One hundred days old today and weighing in at 12.5 pounds, San Diego Zoo's panda cub marked a milestone by cutting his first two teeth--the lower canines--near the front of his mouth.

See more pictures of zoo animals in Zoo News>>

Bronx Zoo and other zoos in New York City know how to lay on a party for their animals. Halloween is too good an opportunity to miss.

Zoo photographer Julie Larsen Maher frequently submits photos for our "Zoo News" feature on this blog. Halloween 2009 is no exception.

The animals were photographed in the Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Central Park Zoo,  and the New York Aquarium--all operated in the New York area by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Here is a selection of some of Julie Larsen's Halloween photos:

Photo of snow leopard with pumpkin at central Park Zoo by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of ananconda with pumpkin by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of meerkats and pumpkin by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of radiated tortoise exploring Halloween snack by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of Andean bear demolishing pumpkin by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of leaf insect by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of octopus and pumpkin by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of pumpkin and Madagascar hissing cockroaches by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of saki monkey eyeing a pumpkin by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of porcupine at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of king vulture at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of lace monitor at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of Surinam horned frog at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of python at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of sea lion at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

WCS photo of Pallas's cat at Halloween by Julie Larsen Maher

More photos of animals:  Zoo News >>

Two male calves have been added to the giraffe herd at Walt Disney World Resort's Animal Kingdom in Florida.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort

Weighing 153 pounds, Bolo (in the picture above) was born October 12 to second-time mother Big Girl, who first birthed a female calf in November 2005, Disney said on its Web site. "On October 5, the Disney's Animal Programs team helped to deliver 166-pound calf Bruehler from third-time mother Aibuni."

As newborns, both male calves stand nearly six feet tall and could grow to be as tall as 15 to18 feet as adults, Disney added.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort

Bolo and Bruehler and their mothers appear to be doing well, according to Animal Kingdom veterinarians and animal care managers. "The young males, who began nursing successfully soon after birth, are already feisty and very active."

"The next important milestone is for the calves to continue the bonding process with their mothers who will teach them important lessons and guide them as they are introduced to the herd in the coming weeks," said Matt Hohne, Animal Operations Director at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The latest calves are the 13th and 14th giraffes born at Disney's Animal Kingdom since opening in 1998. Giraffes at Walt Disney World Resort are bred through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Population Management Plan, which is a consortium of zoos and wildlife parks working together to conserve and breed animals.  

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort

The hyena's cackle can curdle the blood when it is heard in the African wilderness. It is the sound of one of the continent's most efficient hunters. Even lions have been observed to flee in terror when faced by a pack of determined hyenas.

Now the hyena's "laugh" may be heard in New York--at least in the neighborhood of the Bronx Zoo.

Photo by Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

"More than 30 years have passed since hyenas have been part of the Bronx Zoo," said Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo and Senior Vice President of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Living Institutions. (WCS operates the Bronx Zoo.) "We are pleased to have hyena back at the zoo so that our visitors can get a glimpse of these amazing creatures and learn more about their importance to the ecosystem."

Two spotted hyenas recently joined the lions, gazelles, zebras and other wildlife in the zoo's African Plains exhibit.
The hyenas are male and female siblings born in March 2008, at the Denver Zoo. The female's name is Kubwa (Swahili for "big" because her head is bigger than the male's) and the male is Kidogo (Swahili for "small," since he has the smaller head). Kubwa weighs approximately 91 lbs. and Kidogo is 75 lbs.

"Most people associate the hyena with its raucous vocalizations that earned it the nickname 'laughing hyena,' WCS said in a statement. "However, it is no laughing matter for the hyena's prey in the wild, as spotted hyenas are serious hunters. These predators are the largest members of the hyena family and live in sub-Saharan Africa on savannahs and open woodlands."

While spotted hyena are not considered endangered, their habitat is under increased pressure from human incursion, WCS added. "There has been a great decrease in the hyena population of western Africa. The Wildlife Conservation Society has a strong presence in Africa, including Southern Sudan where hyenas roam in the wild."

Zhen Zhen celebrated her birthday yesterday in style--with cake and presents, the zoo added. "The gift boxes contained biscuits, specially made for pandas. Her sister, Su Lin, 4, celebrated her birthday today too, but her two-tiered larger cake had a big '4' on top."

Zhen Zhen, whose name means "precious," is the fourth panda cub born at the San Diego Zoo. Su Lin, who turned 4 Sunday, is the third. Her name means "a little bit of something very cute."

Photo taken August 3, 2009, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo

Chinese alligators reintroduced into China from the United States are breeding successfully in the wild on an island in the mouth of the Yangtze River, the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society said today.

Photo © WCS

"The alligator hatchlings--15 in number--are the offspring of a group of alligators that includes animals from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo," WCS said. "The baby alligators represent a milestone for the 10-year effort to reintroduce the Chinese alligator on Chongming Island, located at the mouth of China's Yangtze River."

The announcement was made at the International Congress for Conservation Biology, convened by the Society for Conservation Biology in Beijing, China (July 11-16).

"The success of this small population suggests that there's hope for bringing the Chinese alligator back to some parts of its former distribution."

