Baby Akili was born at the Memphis Zoo on Thursday, expanding the zoo’s giraffe family to seven. Although born outside in public view, Akili will be kept inside until the weather warms. She was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 125 lbs at birth.

Her name is Swahili for intelligent.

Read more about baby Akili at The Commercial Appeal.

Read more about giraffes at Animal Fact Guide.

The Minnesota Zoo has welcomed a female gibbon to their zoo. Born about three weeks ago, the gibbon was not being cared for by her mother. She is a white-cheeked gibbon, a critically endangered species.

Our favorite part of this video is the sounds that the baby makes. She sounds like R2D2.

Dokkoon, an Asian elephant residing at the Melbourne Zoo in Australia, gave birth on Saturday to female baby elephant. This marked the first time a female Asian elephant has been born in Australia. The baby pachyderm was also the first elephant born at the Melbourne Zoo.

Baby Elephants first steps from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.

For more info, see:
Zoos Victoria
The Age

When a private zoo on a small island on Lake Skadar in Montenegro was flooded, Nikica, an 11-year old hippopotamus, seized the opportunity for freedom. As waters rose, she was able to bob to the top of her enclosure and escape.  Though currently being tracked by zoo officials, the two-tonne hippo could pose a threat to people. Villagers have been warned to keep a safe distance. “When I left my house to feed my cow, I saw a hippo standing in front of the stall,” said a farmer, Nikola Radovic. “I thought I was losing my mind.”

Watch the video footage of Nikica here below.

For more info about the hippo escape, see The Times Online. For more stories of animal escapes, see our 2009 wrap-up of Great Animal Escapes.

To learn more about hippos, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Hippopotamus.

Five rare white tiger cubs have been born in the Metropolitan Zoo in Santiago, Chile. The zoo is currently planning a large, grassy enclosure for the cubs and their parents, Luna and Pampa.

White tigers get their color from a genetic mutation that affects their fur pigment.

For more, visit The L.A. Times.

There are roughly 2000 Grevy’s zebras left in the wild, earning them a spot on the endangered species list. Add to that number one more as the Denver Zoo welcomes a baby male zebra.

The baby, named Lakota, was born on November 27th. He is the third Grevy’s zebra to ever be born at the zoo.

Grevy’s zebras differ from other zebras in their appearance. Gervy’s zebras have thinner stripes and white stomachs. They also have longer legs and larger, rounder ears.

In the wild they are found in Kenya and Ethiopia.

For more, visit The Denver Channel.

SeaWorld aquarist Jenny Albert covers up a “cold stunned” endangered green turtle to keep the animal warm at SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

Many green sea turtles have been adversely affected by the Arctic blast that has swept over most of the U.S.  recently. Two dozen “cold-stunned” green sea turtles have been taken in by SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, Florida, where they are treating the endangered turtles with heat lamps, blankets, and warm fluids.

To learn more about green sea turtles, read Animal Fact Guide’s article: Green Turtle.

The keepers at the Bronx Zoo created a special holiday treat for their resident squirrel monkeys, blueberries encased in Jello. It looks like the monkeys had a little trouble getting the hang of the slippery treat but figured it out in the end and got their fill.

Sometimes animals outsmart us. This year, we witnessed several bold and cunning escapes.

Otter Escapes from Kansas Zoo
Kyra, a resident of the Hutchinson Zoo in Kansas, escaped from her zoo habitat on Valentine’s day and spent the week pond-hopping. Easily catching fish in other area ponds, she was unfazed by zookeeper attempts to lure her back with fish treats. But finally, she succumbed to the temptation of a hard-boiled egg.

Octopus Escapes New Zealand Aquarium
An octopus named Sid spent 5 days on the lam after escaping from his tank in a New Zealand aquarium. Sid managed to elude detection for those days by hiding in a drain that pumped fresh sea water into the aquarium.  He was caught after being spotted making a dash for an open door.

Orangutan Plans Great Escape from Adelaide Zoo
Jamming a stick into the wires of the electric fence surrounding her, Karta, a 27-year old orangutan, short-circuited the system. She then piled up debris near the concrete and glass wall and climbed out. However, after literally sitting on the fence for half an hour, she decided to go back in the enclosure after all.

Wily Prairie Dogs Escape New Exhibit at Maryland Zoo
Ten minutes after the opening of a new $500,000 prairie dog exhibit, the clever rodents found multiple escape routes.  Climbing and jumping over the walls, the prairie dogs had zoo workers in a frenzy chasing after them with nets.

Chimp Escape at the Chester Zoo
Thirty chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure at the Chester Zoo in England.  They made their way into a food preparation area and had the feast of their lives.

Harbor Seal Makes Trek into a Cape Cod Hatchery
Although this is less of an escape and more of a break-in, we had to include it. A young harbor seal was discovered in a state fish hatchery in the town of Sandwich in Cape Cod, where she had her pick of delicious trout to eat. What makes the story so interesting is that the seal would have had to waddle on land for 2 miles, including stretches on the boardwalk and through a tunnel under a busy highway, to make it into the hatchery.

Zoo Boise has announced the birth of a female cotton-top tamarin.  She is the first tamarin to be born at the zoo.

The baby is currently being hand-raised by humans as her mother lacks the skills to care for her. She is fairly weak and susceptible to human disease so she will not be able to be viewed by the public for several months.

Once the tamarin is placed on display at the zoo, there will be a naming contest.

Visit Zoo Boise for more.