It’ll soon be champagne time at the Aquarium du Quebec. Both of their female walruses are pregnant and expected to give birth in late April and early June
It will be a rare event not only because there are only about 30 walruses in insitutions at present, but also because of the fact that since 1930, only 19 walruses have gestated in captivity, and only six babies were born, and only one survived to adulthood.
Because of the roughly one in three survival rate, the aquarium is being advised by a reproduction specialist from the Veterinary faculty, advisors from six other zoological instutions around the world, and data from scientists studying walruses in the wild. A special vigil has been set up and response protocol established.
The Director-General of the Aquarium Cristophe Zamuner, says all this is necessary due to the high mortality rate of newborn walrus.
Meanwhile in Toronto earlier this month a couple of baby pandas born at the Toronto Zoo last year were shown to the public. The birth of the pandas caused worldwide attention in the media and tremendous excitement at the zoo.
But it doesn’t end there. Four white lion cubs, born late last year and kept isolated for some time -as are all the newborns- are now often seen by the public playing in their enclosure.
And a rather rare baby Indian rhino was born in February and made his public debut this month.. There are only about 2,000 Indian rhinos left in the wild in parts of Nepal and India.
The mother had a history of carrying babies to term so staff tried putting her on the pregnancy hormone, progesterone for a year. The 16 month pregnancy resulted in a healthy male calf.
The Toronto zoo is enjoying such breeding success due to its special reproductive centre, the only one in Canada.
Quoted by the CBC, the Toronto Zoo’s Dr. Gaby Mastromonaco said, “The work we are doing is to ensure these remaining animals with valuable genetic diversity are preserved today, but most importantly preserved for 50 to 100 years from now,”
CBC-Toronto Zoo babies
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/toronto-zoo-fertility-1.3458371
CBC- Rhino
Montreal Gazette-Walrus
Coming this spring to Quebec: Two walrus babies
Journal de Quebec (French) walrus
http://www.journaldequebec.com/2016/03/09/boris-le-morse-met-enceintes-ses-deux-colocataires-femelles
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