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News Archive
Below are the news reports for Edinburgh Zoo, covering significant events concerning the animal collection, such as births, arrivals, departures, and deaths.
Birth: 1 June 2012
A baby Douroucouli has been born, to mum Delzi and dad Meta, their second. The baby is yet to be sexed (and named), as it is staying close to its parents.
Arrival: 31 May 2012
A female Striped Skunk called Flo has arrived from Amneville Zoo, France, to join resident male Fergus in the hope that they will form a new breeding pair, although they haven't hit it off immediately.
Birth: 17 May 2012
Recent births in the Brilliant Birds enclosure are now old enough to leave their nests and are learning to fly. These include 3 Green-winged Doves, 3 Chestnut-backed Thrushes and a Nicobar Pigeon.
Arrival: 16 February 2012
A young (about 18 months) female Jaguar called Rica has arrived from Krefeld Zoo, Germany. Once she' older and in season, she will be introduced to Mowgli, the resident black Jaguar, in the hope that they will breed successfully.
Death: 30 January 2012
Ricky, the 50-year0old Chimpanzee, and the Zoo's oldest resident, has sadly passed away. He was starting to loose weight and looking out of sorts; routine tests including an X-ray revealed that he had a massively diseased heart. It was thought he had about 2 weeks of life left, but he passed away that afternoon.
Arrival: 19 January 2012
A pair of Ground Cuscus (a type of marsupial) called Bruce and Aru have gone on-show following their arrival a few months ago.
Depart: 19 January 2012
Sofus the Patagonian Sea Lion will move to Lodz Zoo, Poland, at the beginning of February, to join two females called Kasia and Dolly, in the hope that they will breed in the future. This follows the sad death of Miranda, Edinburgh's resident female, a couple of months ago. The sea lion enclosure has also reached the end of its life, and will be redeveloped to create a new home for the Zoo's Northern Rockhopper Penguin colony.
Birth: 31 December 2011
A baby female Pygmy Hippo called Eve has been born, to mum Ellen, her second.
Arrival: 4 December 2011
A pair of Giant Pandas called Tian Tian ("sweetie", the female) and Yang Guang ("sunshine", the male) has arrived from the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Centre in Sichuan Province, China. Both were born in 2003 and they are on loan for an initial period of 10 years; it is hoped that in that time they will breed successfully. They are the first Giant Pandas to reside in the UK for 17 years, since Ming Ming returned to China in 1994.
Arrival: 8 November 2011
A male Sclater's Lemur (also known as Blue-Eyed Black Lemur, although only the males are black) called Duke has arrived, to join resident female Noemie as a replacement for Bobby, who has moved to Banham Zoo, all part of an exchange programme to encourage mating for this Critically Endangered species.
Arrival: 4 November 2011
A sibling group of four young Darwin's Rheas, two brothers and two sisters, have arrived from Mulhouse Zoo, France.
Birth: 30 October 2011
A baby Drill has been born, to mum Nora nad dad Illembo; the first at the Zoo. Drills are closely related to Baboons and Mandrills and are the rarest and most endangered African primate species.
Birth: October 2011
A baby female Malayan Tapir called Nadira has been born, the fourth offspring for parents Sayang (mum) and Ka (dad).
Birth: 2 September 2011
Three Chinese Cochin Red Junglefowl chicks have hatched over the last few months, and can now be seen in the new Brilliant Birds walkthrough enclosure. Pure-bred members of this species are rare, both in captivity and in the wild, due to interbreeding with the domestic chicken, of which it is an ancestor.
Arrival: 10 August 2011
A pair of Egyptian Vultures have arrived from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Arrival: July 2011
A female Sumatran Tiger called Baginda has arrived from Benidorm, to join resident male Tibor in the hope that they will form a successful new breeding pair for this Critically Endangered species.
Birth: July 2011
Two baby Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rats have been born; the first born back in March has now been joined by a sibling. The parents arrived last year from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent.
