Adorable Babies at the Philadelphia Zoo

National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW, 202/633-4800, nationalzoo.si.edu, free. Last Year's Babies: Where Are They Now? SLOTH BEAR: Balawat, 2, is now exhibited separately from his mom, Hana, though she's still protective and occasionally nurses him. Bala's been trained to show his paws and have his teeth brushed (only rarely does he try to steal the brush). PANDA: Giant 181-pound cub Tai Shan will celebrate his third birthday on July 9. With any luck, he may soon have a younger sibling. It's panda mating season at the zoo, and keepers are closely monitoring his mom, Mei Xiang, who was artificially inseminated in mid-March. Check nationalzoo.si.edu for the latest news and footage on the panda cam. 2007 GOLDEN LION TAMARIN: Born November 8, 2006 For more than 30 years, the zoo has been observing and breeding golden lion tamarins and then releasing these small monkeys in Brazil's Atlantic coastal forests (their natural abode). As part of the program, each summer a pair or family of tamarins is let loose to explore the zoo freely; note that they tend to congregate in the trees of Beaver Valley. Who Knew? Tamarins give alarm calls when they feel threatened and have a specific call for when large birds are spotted overhead. When others hear the call, they often dash to the trunks of trees. Find out more here. KIWI: Born February 13, 2006 A rare North Island brown kiwi, Manaia is only the second such bird to hatch at the National Zoo in its 116-year history. New Zealand is the birds' homeland, and the chick's name means "guardian of the earth and sky" in Maori (the language of indigenous New Zealanders). The country's ambassador to the United States made a special trip to meet Manaia last May. Visitors from all corners of the globe can get an up close look through the Meet a Kiwi program on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or through the kiwi cam. Who Knew? Unlike other birds, kiwis have poor eyesight and a great sense of smell. Nostrils near the tip of their long bills allow them to smell their prey—as opposed to seeing it. SLOTH BEAR CUB: Born January 9, 2006 The cub Balawat lives with his parents in the Asia Trail near the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. Sloth bears, common in India and Sri Lanka, are nocturnal creatures that make noisy grunting sounds and use their long, curved claws to get at insects. Listen to an audio clip and find out more about these little-known bears here. Who Knew? Cubs spend the first several months underground, and once they emerge from the den, they stay by their mothers for two or three years before venturing off. PANDA CUB: Born July 9, 2005 Tai Shan ("peaceful mountain" in Chinese) is the zoo's star attraction: a much-loved, playful giant panda cub, who measured less than 12 inches long when he was born. Thousands of visitors turned out last summer to join in his first birthday celebrations. According to the zoo, only around 1,600 giant pandas survive in the bamboo forests of central China, and the endangered animals have become an international symbol of conservation efforts. You can make a donation to the zoo's efforts, learn more about Tai Shan's family tree, and scope him out on the panda cam by clicking here. Who Knew? The zoo held a contest to determine the cub's name and, after 200,000 votes, dubbed him Tai Shan when he was 100 days old. EXPECTING PANDA: In early April, giant panda Mei Xiang—the mother of Tai Shan—was artificially inseminated in coordination with the San Diego Zoo and its male panda, Gao Gao. Zookeepers are closely tracking Mei Xiang's hormones and posting detailed updates on their Pregnancy Watch page. They estimate that it will be three to six months before a cub is born.

