Wildlife

Scottish Wildcats / Edinburgh Zoo

Two rare Scottish Wildcats, born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo, may help provide a lifeline for the iconic species.

The kittens will join a conservation breeding programme, which it is hoped will save the species from extinction in the wild through future reintroductions — via Zoo Borns

Wildlife

Red Wolf puppies / ZooTampa

ZooTampa at Lowry Park visitors may now be able to see a litter of new Red Wolf puppies, which are the most critically endangered Wolf species in the world. Born in late April, in a natural den dug by their mother, Yona, the pups are living much as they would in the wild — via Zoo Borns

Wildlife

Rescued Little Penguins Return to the Wild / Taronga Zoo

On Tuesday, 17 April, Taronga Wildlife Hospital staff released five healthy Little Penguins into the ocean after nursing them back to health in Sydney, Australia. The birds arrived at Taronga from nearby beaches over the past two months. Injuries included dehydration, a fishing hook injury and a broken foot — via Youtube

Wildlife

Fennec Fox Trio / Capron Park Zoo

Capron Park Zoo, in Attleboro, MA, excitedly announced the birth of three Fennec Fox kits. Two females and one male were born on 7 March to five-year-old mum, Hannah, and two-year-old dad, Taz. According to Zoo staff, this the second litter for the parents — via ZooBorns

Wildlife

Cheetah Cubs / San Diego Zoo Safari Park

These 7-week-old Cheetahs were born 6 January at San Diego Zoo Global’s off-site Cheetah Breeding Centre to an inexperienced mum named Malana. In an effort to care for her cubs, Malana inadvertently caused minor injuries to them. After being with their mother for five weeks, the cubs were taken to the Animal Care Centre to be monitored for medical issues. Keepers will keep close watch over them, feeding them a special diet of soft carnivore food and formula, and weighing them to monitor their health. After they turn 12 weeks old and receive their three-month immunization, they will be returned to their home at the Cheetah Breeding Centre — via Youtube

Science, Wildlife

Why do animals have such different lifespans? / Joao Pedro de Magalhaes

For the microscopic lab worm C elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to age anyway? Joao Pedro de Magalhaes explains why the pace of ageing varies greatly across animals.

Lesson by Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, animation by Sharon Colman — via Youtube