Birth: 26 June 2011
A baby L'hoest's Monkey has been born, to mum Tumbili and dad Kizizi. Mum arrived about 8 months ago from San Diego Zoo, bringing a particularly valuable set of genes with her for the European breeding programme fro this Vulnerable species.
Birth: 6 June 2011
A total of 59 Gentoo Penguin chicks have been born over the last month. With over 162 adults, Edinburgh has one of the largest Gentoo colonies in the world.
Birth: 18 March 2011
A baby Giant Anteater has been born.
Birth: March 2011
Two baby Grevy's Zebras, a boy and a girl, have been born, to separate mums.
Arrival: February 2011
A young male Black Stork has arrived. He was rescued in Jersey last August, having broken a wing, probably in a storm that also blew him off-course during his migration to Africa. He was treated and then housed temporarily at Durrell Wildlife Park with the intention that he would be released back into the wild when he was fit enough. However, it is now clear that the severity of his injury was too great; although he can glide, he is unable to fly at any great height and is probably not strong enough to survive the rigours of migration. He has therefore been given a permanent home at Edinburgh.
Birth: February 2011
Two baby male Nyala Antelope have been born.
Birth: 27 August 2010
Three Chilean Flamingo chicks have hatched - so far: two more eggs are likely hatch, and more could be laid until as late as October. This is the second consecutive year for Flamingo births at the zoo, with 8 hatched last year, after intermittent previous results.
Birth: 29 July 2010
A total of 6 baby Brown Capuchin Monkeys have been born this year, 3 in each of Edinburgh's two groups. The latest was born to first-time mum Penelope. The sex of the babies won't be known until they are old enough to be more independent of their mothers.
Arrival: 7 July 2010
Two male Malayan Sun Bears have arrived on long term breeding loan from the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Cambodia. Called Rotana and Somnang, the bears are brothers and were rescued from a private owner in 2004. They are thought to be about 7 years old. This is the smallest of the bear species, and is classed as Vulnerable, being under threat from the illegal wildlife trade, hunting and habitat loss.
Birth: 24 June 2010
A female Swamp Wallaby joey called Allora has been born, to mum Darri, and is the first of this species born at the zoo. The joey was actually born in September last year, but has remained hidden in her mother's pouch until now.
Birth: 12 June 2010
A baby male Black Howler Monkey has been born, the first for parents Meryl and Kiko.
Birth: 6 June 2010
Three male Red River Hog piglets have been born, to parents Belle and Hamish. The brothers have been named Ellis, Moses and Nelson.
Birth: 4 June 2010
Another successful Gentoo Penguin breeding season has resulted in 45 surviving chicks so far, out of 123 eggs. Hatching started on May 7, and more may still hatch.
Arrival: 1 June 2010
Another male One-horned Indian Rhino has arrived from Rotterdam Zoo. Named Bertus, the new arrival is also 18 months old. He has swapped places with Fanindra who, now of breeding age, has moved to Rotterdam to join a suitable female.
Arrival: 5 May 2010
An 18-month-old male One-horned Indian Rhino called Samir has arrived from Stuttgart. This species is something of a conservation success story: a victim of habitat loss and hunting and poaching, it reached the brink of extinction in the late 20th century. The wild population has now recovered from 200 to 2575 and the species is now listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.
Birth: 23 April 2010
A male baby Malayan Tapir called Kamal has been born, to mum Sayang. Good news for this Endangered species.
Birth: 19 April 2010
A baby L'Hoest's Monkey has been born, the second for it's mum. The baby has yet to be sexed, and therefore named.
Birth: 5 January 2010
Lesser Bushbaby twins have been born, to parents Bob and Beatrix. A boy and a girl, the babies have been named Bonbon and Belle (respectively). Belle if the first female to be born since their arrival in 2005.
Depart: 19 October 2009
Mercedes the Polar Bear has moved to her new, much larger home at the Highland Wildlife Park
Birth: October 2009
A King Penguin chick has hatched, the first at the zoo for five years. Its sex is yet to be determined, and therefore it has not yet been named.
Birth: 14 August 2009
Two Red River Hog piglets have been born to parents Belle and Hamish, the first at the zoo since they arrived in 2004. The babies have been named Sammi and Becca.
