DELAWARE COUNTY— Within the past month, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio has welcomed several baby animals. These include a Masai giraffe calf, two red panda cubs, a sea lion pup and a siamang.
Vice president of animal care at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Doug Warmolts, told TODAY: “All of the species with the exception of the sea lions are endangered species. Their numbers are very low for a variety of different reasons,” like deforestation and climate change.
The two red panda cubs were born on June 13 to Kora and Gen Tso. Their mother, Kora, is still nursing them. They are expected to make their first public appearance in four months. There are less than 10,000 red pandas in the wild, the threat to their species stem from habitat loss and illegal hunting.
“Some of these, like the red pandas, are a species that we worked very hard to get pairings just right and introductions of males and females just right. They’re a challenging species to breed in human care, so we’re just thrilled that they were successful,” said Warmolts.
A sea lion pup was born on June 25 to its mother, Lovell. A Masai giraffe calf was born three days after to parents Enzi and Zuri. The calf will bond with its mother more before a wellness check is conducted to determine its sex.
Lastly, a baby siamang, a species of gibbon, was born on May 29. Its mother, Olga, will turn 31 next month, making her one of the oldest known siamang mothers.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium reopened in late June with social distancing measures and limitations on daily visitors.
