It is always fun to see new faces at your Akron Zoo, but this year your zoo has welcomed a whopping 12 newborns! While this is by no means a record (I mean, do you know how many babies fish can have at once?!), it is exciting news for conservation, as all of the species born this year are endangered in their native habitats. In case you missed any of this year’s announcements, read on to meet all of our 2021 newborns.
Humboldt Penguin Chicks
The Akron Zoo welcomed two Humboldt penguin chicks earlier this year. The first chick, Ernesto (left), hatched on March 12 to parents are Pez and Gabriella. He is the younger brother of Rico, who hatched at the Akron Zoo in 2018. The second chick, Xiomara (right), hatched on April 5 to Pedro and Anchovetta, both of whom are first-time parents. Since learning to eat on their own and passing a swim test, both chicks have been in the public habitat for guests to visit. They can be easily identified by their feather pattern, which lacks the black stripe the adults have around their belly, and also by their arm bands. Ernie has a black band with orange and Xiomara has a clear band with green. The Akron Zoo is currently home to 18 Humboldt penguins, including the two chicks.
The zoo is also an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and we participate in the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a scientifically managed breeding program that works to ensure a healthy, genetically-diverse population of Humboldt penguins in human care. Since the zoo opened Penguin Point in 2003, we have welcomed a total of 19 chicks.
Red Wolf Pups
Akron Zoo red wolves, Juno and Waya, also welcomed some new members to their family this year. Despite it being her first litter, mom Juno gave birth to eight healthy puppies on Earth Day, April 22. Red wolves are critically endangered, with fewer than 20 individuals remaining in their native habitat, so this was a huge win for conservation. However, the good news doesn’t stop there! Your Akron Zoo was able to partner with the Red Wolf Recovery Program and the US Fish and Wildlife Services to cross foster four of these pups in their native habitat. When the pups were a week old, the four biggest and strongest (two females and two males) were transported to North Carolina, where they were placed in the den of a native red wolf mother who had just had a litter of her own. Since then, researchers have been monitoring the new foster family and sending the zoo regular updates.
Juno and Waya have also been very responsible parents, caring for the three males and one female puppy at the Akron Zoo. The female pup is named Flora after the Roman goddess of spring and flowering plants, both in honor of Juno (also named after a goddess) and because the pups were born on Earth Day. The three boys, on the other hand, have names honoring their siblings in North Carolina. They are named Maneto (Manny), Pocosin (Poco), and Tawodi (Hawk). Manteo is the location of USFWS wolf recovery team offices, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is where the pups were cross fostered, and Tawodi is the Cherokee word for Hawk, in honor of LightHawk, the airline that flew our pups to North Carolina. These four pups are a bit shy, but can sometimes be seen chasing one another through the trees at the back of their habitat. As a member of the Red Wolf SSP (and through the dedication and hard work of our animal care staff) we hope this is the first of many red wolf litters at your Akron Zoo.
If you would like to learn more, you can read a firsthand account from Kristen Scaglione, our lead red wolf keeper, on Potter’s Blog, or you can visit our zoo updates page to learn more about this historic release.
Andean Condor Chick 
For the first time in our history, the Akron Zoo’s Andean condors, Grock and Carlotta, successfully welcomed a chick on July 23. At an early stage, the egg was pulled for incubation due to Grock and Carlotta’s history of accidentally crushing eggs. Since hatching, the chick has been hand-raised in the zoo’s animal hospital by the animal and vet care teams, who use a condor hand puppet for feedings and social interactions. The chick will not be making his public debut yet, but you can see updates about his care and development on the zoo’s various social media channels.
Since this species is considered vulnerable, Grock and Carlotta were paired through a breeding recommendation from the Andean Condor SSP to maintain a healthy population in human care. The Akron Zoo is one of only two AZA facilities to welcome an Andean condor chick this year, and the only zoo to raise the chick by hand.
Speke’s Gazelle Calf
Most recently, your Akron Zoo welcomed a Speke's gazelle calf! The female calf was born on Friday, July 30 to our female gazelle, Gambella, and our male gazelle, Gondar. She was named Sagal, which means "a ray of sun during the rains" in Somalian. Sagal recently made her public debut and she loves running and leaping through the habitat.
Sagal is not the only new Speke’s gazelle at your Akron Zoo, either. Females Astur and Magool recently moved to Akron from the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in California. Magool was born on Feb. 26, 2020 and Astur was born on Oct. 12, 2020. Despite being from the same zoo, the girls were part of separate herds and had not met prior to moving here. They are getting along with each other very well, and will be introduced to our other gazelles at a later date.
Oh baby! 
The boom is not over yet! White-cheeked gibbon, Parker, is pregnant and expecting a baby Dec. 15 – 27. While we are very excited, we are also approaching Parker's care with utmost caution. This is the first pregnancy for both Parker and our male gibbon, Milo.