March 17, 2018

Masai Giraffe Calf Born at the Santa Barbara Zoo on Wednesday, March 14th

March 17, 2018/ Conejo Joe

The Santa Barbara Zoo’s Masai giraffe Audrey has given birth to a female calf, and the two are currently bonding, off view to the public, in the Giraffe Barn. The calf was born on Wednesday, March 14 at around 3 p.m., is 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. The calf will be named as part of a contest sponsored by the Zoo and KEYT News Channel 3.

Animal care staff will determine when the calf will leave the Giraffe Barn, weather conditions permitting. Until that time, Audrey and the newborn calf are not on view to the public.

“Name the Calf” Voting Opens Today, March 16

The calf’s name will be selected by popular vote by the public in a contest co-sponsored by the Zoo and KEYT NewsChannel 3. Four names have been selected by Zoo giraffe keepers and supporters – the one receiving the most votes will be announced live on KEYT on a date to be determined. Voting opens on today, March 16 at www.sbzoo.org and www.keyt.com.

The names are Amirah, Makena, Nugget, and Quintin.

Support the Herd

The public also can help the Zoo welcome this long-necked arrival by becoming a Foster Feeder sponsor of the giraffe calf. A donation of $50 helps with the cost of feeding the growing giraffe family. New giraffe Foster Feeders receive a baby photo of the calf along with a certificate, giraffe fact sheet, and recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

The Santa Barbara Zoo and Masai Giraffes

Audrey arrived in Santa Barbara in March 2010, from the Los Angeles Zoo. She was born on February 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Zoo. Michael, the calf’s sire, arrived from Parc Safari in Quebec, Canada, in January 2012. He is considered the most genetically valuable male Masai giraffe in captivity, because he has few relatives in zoos other than his offspring born here at the Zoo. Michael’s genetics help the diversity of the North American Masai population.

Joining Michael and Audrey in the Zoo’s herd is Parker, a male calf born in August 2016 to former resident Betty Lou (she recently relocated to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo); and Adia, a three year-old female from the Cleveland Zoo who was introduced to the herd in December 2017 as a potential mate for Michael.

The Zoo’s giraffe herd is among more than 120 Masai giraffes that live at 28 North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

There are an estimated 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, but a more thorough census is required. They are at risk due to poaching and habitat loss and degradation. Giraffes are the tallest land mammal, and the Masai is the largest subspecies, growing up to 17 feet tall and weighing 2,700 pounds.

Known as one of the world’s most beautiful zoos, the Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of botanic gardens and is home to nearly 500 individual animals in open, naturalistic habitats. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), representing the highest level of animal care, and participates in AZA endangered species programs for Asian elephant, California condor, Channel Island fox, and Western lowland gorilla, among others.

A private nonprofit corporation, the Santa Barbara Zoo depends on community support, not tax dollars, for operations and improvements.

The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; general admission is $18 for adults, $13 for seniors aged 65+, $10 for children 2-12, and children under 2 are free. Parking is $8 weekdays, $11 on weekends and holidays. Visit www.sbzoo.org.

December 03, 2017

Two Giant Anteater Pups Born at Santa Barbara Zoo on Monday, November 21st

December 03, 2017/ Conejo Joe

In a rare occurrence, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s giant anteater Anara has given birth to twins – two female pups were born overnight and discovered by keepers on Monday, November 21. Twins are unusual in this species, and the likelihood for survival of both pups, if left with the mother, is extremely low.

“We monitored the newborn pups and allowed them both to stay with their mother for as long as possible,” says Dr. Julie Barnes, Director of Animal Care and Health. “We had several plans to implement depending on how they progressed. Although Anara did an amazing job in the first few days, we were starting to see a significant weight discrepancy between the pups. That indicated it was time to start hand-rearing the smaller pup in order to increase the chances of survival of both pups.”

Giant anteater babies grow fast, and providing enough milk for more than one infant is difficult. In addition, the mother carries the baby on her back until they are nearly her size. So carrying both twins would prove impossible for the mother after just a few weeks. Anara herself is a twin and was hand-raised at the Fresno Zoo.

