Columbus Zoo announces birth of seven animals

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium experienced quite a baby boom over the winter.

The Zoo has announced the arrival of seven babies, including three at-risk species. The babies were born in late January and early February and include five Asian small-clawed otter pups, a silvered leaf langur baby, and a Humboldt penguin chick.

The baby otters were born first. They came into the world during the early morning hours of January 26. The five pups are native to coastal regions from southern India to Southeast Asia.

They were born to first-time parents, Gus and Peanut. Peanut was born in 2014 and came to the Columbus Zoo in April 2017 from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. The father, Gus was born in 2008 and arrived at the Columbus Zoo in 2014. He previously was at the Bronx Zoo.

According to the Columbus Zoo, the birth of the otter pups was significant for the breeding recommendations outlined by the Species Survival Program (SSP.) According to the Columbus Zoo:

SSP is a program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to manage sustainable populations of threatened a endangered species

The next baby to be welcomed to the Columbus Zoo was a female silvered leaf languar. The female was born on February 16 to mother Patty, and father, Thai. Patty came to Columbus from the Bronx Zoo in 2007 and father, Thai, arrived in 2015 from the San Diego Zoo.

The baby girl is easy to spot, as langurs are born bright orange. Once they become an adult, they have black fur and silvered tips. The languar's native regions are Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The birth of the baby languar is big for the animal community, as the species are also hunted for meat or taken as pets.

The final baby to be welcomed into the Columbus Zoo's winter baby boom was a Humboldt penguin chick. The chick hatched on February 19 and was named Her Majesty Gertrude Sprinklebottom, and will be called Gertrude for short. She is the 30th Humboldt penguin chick to hatch at the zoo.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is one of only 19 facilities in North America that participates in AZA's Humboldt Penguin SSP breeding programs. The infant's parents are Katja and Hans, but a different pair, Asela and Chirriante, are fostering the chick. Gertrude will be available for viewing once her foster parents are comfortable with allowing her to wander outside the nest box.

In response to the births of the new babies, the Columbus Zoo announced:

All three of these recent births assist in maximizing genetic diversity, managing demographic distribution and help further enhance the sustainability of species that are at risk or threatened in their native lands.

If you are interested in learning more about the Columbus Zoo's conservation efforts, you can visit https://globalimpact.columbuszoo.org/about.