Christmas has arrived early for Meisie, the two year old Western Lowland gorilla, as this week we welcomed a new baby at Blackpool Zoo.

This first baby of mum, 19 year old Njema, was born early on November 8. Keepers are patiently waiting to discover the gender of the new baby as she’s keeping it very well hidden.

Njema is a sensitive gorilla and is very different to her half sister, Miliki, who, when she became a first time mum to Meisie, was very confident and proud to show her off to the public. Keepers have been careful not intervene too much with Njema during the crucial first few days of the mum and baby bonding.

Njema and her new baby

To keep Njema calm, the keepers have decided to only open the gorilla house during certain intervals in the day, where they can monitor Njema’s behaviour with the baby. The public have been asked to be patient during this time.

The new arrival doesn’t seem to have affected the rest of the family, although toddler Meisie seems the most inquisitive and is eager to play.

Animal Manager, Peter Dillingham, said: “We’ve been delighted with Meisie’s progress over the last two years. So the safe arrival of another baby is great news for the zoo.”

The latest arrival takes the gorilla family total to six. Keepers seem positive in keeping the group together and watching them grow as a family.

Blackpool Zoo staff knew exactly where to go when their three Asian elephants needed new toys – Bowland Brewery near Clitheroe.

Animals at the zoo are kept entertained daily by their keepers who invent ingenious ways to hide food so that they have to work a bit harder to find it, as they would in the wild.   This process, known as enrichment, is employed throughout the park, but four tonne elephants need stronger playthings than most!   Senior Keeper of mammals, Sofie Fawzy, pointed out that elephants are difficult to entertain with plastic feeder balls or branches as they don’t last very long, so stainless steel beer casks are their number one toys.   The barrels are stuffed with hay, grass pellets, nuts and vegetables which the elephants have to extract using their trunks.  The heavy metal containers are also thrown around the house so have to be chained down when visitors may be present.

Richard Baker, the owner of the Bowland Brewery, was rather surprised at the phone call requesting assistance. He said: “We often get calls from the public asking about our beers, but this was a bolt from the blue!  However, we were delighted to be able to help and I look forward to seeing the elephants with their new toys!”

The casks arrived at the Zoo via regular brewery customers, the Blackpool Subscription Bowling Club, and were immediately put to good use, replacing two old containers which were bent beyond recognition!

Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Co-ordinator at Blackpool Zoo, said: “We are extremely grateful to the brewery for donating the barrels, which will provide hours of enrichment for our elephants.  Perhaps three new beers are now on the cards in honour of the Brewery’s ‘biggest’ fans – Katie’s Keg, Indra’s Thunder and Bella Marcella!”

Bowland Brewery, which opened in 2003 in Bashall Town, produce unique ales bearing names such as Headless Peg, Sky Dancer and a new beer, Pendle Gold, in celebration of the 400^th anniversary of the Pendle Witches’ trial.

.And tiger makes two at Blackpool Zoo!….

Zambar the Amur Tiger is all smiles now his new mate has moved in at Blackpool Zoo!

Alyona, who is four years old, arrived from her birthplace SafariparkBeekse Bergen in the Netherlands on Tuesday 18^th September and is currently settling into her new home in the Big Cat house.

Over the coming weeks Zambar and Alyona will be gradually introduced and keepers are hoping for the pitter patter of tiny stripy feet in the not-too-distant future.

Zambar came to Blackpool in 2010 from Marwell Wildlife, where he was born and hand reared by keepers after being rejected by his  mother.

Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Coordinator at Blackpool Zoo said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Alyona to the zoo and she has been an instant hit with keepers.

“Thousands of our visitors have taken Zambar to their hearts and I know that they have been looking forward to meeting his new mate.

“Alyona is absolutely beautiful and seeing them both out in the paddock promises to be a majestic sight!

“Until then, everyone can see her in the Big Cat house where she is settling in very nicely.”

The Amur Tiger is the largest member of the big cat family and is an endangered species.

There are only around 500 Amur Tigers left in the wild and they are found in

isolated populations around the Amur river valley in the far east of Russia and on China’s north east border.

The remaining wild population continues to be under threat due to habitat loss and poaching.

Babies are everywhere at Blackpool Zoo!  Goat kids, lemurs, colobus monkeys, a sitatunga, reindeer and many more.  You can even spot nests in our stunning Waders and Waddlers enclosure.  See how many you can see on your visit to our baby paradise!

New for 2012 here at the Zoo will be a pair of giant anteaters.  These rather bizarre-looking creatures will reside in a newly refurbished enclosure near the Education Centre.

The female, Andina, has arrived from Madris Zoo and as we will have a potential breeding pair the male will be arriving in the not-too-distant future from Sweden.

Giant Anteater

Blackpool Zoo is delighted to announce the recent successful hatching of two Magellanic penguin chicks.  The first of this species to hatch at the park, the new arrivals have yet to be sexed.  This process is carried out later by DNA testing of feathers.

The penguins paired up for breeding and several nests were built in the recesses within the enclosure. Keepers provided nesting material of twigs and branches and it soon became clear that a pair were sitting on eggs.  They hatched just over a month ago, and keepers are eagerly their emergence from the den.

Although the chicks are covered in soft, downy feathers when they first hatch, these are soon replaced by the waterproof “proper” feathers needed to keep them warm in the water.  They are fed by their parents on regurgitated fish and “babysitting” is shared between the parents.

Newly hatched penguin chick

They youngsters will be introduced gradually to the water by their parents, but will adapt very quickly to their new routine.

One of the babies

 Blackpool Zoo is well known for its success in breeding many rare and endangered species.  However, one of the recent successes has been with a much more familiar little animal – the guinea pig.

Guinea pigs or cavies, as they are also known, originate from South America, but are popular in the UK as pets. They are lively and “chatter” amongst themselves while scuttling round their enclosure looking for food.

Some of the Zoo’s guinea pigs have recently taken up residence in the new Children’s Farm along with the Giant rabbits and more regular-sized rabbits.  They live alongside each other quite happily in the same enclosure and are proving a great attraction, particularly for our younger visitors.

However, a small group still reside in the old Children’s Zoo area and several new babies have been born over the past few weeks.  They vary in colour from dark brown to almost completely white with various patterns in between.  The babies are born with a full coat of hair and look like perfect miniatures of the adults.  They are also quite independent from a very young age.

Make sure you take a minute to try to count them when you next visit. They’re between the new wading bird aviary and the aardvarks.