The larger pup is identified by two black stripes on her back, while the smaller has only one. The smaller pup is currently in an incubator in the Animal Hospital and being fed every three hours around the clock. She will not be on view to the public for several months. Anara and the larger pup are expected to go out on exhibit within the next two weeks – the pup will be clinging to her mother’s back.

Giant anteater pup #2 being hand reared by SB Zoo staff.

“Anara is doing well and is a great mother,” adds Dr. Barnes. “We are delighted that both pups are female, as her previous two surviving pups were male. We need more females in order to ensure we have a genetically healthy population for his species in North America. Her mate Ridley, who came from Germany, has valuable genes that are not well represented so far. Those genes go with his offspring and help diversity the genes of giant anteaters in human care in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”

Although twins for anteaters are rare, it is not so much the case for Anara as this is her second set of twins out of three pregnancies with Ridley. The pair’s first offspring were twins, a male and female, born in March 2014, but the female newborn did not survive. The male pup was hand-reared and is now at the Tennessee Zoo. Nine months later, another male pup was born and successfully raised by Anara. He now resides at the Birmingham Zoo.

The giant anteaters pups, like many of the animals at the Zoo, can be named by making a donation to the Santa Barbara Zoo. By naming the pups, sponsors also support the AZA giant anteater cooperative breeding program, and the goal of increased genetic diversity in North American zoos. For more information, contact the Zoo’s Development Department for details at 805-962-5339.

A total of 29 giant anteaters have now been born at the Santa Barbara Zoo since 1975. Prior to Anara and Ridley’s first litter in 2014, the last time a giant anteater was born here was in 2006.

The Zoo was a leader in an early nationwide study of giant anteaters, thanks in great part to Grandma, who had over 15 offspring. The average lifespan for this species is between 20 and 23 years of age, and Grandma lived to be 31 years old. She was the oldest giant anteater in captivity when she died in 2002.

Giant anteaters were once found from northern Argentina to southern Belize, in savannas, grasslands, swampy areas, and humid forests. They have since disappeared from Belize, Guatemala, and probably Costa Rica. In South America, they are also gone from Uruguay and portions of Brazil.

The Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates population loss of at least 30% over the past 10 years, and lists the species as “vulnerable.”

Giant anteaters have a body length of 3 to 4 feet with a tail that is an additional 2 to 3 feet, and weigh 40 to 85 pounds, though some captive anteaters have weighed more than 100 pounds.

This species uses powerful claws to rip apart termite and ant mounds, and an 18 to 24 inch tongue to eat termites, ants, and grubs. In the wild, giant anteaters may consume as many as 35,000 ants in a single day. At the Zoo, they eat a specially formulated insectivore diet, plus avocados, bananas, crickets, and worms. The avocados must be ripe because anteaters do not have teeth; they break open the skin with their long sharp claws.

Anteaters in the wild are solitary, except for females with young, and spend most of their days with their noses to the ground searching for food using exceptional senses of smell and hearing – their sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than a human’s.

Giant anteaters typically spend their first months of life clinging to their mother’s backs, where their black and gray stripes line up with those of the mother.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; general admission is $17 for adults, $13 for seniors aged 65+, $10 for children 2-12, and children under 2 are free. Parking is $7 weekdays, $10 on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit www.sbzoo.org.

October 16, 2017

Three Asian Small-Clawed Otter Pups Born at the Santa Barbara Zoo on Saturday, October 7th

October 16, 2017/ Conejo Joe

A pair of Asian small-clawed otters at the Santa Barbara Zoo have produced their first litter of pups with three healthy offspring born in a nesting box in their holding area on Saturday, October 7.

As in the wild, where the parents keep their pups in a den, these young otters will not leave their behind the scenes holding area until they are old enough to safely swim and have grown teeth so they can eat solid food. Depending on their development, keepers estimate the pups could go on exhibit as early as mid-December.

Animal Care staff had recently confirmed that Gail was pregnant and estimated that she was due any day. When keepers arrived Saturday morning, Gail and Peeta remained in the nesting box.

