Summer is here and we are officially into “baby season!”

We’ve had several births recently that we wanted to share with you, including one of a critically endangered species. Let’s start with that story first:

A baby cotton-top tamarin was recently born on June 25^th. Cotton-top tamarins are one of the world’s most endangered primates. They are found only in tropical forests in northern Colombia, and it’s estimated that fewer than 7,500 of them exist in the wild. First-time mom Aquila is adjusting well to the baby, and both she and step-dad Gio have been seen taking turns carrying the infant around their habitat, which is exactly what good cotton-top parents should do. You’re probably wondering about the phrase “step-dad Gio,” right? Well, allow us to explain!

Aquila’s mate, Poncho, passed away of heart failure in April. We knew Aquila might be pregnant (gestation is around 140 days!), and in this species, fathers are very involved with infant care. In fact, family groups of parents and older siblings work together to raise infants, and it is considered extremely difficult for single moms to be successful. With this endangered species, every individual is important to the population, so we wanted to give Aquila as much of a chance at successfully raising the baby as we could.

The Cotton-top Tamarin Species Survival Plan was quick to identify a single male with parental experience, and we worked with the other zoo to speed up the transfer process to get Gio here as soon as possible. The two were introduced shortly after Gio’s arrival in late May, and seemed to bond quickly.

In many species, males would not be willing to raise offspring that they could not have sired, but that is not the case with tamarins. Their social system relies on the whole family helping with infant care, and even young males stay close to their parents for a year or two, to help raise their younger siblings. This means that Gio was more than willing and ready to participate in raising Aquila’s infant, and since he has helped raise young in the past, he is a perfect companion to help Aquila adjust to motherhood. We look forward to watching the baby grow!

Our next baby story to share involves our Canada lynx:

Two Canada lynx kittens were born on May 5th to first-time mama lynx, Nova, and dad, Sitka. Nova has been a very good, very protective mother to the kittens, even around her zookeepers who she knows and trusts. Our veterinarian has been able to examine the kittens to determine that both are males. They’re growing well and recently received their first vaccinations. The kittens need to grow just a bit more before they’ll be able to explore the large lynx habitat with Nova. In the meantime, they are able to explore a yard near the back of the lynx habitat, just outside the den building, where they’re not yet easily visible to guests.

Canada lynx are not considered a threatened or endangered species, but they are not commonly represented in zoos. The Canada Lynx Species Survival Plan determined Nova and Sitka to be good genetic matches for each other, and recommended that they breed this year to support the lynx population in human care. Cats like lynx are charismatic critters that zoo visitors are often drawn to, making them excited to learn more. Eventually, the babies will move to other zoos where they will help connect people to wildlife and foster appreciation for conservation of wild places.

Finally, we want to share this news:

A single trumpeter swan cygnet hatched on June 7th. Parents Kellogg and Cecelia have successfully raised young before, and everything seems to be going well for this little one so far. Trumpeter swan males and females look identical, so the gender of this baby will eventually be determined by a blood test once it’s older. Trumpeter swan populations have made an amazing come back over the years, in large part due to breeding programs at AZA zoos and other bird conservation organizations. This once-endangered species now has a stable population. Thanks to one of our long-standing conservation partnerships, we expect that this cygnet (once grown!) will be released into the wild through a special program that teaches young swans to migrate.

We hope you’re able to come visit the NEW Zoo soon to see these babies in person