"This is fantastic news," said WCS researcher John Thorbjarnarson, an expert on crocodilians and a participant in the project. "The success of this small population suggests that there's hope for bringing the Chinese alligator back to some parts of its former distribution."

Plans to reintroduce Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) started in 1999 with a survey conducted by WCS, the Anhui Forestry Bureau, and the East China Normal University in Anhui Province.

Anhui was the only remaining location where the reptiles were still found in the wild, in a small fraction of the alligator's former range. "The results of the survey were dire, with an estimate of fewer than 130 animals in a declining population," WCS said.

An international workshop on the species was held in 2001, followed by recommendations for the reintroduction of captive-bred alligators. The first three animals released in Hongxing Reserve of Xuancheng County in Anhui in 2003 were from the Anhui Research Center of Chinese Alligator Reproduction (ARCCAR).

Photo © WCS

To ensure the maximum genetic diversity for the effort, project participants imported 12 more animals to Changxing Yinjiabian Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve from North America, including four from the Bronx Zoo, WCS said. "From this group, three animals from the U.S. were released in 2007 along with three more alligators from Changxing.

"Experts reported that the reintroduced alligators successfully hibernated, and then in 2008, bred in the wild."

With a former range that covered a wide watershed area of East China, the Chinese alligator--or "tu long," which means "muddy dragon"--is now listed as "Critically Endangered" on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species and is the most threatened of the 23 species of crocodilians in the world today, WCS added. "It is one of only two alligator species in existence (the other is the better known, and much better off, American alligator)."

Photo © WCS

The Yangtze River, where the reintroduction of these alligators took place, is the third longest river in the world (after the Amazon and the Nile) and is China's most economically important waterway. The world's largest hydro-electric dam---the Three Gorges Dam---is also located on the river.

"The high levels of development along the river have become a challenge for native wildlife," WCS said. "In 2006 a comprehensive search for the Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, didn't find any, although one isolated sighting of a dolphin was made in 2007."

Other participants in the alligator reintroduction project include the East China Normal University, Shanghai Forestry Bureau, Changxing Yinjiabian Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve, and Wetland Park of Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holding) Co. Ltd.

 The project is being supported by the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong.

Zoos worldwide are working to protect the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo--conservation funded also by the National Geographioc Society/Waitt Grants Program.

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, a leader in the effort to conserve tree kangaroos in their wild habitat in Papua New Guinea, is also working to expand the genetic diversity of these marsupials in captivity.

Woodland Park Zoo photo by Ryan Hawk

For the first time in three years, Woodland Park Zoo is again home to the Matschie's tree kangaroo, known for its bearlike head, bushy tail and marsupial's pouch, the zoo said today.

"An 8-year-old male, named Huen, arrived from Singapore Zoo in March and can now be found living in the Day Exhibit. As one of the newest conservation ambassadors at the zoo, Huen represents the international work of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, founded and based here at the zoo under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Dabek, Woodland Park Zoo Director of Field Conservation."

National Geographic Grantee

Dabek also received funding from the National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program for this work. Watch this National Geographic video about her tree kangaroo work in Papua New Guinea:

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program celebrated a milestone this year with the passage of Papua New Guinea's first ever national conservation area, preserving 187,800 acres of forest habitat for the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo and thousands of other endemic and endangered species, Woodland Park Zoo said in a statement.

"On Earth Day 2009, staff from Woodland Park Zoo and partner Conservation International joined thousands of PNG villagers for a traditional Sing Sing celebration in the highlands of Papua New Guinea in honor of this conservation breakthrough."

Lisa Dabek (right), Woodland Park Zoo Director of Field Conservation, received honors on Earth Day from Papua New Guinea officials and YUS villagers for the efforts of Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program to help establish the first ever conservation area in the country.

Woodland Park Zoo photo by Ryan Hawk

The arrival of Huen marks the latest step in Woodland Park Zoo's efforts to conserve this endangered species, the zoo added. "Huen will be joined by a mate in the near future to be part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan to breed this species in order to increase its genetic diversity."

"Papua New Guinea, particularly the Huon Peninsula, is considered a high-priority area for conservation efforts due to the significant amount of intact rainforest, high species endemism and lack of protected areas for wildlife," says a National Geographic Web site dedicated to the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program. "Destruction of the rainforest by mining, logging, and development threatens the continued existence of Papua New Guinea's unique fauna and flora, including the endangered Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), a flagship species for Papua New Guinea's people."

Read more about the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program >>

The Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit in New York's Bronx Zoo is home to 19 of the great apes and an assortment of other animals. It has also raised almost U.S. $11,000,000 for the conservation of Central Africa's Congo Basin rain forest and wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the zoo, said today.

WCS photos of Bronx Zoo gorillas celebrating tenth anniversary of exhibit by Julie Larsen Maher

"With this one exhibit, you can truly see the extraordinary power of the Bronx Zoo," said Steven E. Sanderson, president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Through its ten-year history, the Congo Gorilla Forest has turned millions of our visitors into conservationists and has helped directly to fund the protection of wildlife and wild places."

Since it opened in 1999, seven million visitors have visited the exhibit, which allows zoo guests to donate their admission fees to WCS field conservation efforts in Central Africa. The donations have helped to create 18 national parks in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Gabon.

