Six baby eland were born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia. Photo by Greg Gawthorne / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia is hearing the pitter-pattering of little hooves! The zoo welcomed six eland calves recently.
“Eland are a very special species for us here in Dubbo where we’ve welcomed over 150 eland calves since 1976, which is a pretty awesome achievement,” Keeper Ruby Cullen said.
A female eland calf in the shade at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo by Greg Gawthorne / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
One hundred fifty eland calves have been born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo since 1976! Photo by Greg Gawthorne / Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Common elands are the second largest antelope species in the world. Native to east and southern Africa, elands have long spirally horns. The name “eland” means elk or moose in Afrikaans.
Though not considered endangered, common elands are threatened by habitat loss and poaching in their native habitat.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago welcomed a pair of Sichuan takin brothers recently! Photo credit: Lincoln Park Zoo.
A pair of Sichuan takin brothers joined the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago recently! Porter (3 years old) and Taiyang (2 years old) originally lived at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana. They are settling into their new habitat at Lincoln Park Zoo nicely.
Sichuan takins are members of the goat-antelope family. In the wild, they live in the mountainous bamboo forests of central China. Sichuan takins are recognizable by their curved horns which resemble handlebar mustaches!
The brothers are settling into their new habitat at Lincoln Park Zoo and will soon have a brand new climbing structure to play on. Photo credit: Lincoln Park Zoo.
Porter and Taiyang will soon experience a brand new, large-scale climbing structure hand-built by the zoo’s facilities team. This multi-level structure mimics the steep mountains in the takin’s native range in the Himalayan mountains, encouraging the brothers to climb and play.
Imara, a Masai giraffe calf, was born on February 22, 2026 at Toronto Zoo. Photo credit: Toronto Zoo.
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.”
Both Imara and her mother, Mstari, are doing well. Photo credit: Toronto Zoo.
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.
Crimson, an orphaned three-week-old mountain lion kitten, is under the care of Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Oakland Zoo took in a three-week-old mountain lion kitten, who was orphaned in southern California.
The baby mountain lion (or cougar), is named Crimson. Oakland Zoo Hospital staff is bottle-feeding him every three hours. He came into the zoo’s care with missing toes on his foot, so the animal care team is monitoring him to make sure he’s using his leg and foot properly.
Crimson is being bottle-fed by Oakland Zoo animal care staff every three hours. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
In the wild, mountain lion cubs need about 12-18 months with their mother to learn essential survival skills. Because Crimson is so young, he lacks the skills necessary to survive in the wild.
After he rehabilitates at the Veterinary Hospital, the zoo hopes to introduce Crimson to Clover, the female cub rescued by Oakland Zoo earlier this year. Mountain lion kittens tend to thrive with a companion. The zoo has used this strategy successfully with other rescues.
When Crimson successfully rehabilitates, he will be introduced to Clover, another rescued mountain lion cub being cared for by Oakland Zoo. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Crimson is doing well, but he is at a delicate stage, and veterinary staff will monitor him closely as he grows. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
If you would like to support Oakland Zoo and their mountain lion rescue efforts, you can donate at their website.
To learn more about mountain lions, see our article: Cougar.
Emperor penguins are now considered endangered by the IUCN Red List. They are threatened by the loss of sea ice. Photo by Michel VIARD / iStock.com.
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), emperor penguins are now considered an endangered species. They were previously classified as Near Threatened.
The cause of this decline is the rapid loss of sea ice due to global warming.
If changes in sea ice continue along the current trajectory, the emperor penguin population will decrease to half its size by the 2080s. From 2009 to 2018, the emperor penguin population decreased by 10%, or 20,000 penguins, based on satellite imagery.
Emperor penguins rely on sea ice for breeding grounds. It is a vital habitat for chicks before they get their waterproof feathers. When the sea ice breaks up early, many chicks die.
Emperor penguins rely on sea ice for their breeding grounds. If the sea ice breaks up early, it can have deadly effects. Photo by vladsilver / iStock.com.
According to Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, “These important findings should spur us into action across all sectors and levels of society to decisively address climate change.”
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to stop global warming, here are a few things you can do:
Write a letter or draw a picture, and send it to your government representative, asking them to do something to about climate change.
Reduce your carbon emissions by walking, biking or taking public transportation instead of driving.
Use energy saver appliances and light bulbs.
Buy locally grown produce.
Don’t buy as much new stuff. Reuse things or buy used things.
