Cantil Vipers Born at Denver Zoo for First Time

Eight cantil vipers were born on February 12, the first ever breeding of the species at Denver Zoo. The highly venomous vipers can grow to about two-feet-long and vary in color from brown to black. As juveniles the tips of these snakes' tails are yellowish in color. This serves the sneaky snakes well as they wiggle those tips so they look like worms and lure in small prey. Cantil vipers are native... to Mexico and Central America, preferring lowland areas of dry forests and tropical deciduous forest. The species is classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mainly due to human persecution. In fact, their total numbers are estimated to have dropped by 30 percent over the last 15 to 30 years. The baby snakes will remain behind-the-scenes in Tropical Discovery for the time being.

Click here to see video of the hatchlings.

Baby DeBrazza's Monkey Explores Habitat

Denver Zoo visitors are in for a treat this spring as a rare De Brazza's monkey born on Dec. 4, named Kiazi, begins exploring its habitat. Kiazi's gender is still not known, but its name means "potato" in Swahili. Kiazi is the third birth for mother, Marinda and father, Kisoro. Kisoro came to Denver Zoo in 2006 after being rescued by conservationists from the black market in the Republic of Congo. Weather permitting, visitors can see Kiazi climbing around its habitat in Primate Panorama.

Get a sneak peek at Kiazi here.

Zoo Hatches Rare Sulawesi Forest Turtle

Score another breeding victory for Denver Zoo zookeepers! On January 24 they welcomed the first successful hatching of a Sulawesi forest turtle in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) zoo. The achievement was a purposeful one as zookeepers experimented with the amount of space and vegetation cover to give the sometimes temperamental and shy parents for breeding. Not much is known about the species as they were only first discovered in 1995. As their name indicates, they are endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, preferring to live in rocky, heavily vegetated forests near rivers and swamps. They can grow to about a foot long and are omnivorous. The species is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) mainly due to habitat loss. The hatchling will remain behind-the-scenes in Tropical Discovery for the near future as zookeepers monitor its progress.

Denver Zoo welcomes male elephant, Groucho.

A 41-year-old male elephant from Fort Worth Zoo arrived safely at Denver Zoo and is getting acquainted with his new state of the art indoor quarters. Groucho traveled with a curator and zookeeper from Denver Zoo's Toyota Elephant Passage as well as staff from the Fort Worth Zoo to become the largest Denver Zoo resident, weighing in at approximately 11,000 pounds. This is the second male elephant to arrive in Denver Zoo's new Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit.

Read more and watch video.

Denver Zoo welcomes four clouded leopards.

Some new cats are settling into their new surroundings in Denver Zoo's Toyota Elephant Passage. The zoo recently welcomed four clouded leopards, a species of tree dwelling cats native to Asia. Visitors can see the leopards in their two pairs in Toyota Elephant Passage once it opens to the public on June 1.

Read more and watch video.

Denver Zoo welcomes female red panda, Daisy.

There's a new red panda now calling Denver Zoo home. Daisy, a 5-year-old female recently arrived from Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, MI. She spent the holidays behind-the-scenes, but now visitors can see her exploring her new outdoor habitat.

Read more and watch video.

Denver Zoo welcomes male polar bear, Lee.

Denver Zoo is thankful for a new arrival, a 12-year-old male polar bear, named Lee. Lee comes from Detroit Zoo as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which ensures healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals. At Denver Zoo, Lee will be paired with a 10-year-old named Cranbeary after he has become accustomed to his new habitat. Visitors can see Lee "chilling" in his new habitat now in the zoo's Northern Shores exhibit.

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Denver Zoo welcomes male elephant, Bodhi.

A 7-year-old male elephant from Columbus Zoo arrived safely at Denver Zoo the afternoon of November 3. Bodhi (Boh-dee) traveled with an elephant manager, veterinarian and head keeper from Columbus Zoo to become the first male elephant to arrive in Denver Zoo's new Asian Tropics exhibit. Although animals are beginning to move to the exhibit, Asian Tropics will not open until late spring 2012 to allow enough time for animals to become accustomed to the 10-acre area featuring six interconnected habitats and more than 100 gated passageways. Guests will not be able to see the zoo's newest resident until that time.

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Denver Zoo welcomes two sibling capybaras.

Denver Zoo has a couple of large rodents roaming around one of its buildings, but they are welcome guests. Two capybaras (Cap-ee-bar-as), named Rodrigo and Gabriella, just arrived from Buffalo Zoo. The brother and sister were just born February 17 this year. Visitors can see them now in the zoo's Tropical Discovery exhibit.

First-time hatching of red-crowned crane chick at Denver Zoo.

Hats off to Denver Zoo bird keepers! The zoo recently welcomed an endangered red-crowned crane chick. The chick, which hatched June 19, is a male and has been named Pinion. This is the first hatch of this species at the Denver Zoo and is thought to be the product of artificial insemination. Visitors can see the chick now with its parents, Hochi and Sadie, at the zoo's Nurture Trail.