Protecting All Four Subspecies of Gorilla

"From its inception, the Congo Gorilla Forest was designed to raise funds and awareness of the plight of gorillas in Africa," the conservation charity said. "Today, WCS is working with the national park services of Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to create and manage protected areas and protect all four subspecies of gorilla.

"Finally, the Congo experience culminates in the C.V. Starr Conservation Theater and Lila Acheson Wallace Great Gorilla Forest. Separated from the gorillas only by glass, the visitor's instinct is to touch the hand that looks so different, yet is so close." Various parts of the exhibit have been named after the most generous donors.

The two troops of gorillas in residence at the Bronx Zoo form one of the largest breeding groups of western lowland gorillas in North America, WCS said. Through the years, 14 gorillas, 23 red river hogs, 11 Wolf's guenons and four okapis have been born in the exhibit. "The WCS breeding programs for these species make significant contributions to the survival of their populations in zoos. This success is due to an immersing habitat and exceptional animal care and dedication."

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their exhibit, the 19 gorillas at the Bronx Zoo were given "cupcake" treats.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Much of WCS's work with gorillas in the wild is funded through the Biodiversity Program and Central Africa Program for the Environment of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Great Ape Conservation Funds of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Through these critical programs, sustainable management practices are brought to key landscapes like the Congo Basin protecting great ape populations while promoting sustainable development for the people of the Congo," WCS said.

WCS is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest through a series of events sponsored by Bank of America, including guided tours, gorilla feeding times, African arts and crafts, traditional interactive African storytelling, and African dance and drum performances.

Said Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and WCS Senior Vice President of Living Institutions: "We invite all to visit the Bronx Zoo to help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest. There is nothing more magical than meeting a gorilla face-to-face, eye-to-eye. This landmark exhibit has made a difference in conservation, in zoo exhibit design and in the lives of millions of Bronx Zoo visitors over the last ten years."

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

ZooTube video by Woodland Park Zoo

Endangered in the wild, snow leopards are evidently stable and thriving in a breeding program managed cooperatively and carefully by North American zoos.

Photo by Ric Brewer, courtesy Woodland Park Zoo

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo gave its new snow leopards their first physical check-up this week.

"We're pleased to announce that both cubs appear to be progressing normally. They're healthy and vigorous, and maternal care appears to be very good," said Woodland Park Zoo Associate Veterinarian Kelly Helmick. The cubs, a male and a female, currently weigh between 3.6 and 4 lbs.

The cubs are the first offspring for the 4-year-old mother, Helen, and 3-year-old father, Tom. The first-time mom and cubs are off public exhibit to allow bonding and proper nursing. "Since snow leopards are solitary animals in the wild, the father has been separated and is on public view with the zoo's other adult female, Nadia, in the snow leopard exhibit," the zoo said.

Nine Snow Leopards Born This Year

The last birth of snow leopards at Woodland Park Zoo was in 2000. A total of nine snow leopards have been born this year in five AZA zoos.

"The birth marks another milestone for Woodland Park Zoo and North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), as the cubs will help bolster the genetic diversity of the endangered species," noted zoo Interim Curator Tina Mullett in a news statement.

"These beautiful conservation ambassadors help visitors connect with snow leopards and become inspired to learn about and take action to help preserve their future in their range countries."

Photo by Ric Brewer, courtesy Woodland Park Zoo

The North American breeding program aims to maintain a stable population of captive snow leopards of around 300 cats, ensuring genetic diversity. There is a similar program in Europe.

Some 700 snow leopards are thought to live in captivity worldwide. Estimates of how many snow leopards are in the wild vary between 3,500 and 7,000.

Captive leopards not only retain a breeding pool for the endangered species in zoos, but they can also serve as ambassadors for their wild relatives, helping raise awareness and funding for wildlife conservation.

Snow Leopard Trust

As part of Woodland Park Zoo's partnership with field conservation projects around the world, the zoo partners with the Seattle-based Snow Leopard Trust. The Trust was created in 1981 by the late Woodland Park Zoo staff member Helen Freeman, the namesake of the mother of the cubs, Helen.

"Through innovative programs, effective partnerships and the latest science, the Snow Leopard Trust is saving these magnificent cats and improving the lives of people who live in the snow leopard countries of Central Asia," the zoo said.

"Woodland Park Zoo has a long history of caring for snow leopards and conserving them in the wild, since the zoo's first snow leopards arrived in 1972 from the USSR. Under the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP), managed by AZA, 28 cubs have been born at the zoo and sent to zoos worldwide to help diversify the genetic pool of the managed population."

Get more Zoo News >>

Snow leopard cubs are born helpless, with their eyes closed, and rely for several weeks on their mothers for nutrition.

Monitoring Snow Leopards by Web Cam

"To minimize disturbance, staff have minimal physical contact with the new family and are monitoring mother and cubs in a birthing den via a web cam," the zoo said.

The new parents, Helen and Tom, arrived last year from Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls and Los Angeles Zoo, respectively, under a breeding recommendation made by the SSP for snow leopards. "Introducing new animals, especially with the important goal of breeding, requires a methodical strategy. Matchmaking doesn't always work out for animals, just like it doesn't always work out for humans," explained Mullet.

