Zoo babies are here

Spring is an exciting time at Zoo Atlanta, where there’s lots of news to report since we last blogged.

Four-year-old warthog Shirley gave birth to her third litter, with five piglets (four girls and one boy) late Wednesday. Sadly, the zoo reported that three of the five piglets have since died. While the piglets appeared to be active and feeding normally, “infant mortality is not uncommon for newborn warthogs in their fragile first days of life,” the zoo said. The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams continue to monitor Shirley and her remaining two piglets, which appear to be doing well.

Miri, an 18-year-old Bornean orangutan, gave birth to a baby (seen above) on March 30 — only the second Bornean orangutan born at the zoo. The infant was Miri and Sulango’s second. Although Miri is an experienced mother, the zoo was worried because the infant was small and not as active and alert as expected. On April 5, the zoo reported that based on observations made during a veterinary exam on April 1 and a lack of improvement in his appearance on April 2, zoo officials removed him for hand-rearing by the Animal Management and Veterinary Teams. At that time, the baby was “currently under round-the-clock care and monitoring, and at this time, his condition remains guarded.”

Blaze, a 14-year-old Sumatran orangutan from the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, La., arrived at Zoo Atlanta on March 29. Her former caretakers described her as “a strong-willed female and a quick learner who enjoys training.” She will make her official debut later this spring after a routine quarantine period. The zoo has high hopes for a match between Blaze and longtime bachelor Alan, who is currently ranked as North America’s most genetically valuable male orangutan.

Robin, a 4-year-old golden lion tamarin at Zoo Atlanta, gave birth to twins on March 18. The infants, each estimated to weigh about 2 ounces, were the first offspring for Robin and her mate, 4-year-old male Theo. Sadly, one of the twins died a few days later. The zoo said that golden lion tamarins are known to carry an increased risk of infant mortality when born to parents without previous parenting experience. Robin and Theo were both the youngest offspring in their families, so they never got to “participate in infant care taking, which in their species is a behavior learned through practice and observation,” the zoo said.

And more zooborns are on the way.

Great apes Kuchi and Kudzoo, western lowland gorillas, are both expecting. Kuchi, the only gorilla in captivity ever to rear twins independently, is set to become a mother for the fourth time. Kudzoo is expecting her second infant. The babies share a father — silverback Taz — and could arrive just weeks or days apart.

Glenda the giraffe could deliver anytime between now and May. Her calf will be about 6 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 150 pounds at birth.