Glenda, a 3-year-old female giraffe at Zoo Atlanta, has given birth to her first calf. Born on July 13, the newborn stands around 6 feet tall and is estimated to weigh between 100 and 150 pounds. The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams will continue to monitor both Glenda and the calf, who will have an opportunity to bond indoors before exploring their African Plains habitat.
“We are extremely excited about the birth of the calf,” said Raymond King, President and CEO. “Giraffes have long been a very popular and charismatic part of the collection.”
As is typical of the species, giraffe mothers give birth standing up, and their offspring are usually born feet-first. Healthy calves are able to walk within two hours of birth.
The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams previously based their estimation of Glenda’s condition on weight gain and physical signs that she was expecting. “Glenda’s exact birth window remained uncertain. Giraffe gestation is 15 months,” said Dr. Dwight Lawson, Senior Vice President of Collections, Education and Conservation.
Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in October 2006, Glenda and her half-sister, 4-year-old Mona, arrived at Zoo Atlanta in October 2007. The females share their habitat with the calf’s father, 4-year-old Abu.
The world’s tallest living land mammals, giraffes are native to grasslands and open woodlands in east Africa. The species is not currently endangered, although wild populations face decline due to habitat loss.
Mother and calf will bond off-exhibit for two to three weeks; stay tuned for exciting details on the calf’s debut.
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Showing posts with label born. Show all posts
Showing posts with label born. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sunday, March 15, 2009
First Gorilla Born at Zoo Atlanta Turns 20 on March 15
Birthday activities on Sunday, March 15
Guests are invited to join festivities honoring Zoo Atlanta’s firstborn gentle giant on Sunday, March 15 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in The Ford African Rain Forest. Kekla and fellow bachelors Charlie and Stadi will open birthday packages at 1 p.m. in Gorilla Habitat One. Shortly thereafter, visitors are invited to join a special “Gorilla Safari” series of keeper talks.
Well-wishers are also encouraged to bring old or unused cell phones for recycling on the day of the event; the individual bringing the most phones will win an exclusive gorilla experience. Proceeds from Zoo Atlanta’s cell phone recycling program benefit The Dian Fossey Gorilla
Fund International, the Zoo’s partner in gorilla conservation in Africa.
Birthday activities are weather-permitting; guests are encouraged to check their Zoo maps on the day of the event for details or changes. Kekla’s 20th birthday celebration is free for Zoo Members and children under 3; free with general admission.
The famously dire Ides of March might have proved fatefully unfortunate for Julius Caesar, but such was decidedly not the case for an up-and-coming wildlife organization determined to
prove to the world that it had been reborn. On March 15, 1989, Paki, a female western lowland gorilla, gave birth to a son. He was called Kekla – the name means “dawn” – and he was the first of his species born at Zoo Atlanta.
Now a handsome silverback weighing around 350 pounds, the Zoo’s breakthrough baby lives in a bachelor habitat with half-brothers Stadi, 17, and Charlie, 12. Described as a calm, collected, laid-back fellow, Kekla doesn’t realize he’s almost 20, nor is he aware of the significance of his birthday. In 1989, Zoo Atlanta was four years into its greatest period of renewal and reversal – an era illuminated by the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest in 1988. The landmark debut of that series of habitats, made famous by the iconic Willie B.’s first foray outside since his infancy, showcased naturalistic, expansive new homes, not just for the beloved Willie, but also for a group of new gorillas from Emory’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
Kekla’s parents, Ozzie and Paki, were two such pioneers, and his birth was a celebratory occasion. Since that day, 16 other western lowland gorillas have been born at Zoo Atlanta, 14 of whom still call the organization home. Ranging in age from Kekla down to Willie B.’s 2-year-old grandson, Gunther, these individuals flourish in five distinct social groups. Also since that day, Zoo Atlanta, now home to the nation’s second-largest collection of gorillas and the country’s largest collection of orangutans, has become a nationally-renowned powerhouse for the care and study of great apes. To date, Zoo Atlanta staff is responsible for more than 45 percent of the world’s publications on captive gorilla behavior. Kekla’s father, Ozzie, who turns 48 this year, is the zoological community’s second-oldest living male gorilla.
His mother, Paki, passed away in October 2004.
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Guests are invited to join festivities honoring Zoo Atlanta’s firstborn gentle giant on Sunday, March 15 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in The Ford African Rain Forest. Kekla and fellow bachelors Charlie and Stadi will open birthday packages at 1 p.m. in Gorilla Habitat One. Shortly thereafter, visitors are invited to join a special “Gorilla Safari” series of keeper talks.