Birth: July 2009
Four Chilean Flamingo chicks have hatched. This matches the previous record set in 2006 at the zoo, but another 5 are expected to hatch in the next few weeks.
Birth: 9 June 2009
A female baby Pygmy Hippopotamus called Leishan has been born to parents Ellen and Otto, and is their first. Great news for this critically endangered species, which is under threat from habitat loss and hunting.
Arrival: May 2009
Three male European Wolves have arrived from the Highland Wildlife Park, making a return of this species to the zoo after a 16-year absence.
Birth: March 2009
Three baby Gelada Baboons have been born, the first for the zoo. They have been named Chandu, Chibale and Chiku, to reflect the Ethiopian origin of this species, where they are endangered by habitat loss and hunting.
Depart: October 2008
Yuri and Sasha the Amur Tigers have moved to their new home at the Highland Wildlife Park.
Arrival: October 2008
A pair of young (just over 1 year) Sumatran Tigers called Tibor and Chandra have arrived from Heidelberg Zoo, Germany. They replace Yuri and Sasha who have also moved.
Birth: October 2008
A baby female Malayan Tapir called Indah has been born, to mum Sayang. Good news for this endangered species.
Depart: October 2008
Five Socorro Doves have moved to Albuquerque Zoo, New Mexico, to join seven from Paignton Zoo and form a satellite breeding group outside of Europe. Their offspring could be the first to be seen on their ancestral home of Socorro Island off the coast of Mexico, where the species became extinct in the 1970's due to habitat loss and disturbance from humans.
Birth: 28 July 2008
A female Grevy's Zebra foal called Florence has been born to mum Emily. Good news for this endangered species, which is the largest of the Zebra family.
Arrival: 23 July 2008
Two male Swamp Wallabies, called Allambee and Barega, have arrived from Belgium. It is hoped that a female will join them soon. This makes Edinburgh Zoo only the second in the UK to house this species.
Birth: 26 April 2008
A baby male Black Howler Monkey called Diego has been born, and is being hand-reared by keepers following the death of his mother a few days after his birth.
Depart: 11 February 2008
Babu and Jodie, the pair of Red Pandas, have moved to the Highland Wildlife Park.
Arrival: 19 December 2007
Four Ocellated Turkeys have arrived. This species is under threat in its native central and southern America due to habitat loss and hunting.
Birth: 13 June 2007
Siberian Musk Deer twins have been born. The fawns, named Sergei and Dimitri, are the first offspring for parents Aleksei and Nina. The Siberian is the rarest of the four species of Musk Deer and is under threat due to hunting for the male's musk pod for use in Asian medicine and some perfumes. Females and fawns are also often killed in traps set for the males. Edinburgh is the only UK zoo where this species can be seen.
Birth: May 2007
Twenty-two Gentoo Penguin chicks have hatched, with more expected over the next few weeks.
Birth: May 2007
A Rockhopper Penguin chick has hatched, the first at the zoo since 2003. The last one (called Reuben) had to be hand-reared, but the new one is being well looked after by its parents.
Arrival: April 2007
A pair of White-Lipped Deer have arrived, to become the only ones in the UK. The species is the subject of a European breeding programme, and originates from Tibet, the Himalayas, and parts of China, where they are threatened by loss of habitat due to human expansion.
Arrival: April 2007
A pair of Visayan warty pigs have arrived, to become the only ones in Scotland. The species is severely threatened in its native Visayan Islands in the Philippines due to hunting and habitat destruction. It is also the subject of a European breeding programme.
Birth: March 2007
Baby Malayan Tapir called Vasan born, the first for the zoo and parents Ka and Sayang.
Birth: January 2007
Two baby Capybara born.
Birth: 3 September 2006
Male Grevy's Zebra foal called Alan born.
Birth: September 2006
Female Bush Dog puppy called Pico born.
Open: August 2006
The viewing area of the main enclosure for the zoo;s pair of Amur Tigers has been redesigned to resemble a Russian Ranger station, to help highlight the work the Rangers do in protecting the wild tigers in the Amur valley in far eastern Russia. A new interactive `Tiger Trail' has also been created to lead to the enclosure.
