Saint Louis Zoo

Why Is The Saint Louis Zoo Tackling Camel Diseases In Kenya?

Véronique LaCapra — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Camels are known for their ability to travel long distances across the desert without water.

But they’re also becoming an increasingly important source of milk for people in drought-prone regions. That includes East African countries like Kenya, where camel numbers have skyrocketed over the past few decades.

But introducing camels — or any species — to a new region, could mean bringing in new diseases.

The St. Louis Zoo has been studying camel diseases in Kenya to help assess their risks.

St. Louis Zoo Welcomes Baby Elephant

Tim Lloyd and Kelsey Proud — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:14:52 +0000

Updated with photos of new calf & naming information May 6:

The St. Louis Zoo has announced that the elephant has been named Priya (pronounced Pree-yah) after 53,692 votes from the public were counted.

The name means "dear" or "beloved" and received just over 29 percent of the votes. The runner-up name was "Willow."

Original story from April 27:

Monkey, See? Baby Colobus Monkey Makes Saint Louis Zoo Debut

Kelsey Proud — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:54:52 +0000

Another little one has arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo -- this time it's a colobus monkey named Kivuli, which is Swahili for ghost or shadow.

The name is appropriate for her birthday Oct. 31, 2012, Halloween. Kivuli is her mother Cecilia's first baby. All colobus monkey babies are born with white hair and a pink face, and eventually change color to have predominantly black hair with white accents.

In the wild, colobus monkeys are found throughout the forests of east and central Africa. Kivuli, Cecilia and the father, Kima, are all on view now at the Zoo.

Baby Giant Anteater Makes Saint Louis Zoo Debut

Kelsey Proud — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:41:21 +0000

I'm always a sucker for baby animal photos, but, in this case, the animal will one day have quite a "sucker" of her own.

A giant anteater, named Sabia, was born Aug. 14 and will eventually have a tongue that can extend up to two feet to capture the up to 30,000 ants she'll eat each day.

Sabia is scheduled to make her Zoo debut today with her mother, weather permitting, from about 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The historic range of the giant anteater is in Central America, but the Zoo says the species is in danger of extinction in the wild.

More 'Baby Giants' Arrive At The Saint Louis Zoo

Véronique LaCapra — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:42:26 +0000

The Saint Louis Zoo once again is teeming with baby giant salamanders.

For the second year in a row, the zoo has successfully bred endangered Ozark hellbenders in captivity.

This time, a total of eight females laid 2,809 fertile eggs. Two-hundred and fourteen salamander larvae have hatched so far, with many more expected.

Even though the salamanders are smaller than a quarter when they first hatch, as adults they can reach lengths of up to two feet.