Born in Captivity, Baby Animals Debut at Los Angeles Zoo

Like a proud parent, the Los Angeles Zoo is showing off its babies.

The new arrivals include a golden lion tamarin, a white-cheeked gibbon, a mountain tapir, a sifaka and giant eland brothers.

Most of the babies were bred and born on display. “It’s a good educational tool for the public,” said Michael Dee, the zoo’s general curator.

Except for watching closely for any signs of illness, curators don’t interfere with the mothers’ raising of their young.

Joe, a giant eland, which is an African antelope, was an exception.

When Joe was born less than a month ago, he had difficulty standing up. Zoo workers took him out of his habitat, Dee said, or he would have “ended up as someone’s dinner.”

Joe has been reunited with his parents, and Thomas, his 5-month-old half brother, who is already three times his size. For a while, signs were posted asking people not to stop and gawk, to give mother and son a better chance to bond.

Similar signs also are posted for some animals that have difficulty breeding, or that refuse to breed, such as one male gorilla. Most animals, however, can reproduce in captivity.

“Animals are like people,” Dee said. “Some animals, when you put them together, won’t do anything.” And some must be separated to prevent unwanted births. Other babies at the zoo include T2, a 5-month-old golden lion tamarin, and C.J., a 2-year-old white-cheeked gibbon. Martin is a 5-month-old sifaka, a primate found in northwestern Madagascar.

Another baby is Sedona, a 1-year-old female mountain tapir, which is related to rhinos and horses. Mountain tapirs are considered critically endangered, with no more than 3,000 left in the wild, mostly in South America, Dee said. Only seven are in captivity, and all are at the Los Angeles Zoo.

All this month, zoo visitors can receive discounts when they present a baby picture of themselves. Or animal lovers can take a peek at some of the babies online at https://www.lazoo.org.