeJong, CEO, Your Toronto Zoo, “We announced Mstari’s pregnancy on Mother’s Day last year and after a 15-month pregnancy we are thrilled to have a healthy calf in our care, raising the profile of endangered Masai giraffes and inspiring our community to learn more and stand with us as Guardians of Wild.”
Fewer than 35,000 Masai giraffes survive in the wild, having experienced more than a 50% decline in the past 30 years. They are considered endangered by the IUCN, threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss.
Toronto Zoo supports conservation efforts of Masai giraffes through its breeding programs and by supporting Wild Nature Institute’s Masai Giraffe Project. Learn more at Toronto Zoo’s website.
For more information about giraffes, see our article, Giraffe.
The Toronto Zoo was thrilled to welcome a new baby white rhino on December 28. Mother Sabi is doing well as a first-time mom, keeping close watch of her calf and keeping him clean.
White rhinoceroses are considered Near Threatened by the IUCN, with their numbers decreasing in the wild. Toronto Zoo participates in a conservation breeding program to maintain genetically diverse populations of white rhinos.
For more information, see the Toronto Zoo website.
The two little panda cubs born at Toronto Zoo are now a month old! Although they were born pink and hairless, they now resemble their mother Er Shun with the distinctive black and white markings.
The larger of the cubs weighs 1 kg, while the smaller one weighs 750 grams.
Learn more about Toronto Zoo’s giant panda cubs at their website.
Learn more about pandas at our giant panda facts article.
The Toronto Zoo is pleased to announce that Makali, a four-year-old white lioness, gave birth to four cubs on September 26-27.
The little lion cubs are healthy, feeding well, and staying in the maternity area of the lion habitat at the zoo. The first thirty days will be critical for the cubs and zoo staff will continue to monitor them closely.
Learn more about lions at our lion facts article.
The Toronto Zoo needs your help in naming its polar bear cub! The staff have selected their top six names, and you can vote for your favorite at their website.
Here’s a video of the little cub playing in his outdoor den for the first time:
UPDATE: After 14,000 votes, the winning name was Humphrey!
The Toronto Zoo closed early yesterday due to an epic snow storm. Watch what security cameras caught Da Mao, a giant panda, doing in the snow:
Watch a video of a polar bear cub taking his first steps at the Toronto Zoo.
The cub was born on November 9, 2013 and is making great progress. His achievements include:
Learn more at the Toronto Zoo website.
Toronto Zoo welcomed a baby Masai giraffe last month. The female calf was named Mstari (pronounced mi-starry), which means “stripes” in Swahili, after her late father who was called Stripes. The baby giraffe and her mother Twiga are doing very well.
“The Toronto Zoo is part of the Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP) and the birth of this calf is very important to the North American captive population”, says Maria Franke, Toronto Zoo Curator of Mammals. This is the 17th Masai giraffe born at the Toronto Zoo.
Photo by Ken Ardill, Toronto Zoo.