A rare female eastern black rhinoceros calf was born in March at Lincoln Park Zoo. Photo by Cassy Kutilek / Lincoln Park Zoo.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago welcomed a baby eastern black rhinoceros in March! This is especially happy news because eastern black rhinos are critically endangered, and every birth helps bolster their population.
The female calf weighed around 27 kg (60 lb.) at birth and took her first steps just an hour and a half after being born! She and her mother, Kapuki, are being monitored by zoo staff.
Mom and calf are doing very well and are being monitored by zoo staff. Photo by Cassy Kutilek / Lincoln Park Zoo.
According to Curator Cassy Kutilek, “Mom and calf are doing well and continue to hit their postpartum milestones, and we’re excited for when we’ll start seeing glimmers of the newborn’s personality.”
In the wild, the eastern black rhino population dropped 98% between 1960-1995 due to poaching. Due to conservation efforts, there are now around 1,000 mature individuals in the wild.
One Month Update
The calf, named Hazina, made her public debut on April 29!
At one month old, Hazina made her public debut in April! Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Although hesitant at first, Hazina has been exploring the outdoors with her mother, Kapuki. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
If you would like to support Lincoln Park Zoo and celebrate the rare rhino birth, you can adopt a plush rhino at the Lincoln Park Zoo website.
A baby red-tailed monkey was born to mother, Nonami, at the Oakland Zoo in February. Photo by Oakland Zoo.
Oakland Zoo in California welcomed a baby guenon red-tailed monkey in February! Born to mother, Nonami, and father, Marley, the male baby guenon is currently thriving under his mother’s care.
His birth marked a milestone at the zoo: the very first guenon monkey birth at Oakland Zoo!
The newborn, a male, is currently thriving under the care of his mother, as well as his sister, Ikea. Photo by Oakland Zoo.
Nonami has also successfully given birth at her previous zoo to two females who now live at Oakland Zoo: Ikea and Skittles.
Nonami and her new baby have joined the rest of the troop in their habitat, and the baby’s sister, Ikea, has shown strong interest in her brother and wants to help Mom with grooming while Nonami supervises.
Photo by Oakland Zoo.
In the wild, red-tailed monkeys live in central Africa. They are very social and live in troops of 7-30 members.
Shake, shake, shake! It’s nine baby rattlesnakes at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Rattlesnake babies are shaking things up at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago! Nine eastern massasauga rattlesnakes hatched at the zoo in February. Their birth marks a huge milestone in massasauga rattlesnake conservation: the first birth of their kind at the zoo in nearly a decade.
These baby rattlesnakes are the great grandkids of the last few remaining eastern massasauga rattlesnakes in Cook County, Illinois.
These baby rattles are the great grandkids of the last remaining eastern massasauga rattlesnakes in Cook County, Illinois. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Their population has faced critical threats due to persecution and habitat loss. The zoo, along with state and federal authorities, have been working together for years to conserve this often-misunderstood snake species.
“People tend to fear eastern massasauga rattlesnakes because they’re venomous, but they’re actually a rather shy species and an important part of the Great Lakes region’s ecosystem,” said Curator Dan Boehm.
“It’s always exciting to welcome new offspring of a threatened species, and the fact that this is a local animal we’re actively working to conserve out in the field makes it even more special.”
Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes can be found in wetland habitats around the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. Measuring at about two feet long on average, this species is on the smaller side for rattlesnakes.
Oakland Zoo helped rescue a 3-month-old female cougar cub earlier this month. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Earlier this month, Oakland Zoo in California helped rescue a female mountain lion (or cougar) cub. She was found emaciated and wandering near a road. She is about three months old, based on her coloration and tooth development.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) performed initial veterinary exams on the cub and found her to be severely underweight, weighing less than half her ideal weight, and covered in ticks. They treated her for dehydration and tick infestation.
Clover received around-the-clock care at Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
The cub, now named Clover, was then transferred to Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital. After further evaluation, zoo vets determined that Clover was in critical condition.
She received around-the-clock intensive care in the hospital’s ICU, including a blood transfusion using blood donated from a resident cougar at the zoo named Briar.
Briar, a resident cougar at Oakland Zoo, donated blood for Clover’s blood transfusion. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Clover received a life-saving blood transfusion at Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Clover is doing better after receiving veterinary care, but zoo vets will monitor her closely. Photo credit: Oakland Zoo.
Although Clover is doing better, she is still being closely monitored by zoo veterinarians.
If you would like to help support Oakland Zoo and its Mountain Lion Rescue and Recovery Program, you can make a donation to Oakland Zoo online at www.oaklandzoo.org/give.
To learn more about mountain lions, see our article, Cougar.