Birth: August 2006
Two female Japanese Serow calves born.
Birth: August 2006
Four Chilean Flamingo chicks born.
Birth: July 2006
Twelve baby Tenrec hedgehogs born, to two separate mothers.
Arrival: June 2006
A male Greater One-horned Rhino called Fanindra has arrived from Plankendaal Zoo, Belgium. He is to be joined by another male from Switzerland in September, and the Indian Rhinos at the zoo are part of an international conservation breeding programme for this species.
Birth: 22 May 2006
Two more Asiatic Lion cubs born to Gita and Royal, the parents. The cubs are called Subali (male) and Asha (female). The cubs born in April have also now been named: Kyra and Kumar.
Birth: 22 April 2006
A female baby Pudu, one of the smallest species of deer, has been born as part of a conservation breeding programme. The baby has been named Honey, and the parents are Amber and Henry.
Birth: 21 April 2006
Two Asiatic lion cubs born to Kamlesh and Royal, the parents. The Asiatic Lion is the most endangered big cat species.
Open: 7 April 2006
A Kinkajoo (Honey Bear) called Shaman has been added to the zoo's line-up of animal encounters. The line-up already includes Dillon the Armabillo, Angelica the Boa Constrictor, and Tango the Eagle Owl.
Open: Spring 2006
A new viewing area for the zoo's Gentoo Penguin colony has been created. Called the Penguin Field Station, it is a covered area with timber and glass walls, and has been designed to simulate a real field station in the Falkland Islands.
Birth: 7 February 2006
A baby Buff-cheeked Gibbon has been born to mother Lucy (her third) and father Jon, who are part of a conservation breeding programme for this endangered species.
Arrival: February 2006
Four Fischer's Chameleons, two male and two female, are now on show in the Reptile House, following their arrival from Holland in September and subsequent quarantine period.
Arrival: December 2005
A new male black Jaguar called Mowgli has now joined the zoo's existing female, Handaya to continue the conservation breeding programme. Mowgli arrived in October from Beauval Zoo, France, following the death of the zoo's previous male Jaguar, Pele II in September.
Death: 14 September 2005
The zoo's 36 year old female White Rhino, Umfolozi, has had to be put down to relieve her suffering from various medical conditions, including painful osteoarthritis. Her condition had deteriorated significantly over the last couple of weeks.
Arrival: 22 August 2005
Two new male Koalas, Chumbee and Jannali, are now on show, following their arrival from San Diego Zoo last week. These are the first Koalas in the UK since 1992.
Birth: 10 August 2005
Four Waldrapp Ibis chicks have been born, and have now successfully fledged. The chicks were produced by three pairs of parents, and are the latest result of the European Breeding Programme for this highly endangered species.
Birth: 4 June 2005
Two Montserrat Oriole chicks have hatched, making the zoo only the second in the world to successfully breed this very rare species.
Birth: 30 April 2005
Cotton-top Tamarin twins born, making the second set of twins for their mother.
Birth: March 2005
Three Ring-tailed Lemur babies born; a set of twins and a singleton, to two different mothers.
Arrival: 13 February 2005
The zoo's new pair of Malayan Tapirs, Ka and Sayang, will be introduced to each other this weekend. They arrived late last year from Dortmund and London Zoos as part of a conservation breeding programme for this endangered species.
Birth: 22 January 2005
Female baby Pygmy Hippo, called Ellen, born to mother Leah. This is her fourth baby, the third, Lizzie having recently moved to Attica Zoo in Greece.
Arrival: October 2004
A pair of rare Aye-aye (a type of primate) have arrived on temporary loan from Paris Zoo, while their enclosure is redeveloped.
Notes:
Where possible, the dates given are for the event itself, but some zoos do not make this information available, when the date of announcement is used instead.
Seasons: Winter = Jan - Mar, Spring = Apr - Jun, Summer = Jul - Sept, Autumn = Oct - Dec.
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