GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — A madcap maternity ward awaits the staff of John Ball Zoo as they recently welcomed 8 baby animals and hinted at even more coming soon!
Their conservation efforts include breeding several species— and now you get to enjoy the adorable results!
Eight babies— an eastern mountain bongo calf, a snow leopard cub, three lynx kits and three penguin chicks— are currently under the care of the zoo's talented veterinary staff.
"...there may be more births on the horizon," say zoo officials.
Their main mission is conservation, achieved by helping propagate all sorts of species from insects to mammals, fish, birds, and more by partnering with zoos around North America.
—In fact, Yuki, the mother of the baby snow leopard, came from Canada, the result of 5 years of work to find a successful mate for John Ball Zoo's male snow leopard, Mylo.
“The complex process that leads to the birth of new animals brings so much joy to our guests, and that is the secondary benefit of strategically breeding animals,” Marcus Zevalkink, general curator at the Zoo told FOX 17.
The Species Survival Plan, as it's called, creates a stable population of animals in human care, takes in animals injured beyond what could be survivable in the wild, and is working to release captive-born endangered species back into the wild to bolster populations and bloodlines.
John Ball Zoo is involved in 40 such plans.
“The number one goal is always the conservation of wildlife and wild places, and through this process we can be more assured that these amazing species will exist for generations to come,” Zevalkink explained.
While names for the snow leopard cub (born June 6) and penguin hatchlings (born in May) have yet to be announced, the others have: Bongo Calf, Chesnut was born on July 23; Lynxes, Yukon, Jasper, and Rocky joined the crew on May 23.
