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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.
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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