Elke, a baby Francois Langur monkey, was born last Thursday at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.  Her mother, Saigon, has not accepted the baby, so Elke will be hand-raised by keepers to insure her survival.

Francois Langurs are endangered in their native Asian habitat due to habitat loss and hunting.

For more information: Taronga Zoo

Against all odds, two clouded leopard cubs were born at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia.

In captivity, these endangered leopards usually give in to murderous tendencies during the breeding process. Either the male will kill the female when placed together to mate, or if mating is successful, the mother leopard will kill her cubs accidentally or intentionally.

But yesterday, caretakers discovered the two cubs with Jao Chu, the mother leopard. The babies will be hand raised by zookeepers to guarantee their safety and survival.

In the wild, clouded leopards are native to southeast Asia. Their population has dwindled due to hunting for their pelts.

For more information, see: Washington Post

The Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia is continuing to help thousands of wildlife survivors from the bushfires that ravaged the area last month.  They have rescued and treated lyrebirds, echidnas, koalas, and kangaroos for severe burns.

Jilly, a baby eastern grey kangaroo pictured above, was treated for burns to her feet, paws and tail. She also suffered severe dehydration and weight loss after losing her mother to the fires, so the Healesville staff has taken to bottle feeding her.

Before they can release the animals back into the wild, they’ll need to assess the suitability of the habitat as much of the land is completely scorched.

For more info: Reuters

A recently hatched rare reptile, the tuatara, has been discovered in New Zealand for the first time in 200 years. The species’ lineage dates back to the dinosaur age.  The tuatara was found in the wild in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington.

While numbering in the tens of thousands on the islands surrounding New Zealand, the tuatara was nearly extinct on the main island. Their near extinction was brought about by the introduction of predators, including rats.

The hatching of the tuatara is a sign that reintroduction and conservation efforts are working.

For more: Associated Press

In the midst of Malaysia lies the Infant Care Unit at Bukit Merah Lake Town Resort. Unlike our conventional idea of an Infant Care Unit this one specializes in Bornean orangutans. The facility currently cares for 23 abandoned and neglected infant orangutans.

The hospital helps maintain the population of endangered Bornean orangutans.

More info and more pictures: The Daily Mail

More more info check out Animal Fact Guide’s article: Bornean Orangutan

Photo: Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park

A male African elephant calf was born on Friday at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. Weighing in at 220 pounds, the baby elephant will be observed for a few days before joining the rest of the herd, which includes four other elephant calves.

The world’s largest land mammals, African elephants can grow as large as 3.3 m (10 ft.) at the shoulder and 6000 kg (6.6 tons).  They are considered near threatened by the IUCN as poaching and urban sprawl pose massive threats to their survival in the wild.

For more information about the baby elephant, see:
LA Times Unleashed
San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Baby Video

To learn more about African elephants in the wild, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: African Elephant.

Photo: AP Photo/San Diego Zoo, Tammy Spratt

Baby Bornean sun bears Palu and Pagi were born at the San Diego Zoo on October 25.  They debuted at the San Diego Zoo exhibit on Monday.

This is the third birth of Bornean sun bears in North America.  Bornean sun bears are the smallest species of bear.  Their small stature and long claws make the bears well-suited to living in trees.  Due to habitat loss, poaching, and pet trade, Bornean sun bears are endangered in the wild.

For more info:
Associated Press
San Diego Zoo’s Sun Bear Cubs Video
San Diego Zoo’s Bornean Sun Bear Page

A baby Coquerel’s sifaka, an endangered kind of lemur, was born at the St. Louis Zoo on February 16. The baby will cling to its mother Almirena’s belly for a month and then transfer to riding on her back.

Sifakas are unique because they possess frog-like legs and hop on two feet.  Their powerful legs allow them to leap from tree to tree. Coquerel’s sifakas, native to Madagascar, are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss from logging and farming.

For more info: St. Louis Zoo

Back in September of last year, we posted a video of dolphins making air bubble rings with their blow holes.  Now, SeaWorld curators in Orlando, FL have noticed a surge in this playful activity in their dolphins at Dolphin Cove.  The dolphins create a perfect bubble ring and then push it with their rostrums (bottlenoses) or bite it.  The dolphins learn the technique by watching other dolphins create rings.

To learn more and see more photos/videos, see DolphinBubbles.com.

Frank, the baby western lowland gorilla born last September at the San Diego Zoo, finally arrived in the public eye. His aunt Ndjia made sure the baby felt safe in the gorilla habitat.

Other recent western gorilla births include the baby gorilla whose mother rejected him at the San Francisco Zoo and the gorilla who was born in view of spectators at the National Zoo.

For more info: NECN.com