Every year, dozens of insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and birds are born at the Toronto Zoo.
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Baby animals at the zoo The Toronto Zoo recently announced that one of its endangered Masai giraffe is expecting another calf. The pregnancy announcement, which was made on Mother's Day, stated that the giraffe would be born in either late winter or early spring so it could still be a while until the new addition is roaming the zoo. Here are some of the most notable, not to mention cutest, animals born in recent years at the Toronto Zoo. (Toronto Zoo)
Baby animals at the zoo Born at the Toronto Zoo on April 8, 2022, critically endangered Sumatran orangutan, Wali, recently celebrated his third birthday. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo He continues to grow and gain more independence under the watchful eye of second-time mother, Sekali, the zoo said.
Baby animals at the zoo A name-guessing campaign for the public to contribute suggestions was held shortly after his birth and the name Wali, which means guardian in Indonesian, was officially unveiled for the first time on Aug. 19, 2022. (Twitter/@TheTorontoZoo)
Baby animals at the zoo Sumatran orangutans, listed as a critically endangered species through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), can ride on their mother's back for up to two-and-a-half years and aren't usually independent until the age of four. They typically reach full physical and social maturity at around 13 years.
There were an estimated 240,000 orangutans in the wild a decade ago, but now half of that population remains, the zoo said.
There are currently less than 16,000 white rhinos left in the wild, with numbers currently declining due to habitat loss and the continued increase in poaching for their horns for the illegal wildlife trade.
The Toronto Zoo houses the only Sumatran orangutans in Canada.
(The Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo The Toronto Zoo houses the only Sumatran orangutans in Canada. Endangered orangutans Sekali and Budi are seen in this photo. (YouTube/Toronto Zoo)
Baby animals at the zoo Poppy is one of two red panda cubs that were born at Toronto Zoo on June 13, 2024. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo After more than 6,500 votes, the adorable red panda cub – affectionately nicknamed Biggie – was officially given the name Poppy. Her name was chosen among five floral-themed options in honour of her mother, Sakura, which is the Japanese word for flowering cherry blossom trees. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Sadly, Poppy’s brother, who is pictured above, died on July 31, 2024, at less than six weeks old. The zoo said at that time that the cub was considered the runt and was at a disadvantage when his mom's milk production decreased. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Sakura, the Toronto's Zoo's 10-year-old female, red panda then passed away a few weeks later after suffering a cardiac arrest. (Toronto Zoo/Facebook)
Baby animals at the zoo A difficult-to-breed species due to pre-and-post-partum challenges, research has shown a high percentage of early pregnancy loss for red pandas, with 40 per cent of pregnancies being lost prior to birth.
(Facebook/Toronto Zoo)
Baby animals at the zoo Red pandas are an endangered species native to southwestern China and the eastern Himalayas. They are endangered due to illegal hunting and habitat loss. Experts estimate there are 2,500 to 10,000 red pandas in the wild. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo In April 2015, the conservation status of red pandas was changed to endangered by the IUCN. The species has declined by as much as 50 per cent in the past 20 years, according to the zoo. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo It’s been a busy first 17 months for the Toronto’s Zoo’s latest white rhino addition, Kifaru. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo With the help of the zoo’s wildlife care team, the rhino calf, born at around 8 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2023, has participated successfully in scale training and has been introduced to his 14-year-old aunt, Zohari. (Toronto Zoo photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Affectionately known as #TZTankPuppy, the baby rhino was officially given the name Kifaru in February 2024. It means both “tank” and “rhino” in Swahili. (The Toronto Zoo screengrab)
Baby animals at the zoo White rhinos are listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. According to the zoo, there are fewer than 16,000 left in the wild. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Born on May 13, 2024, the zoo’s endangered snow leopard cubs continue to grow like weeds, according to the Toronto Zoo. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Zoya, the firstborn and larger of the two, has always weighed a bit more than her twin sister and definitely loves her food. She is usually the first to grab first-time mom Jita’s leftover bones and keep them to herself until she's had her fill. The zoo said both cubs get very vocal at feeding time, a trait they picked up from their mother.
In this photo, five-month-old Zoya explores their outdoor habitat at the Toronto Zoo in Toronto on Friday, October 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Baby animals at the zoo Zoya, which means “life” or “alive” in Nepali, was born with a noticeable issue affecting her front legs. She struggled with her gait and had difficulty bearing weight on her front paws, resorting to “army crawling” on her elbows to move around. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the wildlife care, she has made remarkable progress, and her mobility has improved significantly. The issues that once affected her are no longer visible, and her stance and gait now match those of her sister, Minu, whose name means “gem” or “gemstone” in Nepali. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo The cubs’ mother, Jita, was three years old at the time of her 97-day pregnancy, which is the typical gestation period for a snow leopard.
Jita is pictured alongside an ultrasound showing her litter. (Toronto Zoo /Handout)
Baby animals at the zoo It is estimated that there are between 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards left in the wild. They are classified as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN. (File photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Carrie is a two-year-old Bactrian camel who was born at the Toronto Zoo on May 4, 2023, following her mother Suria’s 13-month pregnancy. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo She is named in honour of the late Carrie Fisher, a great animal enthusiast and activist, which is quite fitting given her birthday is on May the Fourth (be with you). (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Weighing in at 46 kilograms, Carrie is the daughter of Suria and Zip, and is blonde in colour, similar to her father. She also has a sister named Zuri and a brother named Jamarcus. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Affectionately referred as the “drama queen” by her wildlife care team, especially when it comes to her relationship with her brother, Carrie will sometimes sit by him just to annoy him. She also often expresses excitement and annoyance with certain family members, the zoo says.
Baby animals at the zoo Bactrian camels, which hail from deserts in China and Mongolia, are a critically endangered species, according to the IUCN. At this time, there are believed to be less than 1,000 Bactrian camels in the wild, while there are roughly two million around the world that are domesticated. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Jesse, a straw-coloured fruit bat, was born on Jan. 27, 2023 to mom Jessica, who was one of the older bats in the zoo’s colony. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Jesse was orphaned shortly after his birth after his mther sustained an injury and had to be humanely euthanized, As a result, the zoo decided to hand-rear him at just two days of age, which required 24/7 care initially as he was being fed every two hours at the start.
The team assumed all maternal duties including bathing, exercising, wrapping him, and stimulating urination/defecation. In addition, cleanliness and humidity control were very important for Jesse so the team was constantly monitoring and adjusting while simulating the comfort of a mom and a colony.
Keepers worked closely with the zoo’s nutrition team to monitor what Jesse was eating and how much. As part of this effort, his weight was taken twice daily for several months.
Baby animals at the zoo The team assumed all maternal duties including bathing, exercising, wrapping him, and stimulating urination/defecation. In addition, cleanliness and humidity control were very important for Jesse so the team was constantly monitoring and adjusting while simulating the comfort of a mom and a colony. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Although Jesse accepted his human keepers as his “mama” and was very comfortable with them, he was able to bond with his bat family and learned to do “bat things” once he was introduced to them.
By the time he met the entire colony, he knew how to hang properly – not use a hammock to rest as was the case in the past – as well as learned how to fly and maneuver well while flying, said the zoo. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
Baby animals at the zoo Also known as flying foxes or megabats, fruit bats are mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are large in size and can have wingspans that exceed three feet. (Toronto Zoo/photo)