"Our keeper staff invested many hours into daily observations of visual introductions between the adults before introducing them together physically. The expertise and patience of our staff and, of course, letting nature take its course, have paid off with a successful introduction, breeding and these precious cubs."

Photos of the neonatal exam can be found on the zoo's blog.

The Snow Leopard is among 39 Species Survival Plans that Woodland Park Zoo participates in, including the western lowland gorilla, Humboldt penguin, Komodo dragon and red panda. Under the auspices of AZA, SSPs also involve a variety of other collaborative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects.

Related blog entries about snow leopards :

Snow Leopards Take Up Manhattan Residence

Snow Leopards, 32 Other Species Receive Protection in Afghanistan

This light-footed clapper rail, an endangered species endemic to Southern California marshlands, was fitted with an identification band yesterday in preparation for its release into the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve in San Diego County.

Sixteen clapper rails that were hatched at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld San Diego and the Chula Vista Nature Center earlier this year were introduced into the marshland as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service clapper rail recovery program, San Diego Zoo said in a statement.

The decade-old program has now released more than 220 light-footed clapper rails into Southern California marshlands between Santa Barbara and San Diego, the zoo added.

Photo by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo

Hunted to near extinction by the invasive brown tree snake on the Pacific Ocean Island Guam, the Micronesian kingfisher exists today only in captivity. The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago was excited to announce today that the world population of this bird was boosted with a successful hatching on June 2.

Photo of Micronesian kingfisher courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

A Guam Micronesian kingfisher--a critically endangered bird that has become extinct in the wild--hatched at Chicago's Lincoln park Zoo earlier this month.

"There are only approximately 100 individuals left in the world and reside within accredited North American zoos and a facility operated by the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources as part of the Species Survival Program," the zoo said in a statement accompanying images released to the media.

The kingfisher chick, which has yet to be sexed or named, is developing tiny pin feathers and a darkened beak, the zoo added.

"Kingfishers use their beaks to drill holes into trees and rotting wood to create their nests. Males and females work together to hollow out their nest and they develop a stronger bond through the teamwork."

The last individual birds were removed from the island and placed in a recovery breeding program. The goal of the program is to one day return kingfishers to their native home once the snakes have been eradicated, Lincoln park Zoo said.

Illustration of Guam's Micronesian Kingfisher courtesy USGS

Lincoln Park Zoo is an active participant in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival plan to help preserve the species.

Additional information:

Extinctions and Loss of Species from Guam: Birds (US Geological Survey)

A trio of laughing kookaburra chicks fledged from their nest this week at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo's McCormick Bird House. The chicks are the first offspring for an adult pair that arrived at the zoo in 2003.

Kookaburra photo courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

"The chicks, which have yet to be sexed or named, hatched in late April," The zoo said in a statement accompanying these pictures. "They have recently started voicing their iconic namesake chuckling 'koo koo koo kaa kaa kaa' vocalization that family members sing together."

Laughing kookaburras, a member of the kingfisher family, are native to Australia. "They are believed to pair-bond for life. Fledgling kookaburras generally remain with their parents to help care for the subsequent clutch. Mature offspring feed and protect their siblings before moving on to nests of their own," Lincoln Park Zoo said.

Kookaburra photo courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Most of us know aardvark as the first word in the dictionary. It's also a really cool to know for word games like Scrabble.

I grew up in South Africa and know this word,(in Afrikaans aardvark literally means "earth pig"), but I don't recall ever seeing an aardvark, certainly not in the wild. The reason is that it is solitary and nocturnal, and seldom seen.

So it's exciting that the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo has opened a new exhibit this week featuring two aardvarks from Tanzania. Now millions of New York-area people can see animals that millions of Africans who live with aardvarks in their midst seldom glimpse.

"The nocturnal aardvarks live in a habitat that simulates nighttime with enough light for visitors to observe these unusual creatures when the animals are active," the Bronx Zoo said in a caption accompanying the photos here.

"Our in-house team worked very hard to create an environment that is visually pleasing, comfortable for the animals, and that lets us continue our mission of conservation and of educating the public,"said Jim Breheny, the zoo's director.

The aardvarks are a male and a female, and approximately two years old. The male weighs about 100 lbs, and the female is about 115 lbs. Females have a wider head than males and are generally lighter in color.

White-faced scops owl photo by Julie Larsen Maher © WCS  

The aardvarks are living with a breeding pair of white-faced scops owls in the zoo's Carter Giraffe Building.

Aardvark Facts

(from Bronx Zoo)

• Despite its porcine name (Afrikaans for earth pig), the aardvark is more closely related to an elephant than it is to a pig.

• To recreate their sub-Saharan diet of ants and termites, these aardvarks are fed moistened insectivore chow and meat slurry.

• Although the aardvark is a species classified as least vulnerable, its habitat is still subject to human encroachment, and the animal is sometimes hunted for its meat and for its claws and snout, considered good luck by some indigenous people.

