Chester zoo enjoys baby boom of rare animals

Chester zoo enjoys baby boom of rare animals Sky News

Chester zoo has welcomed a number of babies in 2012 - many of which are seriously endangered in the wild.

The most recent new arrival is a baby Asian elephant, born on November 25. He hasn't yet been named but is obviously the pride and joy of first-time mum Sundara.

A female black rhino calf called Chanua was born in early October. The specious is dangerously close to extinction as there are believed to be just 700 Eastern black rhinos thought to remain across the world.

Chester zoo enjoys baby boom of rare animals Sky News

Keepers also celebrated the birth of a rare baby okapi, the closest living relative to the giraffe, for the first time in Chester Zoo's history. The female, Tafari, was born on October 10 to parents Stuma and Dicky.

Sumatran orangutan Tripa was also born in October. His species is classed by conservationists as being critically endangered in the wild, where it is estimated that fewer than 7,000 remain.

Chester zoo enjoys baby boom of rare animals Sky News

Other new arrivals include two baby giant otters, Kanzi the Rothschild giraffe, Daley the Asian short-clawed otter and Caspian the onager foal.

Sky News reports that the threat of extinction for some of these animals is so great that these babies may become party of an "insurance population".

Curator of mammals Tim Rowlands told Sky News: "This is not just about visitor numbers, it's about the fact that we have got animal welfare right, the animal husbandry right and this will help our conservation. We take a major part in the conservation work of the black rhino for example.

"There is that thought that some of these species in the future may go back [to their natural habitats] but some of the other species won't. They are 'ambassador species' but it's not safe to put anything back at the moment."

Sky News reports that the zoo's endocrinology lab is the only one in the UK specialising in the study of hormones in wildlife - and this can help researchers to understand why animals fail to breed.

Click on the image below to see baby zoo animals around the world...

Baby zoo animals around the world

Javan leopard cubs
 These babies, named Sri Kandi (left) and Arjuna (right) were born at Tierpark, Berlin, Germany. They made their debut on 5 March 2012.
Asian Orang utan
 Clinging to his mum, baby Changi meets his public  for the first time at Krefeld Zoo, Germany.
White rhino
 This little rhino, named Male, was born in January. He's pictured here with his mother, Mana, at Magdeburg Zoo, Germany.
Dingo puppies
 The zoo at Tierpark in Berlin celebrated the birth of a litter of four dingo babies in January.
Shy baby giraffe
 Only a few days old, this baby giraffe, named Kimarle, peaks out from her enclosure at the ZOOM Zoo in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. The 170cm tall giraffe was born on March 9.
Squirrel monkey and mum
 A one-month-old baby squirrel monkey clings to its mother's back at Qingdao Forest Wildlife Park, China.
Gorilla and mum
 A two-week old baby gorilla is cuddled by her mum, Mumba, a Western Lowland Gorilla, at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Ashford, Kent.
Tiny hedgehog
 Born at Cincinnati Zoo,  US, this one-month old hedgehog is being hand reared by keepers until it is old enough to be included in the zoo's outreach programme.
Happy elephant
 Ludwig the baby elephant is clearly happy to be out and about at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo, Munich.
Cuddling meerkats
 These cuties were born in February at Bristol Zoo Gardens.
Polar bear cub
 This cub was born prematurely at Toronto Zoo. His mum rejected him soon after he was born, so he was cared for by staff at the zoo. Here he is making his debut in February.
Baby gorilla, Dublin Zoo
 This six-month old baby Western Lowland Gorilla is seen here enjoying the spring sunshine with her mother at Dublin Zoo.