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July, 2011: Rare Monkey Born at the Santa Ana Zoo!
The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is pleased to announce the birth of a golden-headed lion tamarin on June 28, 2011. Closely related to the golden lion tamarin, golden-headed lion tamarins have a black body with a golden-orange face and hands. These rare monkeys are only found on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Weighing less than 1 pound as adults, the babies tip the scale at about 1/8th of a pound!

Zoos have worked together for several decades on the conservation of this species. Captive breeding, habitat restoration and conservation, conservation education and reintroductions into the wild are all part of the international effort to protect this species. These births are a great boost to the conservation program. This is the first birth of this species at the Santa Ana Zoo. "The zoo keepers are proud to be part of the international conservation efforts for this remarkable endangered species," says Ray Cosper, Zoo Curator. There have been three "first of the species" births at the Zoo this year (2011), the other two being silvery langurs and the giant anteater.

The new baby is on view for the public daily between 10:00AM and 4:00PM at the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park.

May, 2011: Stork Visits Santa Ana Zoo
There’s a new baby nosing around in Orange County. The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is pleased to announce the birth of a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) on April 28, 2011. Born to father "Peter" of University of California, Irvine fame and mother "Heesoo of Troy", this birth has been highly anticipated by Zoo staff. Animal keeper and veterinary staff were able to perform ultrasounds to monitor the developing baby during the six month pregnancy. All appears well to Zoo staff and the pup is most often observed sleeping on mom with her tail draped over it.

The yet-to-be-named baby will ride around on its mother's back up to 10 months while growing to over half her size. Giant anteaters are found in the tropical forests and grasslands of Central and South America. They are considered vulnerable in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting. In the wild anteaters may eat up to 30,000 ants and termites a day. The Zoo feeds a commercial food designed for insect-eating animals, plus spinach, papaya, hardboiled egg, banana and sometimes avocado--all mixed in a blender and presented as a "smoothie." The baby will nurse for approximately six months.

The Santa Ana Zoo acquired giant anteaters in 2009 from a partner facility in South America with the help of donations from the UC Irvine Alumni Association and the Mike Schroeder Family. This is the first birth of this species at the Santa Ana Zoo and was a collaborative effort of the Species Survival Plan Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The mission of the Species Survival Plan Program is to manage and conserve select threatened or endangered species through the cooperation of AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums.

The new baby will be difficult to see for the next few weeks as she spends time bonding with her mother who is spending most of her time in the quiet off-exhibit sleeping quarters.

May, 2011: Tamarin Trio Born at the Santa Ana Zoo!
The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is pleased to announce the birth of twin golden lion tamarins on May 1, 2011. Shortly after another pair of golden lion tamarins gave birth to a single healthy infant on May 8, 2011. Golden lion tamarins are a rare golden-orange monkey from the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Weighing less than 1 pound as adults, the babies tip the scale at about 1/8th of a pound!

Zoos have worked together for several decades on the conservation of this species that now numbers approximately 1,200 animals in the wild. Captive breeding, habitat restoration and conservation, conservation education and reintroductions into the wild are all part of the international effort to protect this species. These births are a great boost to the conservation program.

The new babies are on view for the public daily between 10:00AM and 4:00PM at the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park.

February, 2011: The "Home of the 50 Monkeys" in Orange County now has a brand new monkey baby!
The Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park is pleased to announce the birth of a silvery langur (trachypithecus cristatus) on the 10th of February, 2011. The proud parents are Oliver and Daria. The yet to be named baby is the first offspring of this pair. Mom, dad and baby can be found at home in the primate area at the Zoo.

Bright orange at birth with pale skin, over the first three to five months of life silvery langurs change to a grayish coat with a darker face and hands, and eventually weighing up to fifteen pounds. Silvery langurs are at home in the dense tropical forests of Indonesia and Malaysia where they are considered near threatened with a decreasing population mostly due to land clearance, often for palm oil plantations. Silvery langurs are specialist leaf eaters with a digestive system adapted to ferment the tough cellulose material in leaves. With a diet high in vegetation, langurs will sit quietly for many hours digesting their food.

The Santa Ana Zoo has housed silvery langurs since 1984, and holds the longevity record for this species with a female reaching over 35 years of age. This is the first birth of this species at the Santa Ana Zoo and was a collaborative effort of the Species Survival Plan Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The mission of the AZA Species Survival Plan Programs is to manage and conserve select threatened or endangered, ex situ populations through the cooperation of AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums.

The new baby is on view for the public daily between 10:00AM and 4:00PM at the Santa Ana Zoo in Prentice Park.

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