If you love baby animals (And, seriously, who doesn’t?), it was an awww-some year at the Houston Zoo. The beloved Hermann Park institution welcomed some insanely adorable bundles of joy into the world in 2021, including Asian Elephant calves, ocelot cubs, and a teeny-tiny lemur. If you need a dose of ooey-gooey, dopamine-induced euphoria, scroll below for a gander at the zoo’s newest residents.
Winnie the Asian elephant: born March 10
Winnie was born to Asian elephant Tupelo, 10. The female calf weighed in at a whopping 284 pounds. Tupelo is a first-time mother, and her pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination since she is related to all the male elephants at the zoo.
Teddy the Asian elephant: born May 16
Two months Asian elephant Winnie was born, the Houston Zoo welcomed another pachyderm to its herd. On May 16, 37-year-old Asian elephant Tess gave birth to a 391-pound male name Teddy, who began to nurse within hours. Tess is an experienced mother to Tucker (15), Tupelo (10), and Tilly (2). Her calf’s father is 55-year-old Asian elephant Thailand.
Wasabi and Sriracha, rare Ocelot twins: born May 29
Two healthy ocelot cubs were born on May 29 to mom, Genoveve. The brother and sister duo were named for their “spicy attitudes.” The pair were the first ocelot births at the zoo in 20 years. Ocelot Wasabi passed away in August after falling from a tree.
Four painted terrapins: hatched in July
Over several weeks in July, four painted terrapins hatched at the Houston Zoo. It was the first time the zoo hatched painted terrapin turtles, one of the 25 most endangered turtle species in the world. At the Houston Zoo, adult painted terrapins can be seen at the Wortham World of Primates, in the water and on the shore, of the orangutan moat.
Cleo the ring-tailed lemur: born Aug. 2
In August, the Houston Zoo welcomed a new bundle of joy -- an adorable lemur named Cleo. Born Aug. 2 to experienced mom, Cairrean, the ring-tailed lemur weighed just three ounces at birth.
Three green oropendola chicks: hatched in August
The Houston Zoo has gathered one of the largest flocks of green oropendolas that has ever been assembled in North America, with 15 adult birds. As a result, three chicks hatched in August. This is the first time the Houston Zoo has ever raised green oropendolas in its nearly 100-year history. Guests can see adult green oropendolas inside the Savanna Aviary, part of the Zoo’s newest exhibit, South America’s Pantanal.
Rare Blue-billed Curassow chicks: hatched in November
In November, the Houston Zoo successfully hatched two blue-billed curassows -- one of the most endangered of all bird. One of the chicks was hand-reared while the other chick was parent-reared by a blue-billed curassow hen. The zoo has housed blue-billed curassows since the 1960′s. The birds are endemic to Colombia and are considered critically endangered. According to the Houston Zoo, there are less than 2,500 blue-billed curassows left in the wild.
The Houston Zoo is located in Hermann Park at 6200 Hermann Park Drive. For more information, visit houstonzoo.org.
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