Zoo Babies
The ABQ BioPark Zoo is full of new animals! Come visit these young ones and see how they have grown!
Snow Leopard Cubs
Kiran and Kalmali, the BioPark's youngest snow leopard cubs, are beginning to venture into the exhibit area. The brothers were born on July 21, 2011 and are the fifth litter for Kachina and Azeo, the BioPark's two adults. Kachina is a fierce and protective mother and the cubs are thriving in her care. In early September, they each weighed more than 3 kg (6.6 lbs) during their first veterinary exam.
Snow leopards are endangered, and zoos and conservation organizations around the world are helping to protect them through a Species Survival Plan (SSP). Organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the SSP helps arrange adult pairs to maintain genetic diversity. Lynn Tupa, ABQ BioPark Zoo Manager, helps to coordinate the snow leopard SSP.
Kachina and Azeo are highly compatible. Under the expert care of BioPark staff, Kachina and Azeo are breeding and raising young with unparalleled success. The cats have produced a litter each year for five years and have eight offspring throughout North American zoos, making the BioPark a leader in snow leopard conservation.
Reticulated Giraffe Calf
June, a 17-year-old reticulated giraffe, gave birth to a healthy female calf in the early afternoon on Friday, September 9. Several lucky guests had the chance to observe the delivery, as June was in the exhibit yard when she gave birth. Zookeepers have named her "Amani," which means "peace" in Swahili.
In the wild, baby giraffes need to get on their feed shortly after birth to evade hungry predators. Amani was walking within a half-hour of her birth. June has already raised six calves at the ABQ BioPark and is proving her mothering skills yet again with her newest calf.
Giraffe calves can weigh between 120-150 lbs at birth and must be tall enough to nurse from their mothers. Amani was just under six feet tall at birth!
Ariel the Harbor Seal
The Zoo's first baby seal was born on April 13, 2011, weighing 20 pounds. She joined the adult pool after she learned to eat solid foods.
The pup's mother, eight-year-old Gracie, arrived at the Zoo in 2004 after after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head. Seals use scent and vocalization to communicate, and Gracie and the pup communicated a lot and play together in the birthing pool.
Guests and Facebook fans voted in a naming competition and chose the name "Ariel" for our youngest harbor seal!
Kashi the Bactrian Camel
A baby Bactrian camel was born on March 9, 2011. Kashi, a young female, joins the Zoo's camel herd.
While our herd is made up of domestic animals, they are closely related to the critically endangered Bactrian camels found in Asia's Gobi Desert.
Daizy the Asian Elephant
Daizy was born on September 2, 2009, weighing 318 pounds. Her mother, Rozie, was the the first elephant born at the ABQ BioPark in 1992.
Asian elephants are considered endangered and several conservation efforts around the world are working to increase their populations. The Zoo is part of Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Elephant Species Survival Plan.
Reese the Orangutan
Reese was born on October 2, 2008. She is very independent now and can often be seen climbing all over the Apes exhibit.
Orangutans face serious threats from deforestation and habitat loss. The species is critically endangered.