2200 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, Ill., 312/742-2000, lpzoo.org, free. 2008 MONKEY: Born Mar. 13, 2008 One-year-old Suriqui, a Bolivian titi monkey, loves to carry around his baby sibling, Madeira, named after a major tributary of the Amazon River. The baby clings so tightly to parents Delasol and Ocala that the zookeepers haven't been able to tell yet whether Madeira is male or female. Stay tuned—Madeira has a well-baby check scheduled for mid-June. Who Knew? When two or more members of a titi family sit next to each other—whether awake or sleeping—they have an endearing habit of twining their tails together like a braid. FROGS: Hatched Feb. 16, 2008 These new Solomon Island leaf froglets hatched fully formed, not as tadpoles like most frog species, and they're teeny enough to perch easily on a fingertip. Who Knew? The Lincoln Park Zoo is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which has declared 2008 the Year of the Frog. It claims that half of the world's 6,000 amphibian species could disappear in our lifetime—the largest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Find out more at lpzoo.org. Aww... See the photo CROCODILES: Hatched Sept. 21, 2007 The zoo's oldest resident, dubbed R1, became a father for the first time at 69 with the hatching of these five dwarf crocodiles. You can find the babies at the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House. Who Knew? Dwarf crocodiles are shy, nocturnal, and, not surprisingly, the smallest of crocodile species. They tend to reach about five feet and are native to sub-Saharan west and central Africa. Aww... See the photo LANGUR: Born Sept. 6, 2007 At birth, Fusui had apricot-colored fur, but as this François' langur matures, his fur is becoming black like that of his parents, Pumpkin and Cartman. Who Knew? Endangered langurs make their home among the highland forests of Vietnam and southeast China and like to sleep in limestone caves. Aww... See the photo

1513 N. MacGregor Dr., Houston, Tex., 713/533-6500, houstonzoo.org, $10, seniors $5.75, ages 2-11 $5, children under 2 free. 2008 MONKEY: Born Mar. 16, 2008 Zookeepers were thrilled at the arrival of Matani, whose name means "strength" in Swahili; he's the first Schmidt's red-tailed guenon monkey to be born at the zoo in 29 years. Matani and his parents, Malaika and Kabili, use their tails for balance as they scamper around the Wortham World of Primates. Who Knew? Among various guenon species, Schmidt's have a reputation for being friendly and charming. They can live in groups of up to 50. Aww... See the photo Last Year's Babies: Where Are They Now? GOAT: Jasper, a brown-and-white Nigerian dwarf goat, turned 1 on April 1 and has really come into his own—no longer the shy mama's boy we wrote about last year. Handsome and popular, he enjoys being brushed and petted. ELAND: Already 71 pounds at birth, eland Stella has grown into a big healthy 547 pounds as of late April. She still stays close to mom Dorothy and loves the attention of her keepers and fans. ELEPHANT: Like most youngsters, Mac eagerly ripped open his presents and gobbled cake at his first birthday party back in October. Now 1½, Mac has reached the 1,700-pound mark. "His favorite toy right now is a very large tree trunk," reports Brian Hill, director of public affairs. "It's bigger than he is, but he has no trouble pushing it around." 2007 GOAT: Born April 1, 2007 The brown-and-white newborn named Jasper has been keeping close to his mother, a Nigerian dwarf goat. These herd animals are known for being gentle and small; fully-grown does are only about 16-21 inches tall. Who Knew? Both male and female goats have horns as well as beard-like tufts of hair, called wattles, under their chins. TOADS: Born March 17, 2007 A Texas native, the small Houston toad has been dying out rapidly over the past 30 years. Dr. Michael Forstner and students at Texas State University in San Marcos—near the toads' single remaining habitat—recovered some toad-egg strands and brought them to the Houston Zoo. The eggs hatched, and the zoo hopes to breed the toads in capitivity and then release them back into the wild. Who Knew? Houston toads live primarily on land, burrowing into the sand to protect themselves against cold winter weather. ANTELOPE: Born March 8, 2007 The 71-pound female calf, who was able to stand up just 15 minutes after birth, is the first giant eland delivered at the Houston Zoo. Elands are one of Africa's most endangered mammals and the largest type of antelope. This baby's mother, Dorothy, weighs 737 pounds at the ripe old age of four. Who Knew? Male antelopes have beautiful twisted horns measuring up to 50 inches and permanently attached (unlike deers antlers, which are shed annually). ELEPHANT: Born October 1, 2006 Baby Asian elephant Mac loves splashing around in his pool. He lives with his mother, 15-year-old Shanti, in the elephant exhibit, which the zoo plans to expand to more than three acres over the next few years. Who Knew? Mac's first set of four inside teeth came in at the end of January. In a lifetime, elephants typically go through six sets of teeth.

