DENVER ZOO CELEBRATES SPRING BIRTHS IN TIME FOR MOTHER'S DAY
Public is Invited to Visit the Zoo to See New Arrivals
Denver Zoo is celebrating some awww-fully cute spring births, just in time for Mother's Day. These include sheep, turtles and buffalo. They are all doing well and most are enjoying the spring weather. The public is invited to join them with a trip with Mom to the zoo and even visit some of last year's arrivals as they continue to grow.
The residents of the zoo's two Sheep Mountains recently welcomed three newcomers, two Dall's sheep and a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. The Dall's sheep lambs were born to mothers Roberta and Mona on April 24 and 28 respectively. The father of both sheep is named Ridge. The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep was born April 17 to mother, Ivory and father, Cliff. Zookeepers will determine the lambs' genders and name them after their first vaccinations.
Spring births are quite normal for both species. Their lambs are very active immediately after birth. In the wild, they must be able to run, climb and jump effectively within minutes after their birth in order to keep up with their mother and stay safe. Dall's sheep, with thick, nearly pure-white fur, are found throughout Alaska, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and the northwest part of British Columbia. Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep, typically brown or beige in appearance, are found in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Northern Mexico.
Thirteen Reimann's (RYE-man's) snake-necked turtles have hatched in the last week. The almost fully-aquatic, freshwater species can only be found in Papua New Guinea. As their name indicates, they are known for their long necks, so long that they aren't able to fully pull their heads into their shells. Instead they wrap their necks around the front and sides of their shell to provide predators less of a target. Though adults can grow to more than 10 inches long, the hatchlings are all about the size of a quarter. Some of them may soon be seen in Tropical Discovery's nursery.
Several Denver Zoo guests witnessed the birth of a male cape buffalo on the central range exhibit on Tuesday, April 26. The buffalo, named Knightly, is on exhibit with his mother, Charlene. Mother and calf are doing well. This is the second calf born this year at Denver Zoo. Mother Rain gave birth to female calf, Felicia, at Denver Zoo on January 31. In the wild, cape buffalos' range is in sub-Saharan Africa and while the animal is not endangered, habitat loss is reducing its available land.
Guests can also see Kanoa, a baby De Brazza's monkey that was born in November of last year. He was described as independent as an infant, but has become even more so now that he is a little older. De Brazza's monkeys live in both swamps and forests of central Africa. They are difficult to find, though as they are excellent at hiding and can freeze in place for several hours if they sense they are in danger. In fact, because they hide so well it is unknown how many exist in the wild. Though they are not considered endangered, their greatest threats come from habitat loss. They have grayish fur with black limbs and white backsides. Their faces are distinguishable by orange, crescent-shaped markings on their foreheads and white muzzles and beards.
While in Primate Panorama, guests can check on the progress of Hesty, the first orangutan to be born at the zoo 25 years. Hesty will celebrate her first birthday next month and is slowly maturing. She is now beginning to explore her habitat on her own, albeit with mom, Nias, no more than a few feet away at all times. Sumatran orangutans are only found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. In the wild, they are critically endangered due to habitat loss stemming from logging, mining, palm oil plantations and forest fires. Orangutan means "person of the forest" in Malay and the species is among the closest relatives to humans. Physically they are known for their stout bodies, long arms and shaggy, red hair. Currently there only about 6,000 left in the wild.
Finally, four of the most popular zoo births from last summer, Amur (AH-merr) tiger cubs Zaria, Akasha, Thimbu and Nikolai are growing up fast. They are now all about 150 pounds, more than half of what their mother weighs. They are all doing well and are quite active. Amur tigers, the largest member of the cat family, are classified as critically endangered, with an estimated population of less than 400 individuals remaining in the wild. These animals were once called Siberian tigers because they were found throughout Siberia. They are now almost completely confined to the Far East portion of Asia along the Amur River. In addition to habitat loss, the biggest threats to these tigers comes from poaching, both for their fur and their other body parts which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
May 5, 2011
Thirteen Reimann's (RYE-man's) snake-necked turtles have hatched in the last week. The almost fully-aquatic, freshwater species can only be found in Papua New Guinea. As their name indicates, they are known for their long necks, so long that they aren't able to fully pull their heads into their shells. Instead they wrap their necks around the front and sides of their shell to provide predators less of a target. Though adults can grow to more than 10 inches long, the hatchlings are all about the size of a quarter. Some of them may soon be seen in Tropical Discovery's nursery.