It's a spring-time baby boom for many animals, including those in zoos. New York's Bronx Zoo's Julie Larsen Maher sent these photos of some of the zoo's recent arrivals.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

In time for Mother's Day, the Bronx Zoo in New York released these photos of a giraffe calf, named Margaret Abigail, and other baby animals.

"We are pleased to be debuting several notable baby animals, making the Bronx Zoo a very special place to visit this spring," said Zoo Director Jim Breheny. "Our zoo visitors can expect a few more baby births in the coming weeks."

The new giraffe can be seen at the zoo's African Plains exhibit, where she lives in a herd of five other females, and one male. The calf's parents are a young adult cow, Margaret Sukari, and an adult bull named James Michael.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

The African Plains exhibit at the Bronx Zoo replicates the giraffe's grass and woodlands habitat in Africa's savanna.

Margaret Abigail's birth is the result of the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) breeding program. The conservation charity operates the Bronx Zoo and is is helping to protect giraffes by saving some of their habitats in Africa's wilderness areas. "WCS is working with giraffe population in many sub-Saharan countries, determining which measures will best halt the population decline of this unique animal," said a statement released with these pictures.

Also new at the Bronx Zoo is the Argus pheasant chick in the picture above. It is already three months old, but it will be a few more weeks before the plumage will show if the bird is male or female, the zoo said.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Adding to the "baby boom" at the zoo is this pancake tortoise hatchling.

• See more animals in Zoo News >>

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake picture by Michael Redmer/Courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo

Habitat loss, persecution, and collection for the illegal pet trade has driven the eastern massasauga rattlesnake almost to extinction in northeastern Illinois. Now local wildlife agencies have united to round up the last wild individuals in an attempt to save the species locally.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Lincoln Park Zoo are collaborating to conserve the species through capture and recovery efforts, says a news statement released by the agencies today.

"Considerable scientific data indicate eastern massasauga rattlesnakes will vanish forever if the remaining snakes aren't found. This is an emergency situation and we must act now," says Joe Kath, IDNR endangered species project manager.

The goal of the recovery effort is to locate the last remaining snakes in northeastern Illinois and place them in appropriate propagation facilities, including Lincoln Park Zoo. It is an effort to bolster the population and ensure the species' survival. The goal is to increase the snake's numbers, secure local habitat, and eventually reintroduce it to the wild.

While eastern massasauga rattlesnakes live in small pockets from western New York and southern Ontario to southern Iowa and northeastern Missouri, a recent genetic study identified three distinctive genetic groupings of the reptile in North America. The northeastern Illinois snake population is a distinct variation that will be lost forever if swift conservation action isn't taken, conservationists have concluded.

"Substantial evidence suggests the Chicago-area population has reached critically low numbers, and is unlikely to recover to a sustainable level in the wild under existing conditions. Drastic action is needed now if we are to salvage this unique genetic group of eastern massasauga," says Michael Redmer, a herpetologist at the FWS Chicago Field Office.

Rattlesnakes are an iconic species that serve a crucial role in the Illinois ecosystem as both a highly evolved predator and as prey, the news statement says. "As predators, rattlesnakes control mice and rat populations, thereby reducing the spread of diseases like Lyme and Hantavirus. Rattlesnakes also are a prey species hunted by hawks, owls, cranes and some mammals.

Photo courtesy FWS

"Additionally, rattlesnake venom may serve an important role in human medicine. Researchers are currently studying the benefits of its use in certain drugs and medications." "Sadly there are very few snakes left, and we have an ethical obligation to conserve them," says Joanne Earnhardt, director of the Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology at Lincoln Park Zoo, who serves as the eastern massasauga rattlesnake Species Survival Plan coordinator.

Lincoln Park Zoo is also spearheading the eastern massasauga rattlesnake Species Survival Plan's five-year study of a key population of the reptiles at Big Rock Valley, headquarters of the Edward Lowe Foundation. The goal of the study, which launches in May, is to locate as many rattlesnakes as possible and follow them over several years.

Many of the existing studies on massasaugas have been focused on behavior or habitat, Earnhardt says in the news statement. "In contrast, a longitudinal study that follows individual snakes will give us a better idea about survival and reproduction rates."

Big Rock Valley is a 2,600-acre property of forests, lakes, ponds and streams in southwestern Michigan. This population of snakes is genetically different than those ranging in northeastern Illinois. The researchers plan to implant the snakes with small transponders--the kind used to identify pets--that can be read with a special scanner whenever snakes are recaptured.

Photos by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

A colony of Humboldt penguins was introduced today to the new penguin exhibit at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.

"The 20 tuxedoed birds waddled outdoors onto the beach and naturally did what penguins in the wild do--they went swimming," said a caption the zoo released with these photos.

The penguins, 10 males and 10 females, arrived three weeks ago from five other U.S. zoos and aquariums. The birds range in ages 1 to 20 years old and moved from Brookfield Zoo (Chicago), SeaWorld (San Diego), Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, NY), Saint Louis Zoo and Aquarium of Niagara (Niagara Falls, New York).

"Watching the penguins take their first steps outdoors was truly remarkable," said Celine Pardo, a penguin keeper at Woodland Park Zoo. "They took to the water immediately, and showed off their innate prowess of diving and 'flying' underwater. It was very rewarding to see them behave just like wild penguins."

