The Zoo Atlanta's latest crop of babies has bumped up attendance and charmed visitors, though some of the young ones are more charming than others.
Dozens of Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa), born in August and on display in the Wieland Wildlife Home, are not as cuddly as, say, the super-soft chinchilla twins, born Sept. 19.
Eventually the new giant panda twins, born Sept. 3, will be winning the cute sweepstakes, because that's how they roll. But the baby western lowland gorilla, born to Kudzoo on Sept. 18, is pretty adorable. She's the 23rd gorilla born in the Zoo's Ford African Rain Forest and is a granddaughter of Willie B. (Her father is Taz.)
UPDATE: Zoo Atlanta’s panda twins are about to have their first birthday
Here’s a look at the new arrivals:
Angolan colobus
Orlando, a female Angolan colobus — a kind of monkey — was born to Lami on June 12. Orlando has a younger half-sister, Kito, born to Adanna on Aug. 9. George is the father of both babies.
Chilean flamingos
There are four new Chilean flamingo chicks who hatched the week of July 25.
Chinchilla kits
Twin long-tailed chinchilla kits were born Sept. 19, to parents Elsa and Cusco. They live in the Zoo’s Wieland Wildlife Home. The critically endangered species is also native to Chile.
Diamondback terrapins
Some 25 diamondback terrapins from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island arrived at the zoo just a few days before Hurricane Matthew pounded their hometown. They are currently on view at the Scaly Slimy Spectacular. They'll be raised at the zoo, then brought back to Jekyll Island to be released into the wild.
Giant panda twins
A new pair of giant panda twins were born Sept. 3, becoming the sixth and seventh offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang. Their older siblings, Mei Huan and Mei Lun, who turned three this summer, will be voyaging to China sometime in November, as part of the zoo's agreement with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Louisiana pine snakes
Five young ones from this endangered species hatched at Zoo Atlanta on Aug. 13 – the first time this species has hatched at the zoo.
Madagascar hissing cockroaches
Dozens of these cockroaches, which can grow to two inches in length, were born in August.
Schmidt’s guenon
Gus, a male Schmidt’s guenon, which is a kind of monkey, was born to parents Jill and J.J. on May 20.
Western lowland gorilla
A female gorilla was born to Kudzoo on Sept. 18. Dad is Taz. So far unnamed, she’s the 23rd member of this critically endangered species to be born in the zoo’s Ford African Rain Forest, and is a granddaughter of Willie B.
Wreathed hornbill
A wreathed hornbill chick hatched around May 15. Rather homely at birth, with no feathers and a huge honker, she has filled in nicely since then.
The new giant panda cubs will remain unnamed until Dec. 12, their 100th day, in accordance with Chinese tradition. They won’t be on exhibit until they’re a little more grown-up and their mother, Lun Lun, is more comfortable taking them into new environments.
Until then they are visible on the Panda Cam.
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