“The parents didn’t come out to greet us and then we heard squeaks,” said the Zoo’s Curator of Mammals Michele Green. “That’s how we knew Gail had given birth.”

Gestation is 68 days, and after birth the female stays in the nesting box with the pups, but is relieved by the male for breaks.

Both of the Zoo’s otters are first-time parents, but are showing excellent parenting skills for the two pups (females and one male), according to keepers.

“Gail only arrived in March and it’s been fun to watch them bond, and now become parents,” says Green. “She’s a young mom, but doing very well. Peeta is attentive and diligent.”

Peeta was born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in 2008. Gail was born at the Greensboro Science Center in South Carolina in 2013. The two were paired as part of a cooperative breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Their names, inspired by characters in the popular “Hunger Games” books and movies, were given to them by their Santa Barbara Zoo sponsors Peter and Pieter Crawford-van Meeuwen.

The last time Asian small-clawed otters were born at the Zoo was in May 2011 when six pups were born to a pair named Jillian and Bob. That pair also produced five young in August 2010, the first of the species to be born at the Zoo in more than 20 years. The entire family group later moved to the National Zoo, where they live today. Another female, Katniss, was paired with Peeta, but they did not breed. She passed away in December 2016 from a kidney ailment.

When Will the Otter Pups Go On View?

Asian small-clawed otters usually keep their pups in their dens for several weeks until the young have learned to swim and have teeth to eat solid food. Green estimates that the family group may venture into their exhibit in December for swimming lessons in the small pool. By January, the pups should be proficient swimmers, and on view at varying times during the day. By spring, they could be diving in the larger pool. Information on their progress will be available at www.sbzoo.org.

Foster Feeder Special to Support the Otter Family

The public can help the otter pups by becoming a Foster Feeder, which supports the cost of feeding the growing otter family. New otter Foster Feeders who donate at least $50 receive a custom otter plush embroidered with the Zoo’s logo, along with a Foster Feeder certificate, otter fact sheet and photo, recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board and in Zoo News, and a one year subscription to Zoo News. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

About Asian Small-Clawed Otters

Although this species is not listed as endangered, Asian small-clawed otters are seriously threatened by rapid habitat destruction for palm oil farming and by hunting and pollution. They are considered an “indicator species,” meaning their population indicates the general health of their habitat and of other species.

This species, the smallest otter in the world, lives in freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps throughout Southeast Asia including southern India and China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. They prefer quiet pools and sluggish streams for fishing and swimming. Unlike sea otters, they spend more time on land than in water, but they are skillful, agile swimmers and divers, with great endurance. They can stay submerged for six to eight minutes.

Asian small-clawed otters are about two feet long and weigh under 10 pounds, less than half the size of North American river otters. Their claws do not protrude beyond the ends of the digital pads, thus their names, and their feet do not have fully developed webbing and look very much like human hands.

They are one of the few species of otter that live in social groups. The bond between mated pairs of Asian small-clawed otters is very strong. Both the male and female raise the young and are devoted parents. In the wild, Asian small-clawed otters live in extended family groups of up to 12 individuals. The entire family helps raise the young, which are among the most active and playful of baby animals.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; general admission is $17 for adults, $10 for children 2-12, $13 for seniors 65+, and free for children under 2. Parking is $7.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

AZA zoos are dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great visitor experience, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and is the public’s link to helping animals in their native habitats.

August 10, 2015

Family Admission to the Los Angeles Zoo Saves You Time and Money

August 10, 2015/ Conejo Joe

If you and your family visit the Los Angeles Zoo at least two times a year, the Family Membership is a no brainer. Not only does it save you money for a family of four or more when you visit the zoo at least twice a year, but it saves you time by bypassing lines into the park. Los Angeles Zoo membership also saves you 10% in shops and restaurants and gets you free or discounted admission to over 170 zoos and aquariums around the country.

The current cost of a one year family membership is $134, but there's a limited opportunity to purchase it at the discounted price of just $90 at THIS LINK!