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

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.

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.

Niabi Zoo in Illinois has welcomed a baby giraffe into their animal family. A newborn giraffe is nearly the size of a full-grown human. This baby was six feet tall and weighed 150 lbs.

Zoo keepers were on hand for the birth and a vet checked out the baby. He is doing well and progressing naturally.

The baby is yet to be named and will not be able to be seen by the public until May, when the park opens for the season.

To read more, visit the Quad City Times.

Read more about giraffes on Animal Fact Guide.

Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien in Canada has welcomed two polar bear cubs. The cubs were born on November 30 of this year to Aisaqvaq, a resident of the zoo.

Aisaqvaq has been acting very maternal, caring for her newborns in a birthing den created by the zoo. This comes as a relief to zoo workers because Aisaqvaq ate her previous cub, born last December.

To read more and watch videos of Aisaqvaq and her cubs visit the Zoo Sauvage website.

To learn more about polar bears, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Polar Bear.

Photo: Marian Brickner

A female baby bonobo was born November 6 to Kuni of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  Delfi Messinger, the Director of Animal Programs, said of the 24-year-old mother, “She seems so proud, and shows her baby to the ‘aunties’ in the group, as well as to her human caretakers.”

In the wild, bonobos live in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Sharing 98.5% of the same DNA as humans, they embody a profound intelligence and a deep emotional capacity. To learn more about bonobos, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Bonobo.

To learn more about Kuni and her new baby, visit Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

Photo: Lincoln Baker

Two puggles, or baby echidnas, have made their first public appearance at the Perth Zoo in Australia today. The babies’ names are Moa and Kain.

Echidnas have proven difficult to breed in zoos with only 13 echidnas ever born in captivity in Australia. Zoo keepers have learned that precise temperature regulation is key to breeding success.

In the wild, female echidnas develop a pouch during mating season (July-August). After mating, she will dig a burrow and lay one soft, leathery egg into her pouch. After 10 days, the puggle will hatch and attach itself to a milk patch inside her pouch. After 8-12 week of nursing inside the pouch, the puggle will develop spines and must vacate the pouch. But the juvenile will still stay inside the burrow for the next 6 months and continue to suckle.

To learn more about Moa and Kain, see: PerthNow.

To learn more about echidnas, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Short-beaked Echidna.

The German town of Munster is the home of newly-born female rhinoceros. The unnamed baby rhino was at risk of being killed by her mother, who killed her previous two babies. Minutes after birth, the mother rhino acted aggressive toward the baby. This prompted the zoo staff to intervene and the decision was made to hand raise her. Baby rhinos need near constant help; they are fed gallons of milk each day and need to be stroked and given physical contact.

For more, visit Spiegel Online.