May is Zoo Babies month at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. From primates to insects, the zoo has plenty of babies to keep you happy.
“No question that baby animals are adorable, but they’re also great ambassadors for their species," said Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo. "They can inspire visitors to care about their wild counterparts and take action to protect them.”
Join Enquirer photojournalist Liz Dufour as we meet some of the precious zoo babies up close and personal.
Amali the bonobo watches her mom, Kesi, as she finishes a special treat. Amali will nurse from Kesi for about four years, and she'll spend eight years staying close to mom in Jungle Trails at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Bonobos share 98.7% DNA with humans, making them our closest living relative. And don't call them monkeys. They are part of the ape family, but only get to about 3 feet tall and under 100 pounds.
As we watch Amali, she watches us back. Bonobos have good eyesight, but like humans, their eyesight can fail as they get older. Amali won't reach maturity until she's about 15 years old. Their life span is around 30 years. Amali's first birthday will be July 23.
With her face pressed close, Amanda Vanhoose, of Middletown, Ohio, watches as Sarah Swanson, team leader of the interpretive animal department, gives Lightning a little back rub as she lounges in the hammock in the Animal Ambassador Center on April 16, 2021. Lightning, 8, is not a zoo baby, but she is a first-time mom, and the Cincinnati Zoo and is very excited to welcome their first two-toed sloth baby this summer!
A baby joey peeks out of his mother's pouch as mom searches for fruit on the ground. This wallaby was a total surprise. Ava arrived at the zoo last year, already carrying a joey in her pouch. Pocket was a 2020 zoo baby. But Ava also had another fertilized embryo at the time. She was able to put that one on pause as she nursed Pocket. In April, Sarah Swanson, team leader for the interpretive department, said they noticed movement in her pouch. Now, this joey, is just starting to peer out. Soon, the public will help choose a name.
Wallabies are marsupials and part of the kangaroo family, but they're much smaller. When moving fast, they hop, using their strong legs. But if they're going slow, they move using all four limbs. The long tail acts as a tripod to steady them when they're standing or reaching high for leaves or flowers.
That face! How cute is that? Lucas was born June 23, 2020, and already, his head is bigger than his mom, Lin. Some people think red pandas look like a fire fox or a Himalayan raccoon, but they are in a family of their own. In the wild, they spend most of their time in the trees, munching on bamboo. They can jump from branch to branch, clearing 5 feet in a single leap. Red pandas are a species at risk, as are the bamboo forests where they live.
This little emerald tree boa is small right now, about the size of an ink pen, but it will eventually grow to 6 feet long. As it grows, it will turn green, except for the white spots. Ryan Dumas, head keeper in Herpetology, said, "They're not nice snakes," when asked if he could hold the snake. These snakes are non-venomous, but they can be aggressive and will bite.
Ori is a Verreaux's eagle owl, hatched March 12, 2021. It is the largest owl in Africa and is a first for the Cincinnati Zoo. Ori will be part of the Wings of Wonder Bird Encounter, but for now, as a baby, it is being hand-raised by the bird team. Ori's name originates from Hebrew and means "light."
Ori might be a little squatty now, but eventually, Ori will be a powerful hunter and grow to about 2 feet tall. This owl needs to grow into those huge feet! The legs are powerful, and with the sharp talons on each toe, when it decides to go after prey, the owl can kill instantly on impact. These owls can have a wingspan of 6 feet, and females can weigh almost 7 pounds, which is much more than the males.
Mars is one of two little blue penguins hatched mid-January at the Cincinnati Zoo. The blue penguins are the smallest of all penguins, only getting to about 14 inches tall and weighing around 3 pounds. Their beautiful blue color, with the contrasting grey and white, reminds me of a kitchen re-do. (OK, I watch too much HGTV!)
Rover splashes in the water behind the scenes. Soon, these babies will join the rest of the colony outside in Roo Valley, but for now, they're still getting used to the water. They're still very clumsy. Honestly, I was prepared to rescue them if needed as I was taking photos. But they really didn't need my help.
Right now, this dead leaf mantis is the size of an ant. Honestly, I was afraid one would land on the floor and I would step on it! Soon, it will resemble a dead leaf, thus the name. This mantis has a life span of about one year. All the insects can be found at World of the Insect at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
This is a tiny bug, but the keeper didn't let this little guy crawl on her like she did the dead leaf mantis. That's because this is a white-eyed assassin bug. It has piercing-sucking mouthparts that it uses to impale prey and inject venom.
This baby marbled crayfish resembles a small lobster, but it will only grow to 2 to 3 inches long. All marbled crayfish are women. They don't need a partner to reproduce.
These freshwater crustaceans and the other insects can be found in the World of the Insect at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Ajani Joe walks with his mom, Seyia, in the eastern black rhino reserve. He was born August 21, 2020, and is already getting his horns. Eventually, he could weigh as much as 3,000 pounds.
The black rhinos, native to Eastern and Central Africa, are critically endangered due to poaching for their horns and habitat loss. Most black rhinos today only survive in protected reserves or zoos.
While you're watching these rhinos, they may not be seeing you very clearly. Their eyesight is not great. Instead, they rely on hearing and smell. But don't mistake this huge animal as slow. Rhinos have been clocked at speeds of up to 34 mph. You will not outrun them!
Meet photographer Liz Dufour
I always knew my dad loved us. He just had a hard time showing it.
A memory forever cemented in my brain is a day my parents took the family on a surprise adventure. It was the mid-1960s. I was probably six. All these years later, I can still see us pulling up to the Phoenix Zoo.
My dad looked back at us and smiled. I think that is when the zoo became my happy place.
Zoo Babies is one of my favorite assignments here at The Enquirer.
Subscribers make our work possible. Check out our current deals here
Published
Updated
Source link