The new exhibit replicates the desert coast of Punta San Juan--home of the largest colony of wild Humboldt penguins in Peru."The 17,000-square-foot naturalistic home features shoreline cliffs, viewable entrances to nesting burrows, rocky tide pools, crashing waves and a beach," the zoo says.

Windows and acrylic walls offer guests "nose-to-beak viewing" as penguins splash, dive and swoop underwater. Other observations for visitors may include seeing the birds feeding, preening, and squabbling over nesting sites during the breeding season (February/March)--much like they do on the Peruvian shores in the wild, the statement said.

The penguin exhibit is built with the environment in mind, including geothermal energy; an innovative filtration system that will save 3 million gallons of water and nearly 22,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year--"the equivalent of saving 24 million pints of drinking water, and heating five, new two-bedroom townhouses each year"; containment of and recycled stormwater runoff to conserve tap water and prevent pollution of surrounding streams and other natural water sources.

The penguins arrived at Woodland Park through recommendations by the Humboldt penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP) to ultimately form a breeding colony, said Mark Myers, a curator at Woodland Park Zoo. "Our plan to grow the colony also involves acquiring more penguins through the SSP."

Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding programs that work to ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in North American zoos and aquariums. The Humboldt penguin SSP is among 39 SSPs that Woodland Park Zoo participates in, including plans for the western lowland gorilla, ocelot, Komodo dragon and red panda. SSPs also involve a variety of other collaborative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects.

As conservation ambassadors, the endangered penguins at the zoo will help heighten awareness about their plight in the wild, Woodland Park Zoo says. "It is estimated that only 12,000 endangered Humboldt penguins survive in the wild. Overfishing of anchovies--the penguin's primary food source--and other human activities, such as the harvesting of guano deposits, which penguins rely on to build nests in, pose the greatest threats to their survival."

Woodland Park Zoo is also committed to conserving Humboldt penguins in Peru, by supporting the Humboldt Penguin Conservation Center at Punta San Juan, breeding endangered penguins through the Species Survival Plan, and encouraging visitors to choose sustainable seafood options, the zoo says.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo by Lisa Ware

An endangered clouded leopard at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation & Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, gave birth to a genetically valuable litter of two cubs today. They are the first such births at the special breeding facility in 16 years.

"Staff has been on pregnancy watch of the two-and-a-half year-old clouded leopard 'Jao Chu' (JOW-chew) for five days. She gave birth to the litter early Tuesday morning," said a zoo news release.

This is Jao Chu's first litter. She and the cubs' father, two-and-a-half year-old "Hannibal," were born in Thailand in a collaborative research program with the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand. The pairing of Jao Chu and Hannibal and the resultant offspring infuses precious genes into the captive population of clouded leopards.

The cubs' sex will not be known until the first veterinary exam, the zoo said. They are being hand raised by zoo staff to increase their chances of survival.

"Due to deforestation and hunting, clouded leopards are vulnerable to extinction. National Zoo scientist Dr. JoGayle Howard and colleagues are aggressively working toward saving this species from decline," the statement added.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo by Lisa Ware

Breeding clouded leopards in captivity has been a challenge, primarily due to male aggression, decreased breeding activity between paired animals, and high cub mortality, the zoo said.

In 2002, the National Zoo in collaboration with the Nashville Zoo and the Clouded Leopard Species Survival Plan created the Thailand Clouded Leopard Consortium -- the largest population of confiscated clouded leopards in Southeast Asia.

The species survival plan oversees clouded leopard populations in zoos worldwide, and makes breeding recommendations for potential pairs based on the genetics of each cat.

(Watch a National Geographic video about this breeding progam below.)

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo by Lisa Ware

To date, the Thailand Clouded Leopard Consortium has produced 32 surviving cubs. The National Zoo's program at the Front Royal facility is the only one of its kind combining breeding with scientific research.

"For example, scientists still do not know why male clouded leopards attack their possible mates," the zoo said. "but several graduate students at the National Zoo are studying the males' behavior -- one student plans to test anti-anxiety drugs used in humans and domestic cats in an attempt to suppress male aggression."

Clouded leopard breeding video by National Geographic

Howard and colleagues have learned how to reduce the risk of fatal attacks by hand-rearing cubs for socialization and also introducing males to their mates when they are six months old, allowing the pair to grow up together. "Hannibal and Jao Chu, the only compatible pair of clouded leopards at CRC, are proof that these techniques work," the zoo said in its statement.

Little is known about clouded leopards. They are cats native to Southeast Asia and parts of China in a habitat that ranges from dense tropical evergreen forests to drier forests if there is suitable prey.

They are the smallest of the big cats, weighing 30 to 50 pounds and measuring about five feet long. Their short legs, large paws, and long tail (accounts for half their length) help them balance on small branches, and their flexible ankles allow them to run down trees headfirst.