Bronx River Pkwy. at Fordham Rd., Bronx, N.Y., 718/367-1010, bronxzoo.org, $14, ages 2-12 $10, kids under 2 free, admission by donation on Wed. 2008 MONKEY: Born Jan. 23, 2008 Bolivian gray titi monkey Rachel has been keeping a close eye on baby Judas, her 10th offspring. Along with dad Jefe, they hang out in the branches of the Monkey House and snack on fruits and leafy veggies. Who Knew? The titi population of South America is on the rise, and in 2005 a Wildlife Conservation researcher identified this new species of monkey in the jungles of Bolivia's Madidi National Park. Aww... See the photo PIG: Born Aug. 16, 2007 Cathy, a babirusa piglet, is one of the newcomers visible during the 25-minute Wild Asia Monorail ride, which reopens this month for the 2008 season (May-October). The zoo used an ultrasound exam to determine that mom Kelsey was pregnant, and Kelsey gave birth after a 163-day gestation period. Who Knew? Babirusas, also known as pig-deer, hail mainly from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Males have enlarged canine teeth and even larger tusks that both curve back toward their foreheads. Despite their intimidating aspect, they've fallen prey to hunters who participate in the illegal bush-meat trade. You can learn more about efforts to protect babirusa at wcs.org. Aww... See the photo Last Year's Babies: Where Are They Now? RHINO: Since we first reported on this Indian rhino baby, she's been named Nickel to pair up with her mother, Penny. Linda Corcoran, assistant director of communications, says that Nickel's personality is like that of every little rhino: "She's playful and curious but runs to mom any time there is something new or unfamiliar." GIRAFFE: As the weather improves, Margaret, 1½, has been spending more and more time outdoors on the African Trail. She has a gentle spirit and, as an only child, gets her mom's full attention, at least for now. 2007 EBONY LANGUR: Born November 25, 2006 Langurs are arboreal primates typically spotted in Indonesia. Luckily, this baby is easier to find. She lives in the zoo's JungleWorld—an Asian rain-forest habitat—with her mother, Dashini, and her father, Indra. Who Knew? Female langurs share the infant-rearing duties within their troop, a practice known as allomothering, and forcibly take infants from their mother. RHINO: Born November 16, 2006 When the Indian rhino mother, Penny, gave birth, she weighed a whopping 5,020 pounds and delivered this 95-pound female. The baby can be seen from the zoo's Wild Asia Monorail, which is open May through October, weather permitting. Who Knew? The word rhinoceros is rooted in Greek: rhino (nose) and ceros (horn). While the herbivores have excellent hearing, they have weak eyesight and often charge when startled. GIRAFFE: Born October 30, 2006 A female baby Rothschild's giraffe named Margaret can be found with her mom at the African Plains amid lions, cheetahs, zebras and African wild dogs. The baby's namesake, Margaret Carter, and her husband, James Walter Carter, were generous supporters of the zoo. Giraffe babies born since the Carter Giraffe House opened in 1982 are named in their memory. Who Knew? Giraffes have a gestation period of 14-15 months and give birth while standing; the calf falls to the ground and, according to the zoo, the drop helps get the newborn's heart going and clear its breathing tubes. LEOPARD CUBS: Born June 7, 2006. Snow leopard Mei Mei's two female cubs, who love jumping and spinning in circles, live in the Himalayan Highlands Habitat. The area mimics the rugged, mountainous territory that these large cats inhabit in their native Central Asia. Who Knew? To help survive among the rocks and snow, the cubs have wide, plush tails for balance and padded foot soles for insulation.