Well-wishers are also encouraged to bring old or unused cell phones for recycling on the day of the event; the individual bringing the most phones will win an exclusive gorilla experience. Proceeds from Zoo Atlanta’s cell phone recycling program benefit The Dian Fossey Gorilla
Fund International, the Zoo’s partner in gorilla conservation in Africa.
Birthday activities are weather-permitting; guests are encouraged to check their Zoo maps on the day of the event for details or changes. Kekla’s 20th birthday celebration is free for Zoo Members and children under 3; free with general admission.
The famously dire Ides of March might have proved fatefully unfortunate for Julius Caesar, but such was decidedly not the case for an up-and-coming wildlife organization determined to
prove to the world that it had been reborn. On March 15, 1989, Paki, a female western lowland gorilla, gave birth to a son. He was called Kekla – the name means “dawn” – and he was the first of his species born at Zoo Atlanta.
Now a handsome silverback weighing around 350 pounds, the Zoo’s breakthrough baby lives in a bachelor habitat with half-brothers Stadi, 17, and Charlie, 12. Described as a calm, collected, laid-back fellow, Kekla doesn’t realize he’s almost 20, nor is he aware of the significance of his birthday. In 1989, Zoo Atlanta was four years into its greatest period of renewal and reversal – an era illuminated by the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest in 1988. The landmark debut of that series of habitats, made famous by the iconic Willie B.’s first foray outside since his infancy, showcased naturalistic, expansive new homes, not just for the beloved Willie, but also for a group of new gorillas from Emory’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
Kekla’s parents, Ozzie and Paki, were two such pioneers, and his birth was a celebratory occasion. Since that day, 16 other western lowland gorillas have been born at Zoo Atlanta, 14 of whom still call the organization home. Ranging in age from Kekla down to Willie B.’s 2-year-old grandson, Gunther, these individuals flourish in five distinct social groups. Also since that day, Zoo Atlanta, now home to the nation’s second-largest collection of gorillas and the country’s largest collection of orangutans, has become a nationally-renowned powerhouse for the care and study of great apes. To date, Zoo Atlanta staff is responsible for more than 45 percent of the world’s publications on captive gorilla behavior. Kekla’s father, Ozzie, who turns 48 this year, is the zoological community’s second-oldest living male gorilla.
His mother, Paki, passed away in October 2004.
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
National Zoo Has a New Baby Gorilla
A baby western lowland gorilla was born January 11 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Staff estimate the baby was born at approximately 1:45 p.m. to 26-year-old female Mandara and 16-year-old Baraka. The newborn represents the seventh successful gorilla birth for the Zoo since 1991. This is the sixth offspring for Mandara. The newborn joins siblings Kigali, Kwame and Kojo, as well as group member Haloko at the Great Ape House. All of the Zoo’s gorillas will remain on exhibit.
Both mother and baby appear to be doing well. The baby’s sex has not yet been determined.
“We began monitoring the baby as soon as it was discovered and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks,” said Don Moore, associate director for animal care. “This is a very critical time for the survival of the infant, and all precautions must be taken to ensure that Mandara and her baby are in an environment that is comfortable, safe and controlled. Mandara is a very experienced and competent mother, and we’re confident that she will properly care for and bond with her baby.”
The gorilla birth is significant for the National Zoo. Western lowland gorillas, which are native to tropical forests of West and Central Africa, are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching. They are also a focus of the Zoo’s participation in Species Survival Plan, in which North American zoos collaborate to encourage the development of a self-sustaining zoo gorilla population, helping to ensure the survival of this endangered species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Mandara, born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982, is owned by the Milwaukee Zoo. She came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Baraka was born at the Zoo in 1992 to Haloko and Gus. He went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in March 2004 and returned to the Zoo in late 2006.
For more information about the Zoo’s gorillas and its conservation efforts, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu.
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Both mother and baby appear to be doing well. The baby’s sex has not yet been determined.
“We began monitoring the baby as soon as it was discovered and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks,” said Don Moore, associate director for animal care. “This is a very critical time for the survival of the infant, and all precautions must be taken to ensure that Mandara and her baby are in an environment that is comfortable, safe and controlled. Mandara is a very experienced and competent mother, and we’re confident that she will properly care for and bond with her baby.”
The gorilla birth is significant for the National Zoo. Western lowland gorillas, which are native to tropical forests of West and Central Africa, are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation and poaching. They are also a focus of the Zoo’s participation in Species Survival Plan, in which North American zoos collaborate to encourage the development of a self-sustaining zoo gorilla population, helping to ensure the survival of this endangered species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Mandara, born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982, is owned by the Milwaukee Zoo. She came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Baraka was born at the Zoo in 1992 to Haloko and Gus. He went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in March 2004 and returned to the Zoo in late 2006.
For more information about the Zoo’s gorillas and its conservation efforts, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu.
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