Mandara, a 26-year-old female western lowland gorilla and her two-month old daughter, enjoyed the St. Patrick Day festivities. Mandara is eating a lime and honeydew melon kabob that she found in her goodie bag. The public can vote to name the baby gorilla on the Zoo's Web site.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo by Mehgan Murphy

The Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., arranged a Saint Patrick's Day celebration today for the zoo's gorillas and orangutans with an "all-green" party at the Great Ape House.

In keeping with a "green" theme, all the food served at the party to the gorillas and orangutans was green, the Zoo said. Foods included green fruitsicles, lime and honeydew melon kabobs, green jello, broccoli forage, and shamrock wall paintings made of rice cereal.

"Additionally, the keepers painted St. Patrick's Day decorations on brown paper bags that were filled with hay and goodies," the Zoo said in a statement.

The animals obviously would not have any concept of St Patrick's Day--something they have in common with perhaps most of the human primates walking around in green and drinking green beer on this day. But a lot can be said for the imagination of the National Zoo's animal keepers for making their jobs and the lives of the animals they look after as enriched and fun as possible.

Seven western lowland gorillas live in one group at the National Zoo's Great Ape House, including their newest resident, a female baby gorilla born on January 10, 2009. Four Sumatran-Bornean hybrid orangutans and two Bornean orangutans live in a separate exhibit at the Great Ape House.

Iris, a 21-year-old Sumatran-Bornean hybrid orangutan, relaxes next to the green waterfall and pool on St. Patrick's Day at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo by Mehgan Murphy

"The unnamed calf bolsters the population of African elephants at the Wild Animal Park to 12," the zoo said in a caption released with this photo.The mother, Umngani, and calf, in the photo above, will be slowly introduced to the rest of the zoo's herd over the next several days.

"Keepers and researchers are monitoring the pair to ensure Umngani properly cares for the newborn and to gather important information about calf development."

Rescued by the Wild Animal Park in August 2003, Umngani and six other adult elephants were to be culled in the Kingdom of Swaziland's Big Game Parks because of elephant overpopulation, the zoo said. "A lack of space and long periods of drought created unsuitable habitat for a large elephant population in the small southern African country."

Photo taken March 13, 2009, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo

The Smithsonian's National Zoo announced the birth of a giant anteater, born two days ago, March 12, in an indoor enclosure. This is only the second giant anteater to be born in the history of the zoo.

"National Zoo animal care staff and veterinarians have been closely monitoring mother Maripi (ma-RIP-ee) for the past six months, performing weekly ultrasounds and other diagnostics," the Zoo said in a news statement. "Staff expected Maripi to give birth in mid to late March based on the typical gestation period of giant anteaters."

"Giant anteaters live in grassland savannahs, swamps, humid forests and wetlands, and their habitat spans most of Latin America -- from Belize to Argentina," the Zoo said.

"Anteaters use their keen sense of smell to detect termite mounds and anthills and tear them open with strong claws. They then gather their prey using a two-foot-long tongue covered with very sticky saliva. Their tongues help them collect insects--they can eat up to 30,000 ants a day."

Maripi and Dante have lived at the National Zoo since 2006 and are on loan from the Nashville Zoo.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photo

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Meet one of the more amazing offspring at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo World of Reptiles exhibit -- a critically endangered Panamanian golden frog toadlet.

The baby frog's skin is not the golden color of the adult, but rather green and black to match the moss growing around its Montane stream habitat, WCS said in a statement released with the photos. "This color variance provides the advantage of camouflage for youngsters. The golden color change comes about as the toadlet matures into a juvenile."

 Breeding occurs during the dry season when the stream water flows at a slower rate, WCS added. "This species must have flowing water, however, for mating to take place. Interestingly, Panamanian golden frogs communicate with hand gestures -- much like sign language."

Adult females are about 4 to 5 inches, a bit larger than the males.

The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society operates both the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. The charity also funds conservation programs around the world.

WCS photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Panama's golden frog is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Now researchers are fighting to save the rare amphibian from a naturally occurring -- and deadly -- fungus.

Watch this video about the Panamanian golden frog:

Video by Wild Chronicles, from National Geographic Mission Programs

Related NatGeo News Watch entries:

Are Humans Now Eating Frogs to Extinction?

Frog With Green Blood, Turquoise Bones Found in Cambodia

Warming is Killing Yellowstone's Amphibians, Researchers Find

Four out of Ten Amphibians in Decline, New Study Finds

Tree Frog Once Thought Lost Is Found

Researcher Licks Poison Frogs in Pursuit of Science (includes video)

"The installation of the new climbing structures are part of the Zoo's enrichment efforts to provide our animals with physically and mentally stimulating and challenging environments, offering them opportunities to utilize their natural behaviors and abilities. Specifically, spectacled bears spend a vast amount of time climbing in the wild," the statement added.

The only bear native to South America, spectacled bears (sometimes called Andean bears) live in the Andes range and outlying mountain ranges, from western Venezuela south to Bolivia.

They are are named spectacled bears for the whitish rings that encircle their eyes, resembling eyeglasses.The whitish markings extend down to the throat and chest in a pattern unique to each bear, the Zoo said.

The National Zoo is now home to three spectacled bears, including a senior female (Bandit) and an adult male (Nikki). Eventually, Nikki may breed with Billie Jean, a pairing recommended by the Species Survival Plan for spectacled bears, the Zoo statement said.

Smithsonian's National Zoo photos by Mehgan Murphy

The birds and the bees don't celebrate Valentine's Day, of course, but some certainly have bizarre mating rituals.

Some of the stories National Geographic News published about this over the years included pandas watching porn, damselfly mating games that turn males gay, spiders that glow with fluorescence in the presence of potential mates, gorillas mating in the missionary position, and a video of wild sharks mating. Read on ...

1. Panda "Porn" to Boost Mating Efforts at Thai Zoo

A Thai zoo hoped that "panda pornography" would spark romance between its two giant pandas, which were married by proxy in an elaborate Chinese-style ceremony, we reported in November 2006.

NGS stock photo by Michael Nichols

Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui had called Thailand's Chiang Mai Zoo home for the past four years. Zoo officials hoped that the warm Thai climate would spark the pandas' hormones and trigger their desire to mate, our contributor Brian Handwerk wrote.

"But the animals, on loan from China for ten years, have yet to start a family. A first mating attempt earlier this year failed to produce offspring, and the pandas have remained platonic pals since then -- prompting officials to launch their unique plan," Handwerk reported.

"They don't know how to mate, so we need to show the male how through videos," project chief Prasertsak Buntrakoonpoontawee told the Reuters news service.

Chuang Chuang, the six-year-old male, was to view films of other mating pandas when scientists judged him to be relaxed and receptive -- perhaps just after a tasty dinner.

"If all goes well, the racy video will be both instructional and inspirational, showing Chuang Chuang the reproductive ropes and causing him to see five-year-old Lin Hui in an entirely different light," our report said.

Did it work?

After panda porn failed to spark amour, Thai zoo authorities turned to artificial insemination in the hope of impregnating their lone female giant panda, the Associated Press reported a few months later.

Addressing the Zoo's annual conference, Fay said only about three percent of California's old-growth redwood trees remain. "In this 21st century is it possible to satisfy the needs of commerce and reverse the worldwide trend of forest liquidation," he asked. California "has taken the lead in protecting the environment from green house gases and it can take the lead in protecting redwoods as well," he said.

Fay recently completed a transect of California's redwood forests. An article about his walk will be published in National Geographic magazine later this year.

Photo courtesy San Diego Zoo

The rhino weighs 350 pounds, up from 150 pounds at birth.

"Ramir was born December 23 to a first-time mother that was not producing enough milk and was not attentive to the newborn," San Diego Zoo said in the statement. "A cold spell during his first few days led to hypothermia. Veterinarians and keepers intervened and have been caring for him since."

Photo taken February 3, 2009, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park

More photos of animals in zoos

The panda was born in the bamboo forests of China, so his exact birth date is unknown, the zoo said in a news release. Zoo staff celebrate Gao Gao's unofficial birthday in the month when he arrived in San Diego six years ago.

Related panda news: Smithsonian's National Zoo Seeks Bamboo for Pandas

Photo by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo is holding a contest to name the koala joey, using the opportunity to give public talks about the conservation of the animals in their native habitats.

National Geographic News reported in 2007 that Australia's iconic koalas face an uncertain future as their fragmented habitats shift in response to climate change, fire, and drought.

Our most popular story about the tree-dwelling marsupials was in 2002, about how on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, koala researchers, a property developer, and local citizens joined forces to create the first housing development planned around the needs of koalas.

Australian scientists announced in 2006 they had invented a new way to create koalas in a lab. You can see the picture of an abundance of koala cuteness here.

For more photos and a profile of koalas, click here.

Photo on this entry taken Jan. 15, 2009, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo

"The gorilla birth is significant for the National Zoo," the zoo said in a statement.

"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."

The baby was born to 26-year-old female Mandara and 16-year-old Baraka. The newborn is the seventh successful gorilla birth for the zoo since 1991.

"This is the sixth offspring for Mandara," the zoo added. "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."

The baby's sex has not yet been determined.

Photo Credit: Pepper Watkins/courtesy Smithsonian's National Zoo

The zoo's gorilla breeding program participates in the 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, the mother of the new gorilla, was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in April 1982. She came to the National Zoo in October 1985. Baraka was born at the National Zoo in 1992 to Haloko and Gus.

Update January 12:

 Photo credit: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo   

An exam indicated multiple organ failure.

Born in the Russian Arctic in 1966, and arriving at the Assiniboine Park Zoo as an orphaned cub in 1967, Debby was entered into the 2008 Guinness Book of Records as the oldest living polar bear. She was 42. "Many children who admired Debby in her youth, later brought their own children and grandchildren to meet this great ambassador of the North," the zoo said in a statement.

"Debby played a dominant role in the Winnipeg zoo's animal family for over four decades, generating great public appeal and important contributions to the zoo's interpretive programs," the statement said. "She epitomized what one orphaned animal can achieve in promoting the conservation of her species and other wildlife in light of mounting ecological and environmental challenges like global warming."

The zoo said it was unable to acquire a new polar bear without a new enclosure being built to meet conservation standards.

Photo courtesy Assiniboine Park Zoo

Photos by Ferry van Stralen/Courtesy ZSL London Zoo