A spectacular news for Europe, two twins Hoffmann's two-toed sloth have been born at Skansen-Akvariet!!! The lucky Parents are Lillan and Terje. Terje came to Skansen-Akvariet 2013 from Universeum in Gothenburg. But Terje has a long history, he lived at kristiansand dyrepark, Norway in about 20 years together with a Linnaeus' two-toed sloth female Tallina (them believed he was a Linnaeus). Tallina and Terje gave a dead born baby in 2009. 2012 when both Tallina and Terje moved to Universeum, the vet made an investigation of him and together with a biologist from Maritime Museum & Aquarium in Gothenburg and expert help from San Diego Zoo, they all could say he was a Hoffmann. Then Terje is the only Hoffmann male in Europe, they send him to Skansen-Akvariet in 2013 and to the females Lillan and Emma (Both Hoffmann´s).
Yes it´s very rare. It sadly enough is that Lillan has hard to take care of these two, it´s first time for her to be mom. The keepers have taking over the care of the twins and give them milk (a mix between goat milk and milk for puppys). We can just do hope both two survive! It´s just 10 Hoffmann´s with these in Europe and five of them are living at Skansen-Akvariet.
Another article - in Swedish - and short video-clip of the twin : Unik tvillingfödsel på Skansen - Nyheterna - tv4.se
A short, but a very cute video when one of the twins gets food. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=856247617766079&set=vb.137841549606693&type=2&theater
Both of the twins are males. It's just 3.7 Hoffmann's in Europe with these. They update regularly on their Facebook page with info and videos with English info too. https://sv-se.facebook.com/skansenakvariet
The sloth twins have been named; Hildor & Hadar. Today they are celebrating 6 weeks and have begun to eat green beans and carrot. One of Hildor or Hadar will also left next year for the British Islands and Newquay Zoo, there a girlfriend is waiting!
Skansen-Akvariet is also one of the zoos which breeding and to export most Pygmy marmosets in the world to both zoos and to the wildlife, had plan to exports 4 individuals to a zoo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After problems with the bad relations between the Swedish Government and the Saudi Arabia since some weeks back, has Saudi Arabia stop the plans because the monkeys are from ''Sweden''. No Saudi Arabia visas for Swedish zoo monkeys - The Local Four monkeys grounded over Saudi diplomatic crisis - Radio Sweden | Sveriges Radio
Here is an interesting article about a Saudi Zoo refusing to take Pygmy Marmosets from Skansen after a dispute between the two countries: Saudis refuse Swedish zoo's monkeys in diplomatic spat - BBC News
Another article about the Pygmy marmosets not going to Saudi Arabia : No Saudi Arabia visas for Swedish zoo monkeys - The Local
An Excellent news from S-A! On Sunday 19/4, will ten young Cuban crocodiles left Sweden and exports back to Cuba!!!! The Cuban crocodiles is one of the most rare of all crocodile species, and many of the crocodiles on Cuba are hybrids between Cuban and American crocodile. Because the Cuban crocodile is very rare, contacted the government of Cuba, Skansen-Akvariet because their crocodiles aren't hybrids. The parents of the crocodiles which will move back to Cuba are; Hilary and Castro who was a gift from Fidel Castro to Vladimir Shatalov in 1974, Shatalov gave the crocodiles to Moscow Zoo after 6 months. Since 1981 lives they in Sweden and almost every year, them are getting new babies . Many of the Cuban crocodiles in United States is also from this pair. Endangered baby crocs fly to Cuba from Sweden - The Local
Cuban crocodiles bred at Skansen have been send to Cuba : Endangered baby crocs fly to Cuba from Sweden - The Local
And another article about the crocodiles send to Cuba : Zoo helps Cuba's efforts to sustain critically endangered Crocodiles : News : miNBCnews.com
On Wednesday morning this week, Hadar and Hildor visited, the Swedish tv channel tv4´s nyhetsmorgon together with Jonas and Ana Wahlström. Unika sengångartvillingar på besök - TV4 Play The twins are now 5 months.
A young ring-tailed lemur has been taken to Skansen after being illegally kept in an apartment in southern Sweden. Skansen has already taken in six other lemurs over the past year, all of which were found in Växjö in southern Sweden. Jonas Wahlström the managing director of Skansen's zoo previously revealed that he suspected the animals had come from a planned new zoo in the region which never opened and from which a number of animals are believed to have gone missing. Rescued baby lemur gets new Stockholm home - The Local
A very interesting news from S-A! A small group of Meerkats have move into to the Hamadryas baboon exhibit and if the combination is doing well. The plan is to build a tunnel between Baboon and Meerkat exhibit in future. Also some Gundis have been born this Autumn. Gundi is a new species for S-A this year.
Wow, that seems like a risky mix. I think the only other species I've seen mixed with Hamadryas Baboons were Nubian Ibex in Singapore. Keep us posted on how it works out.
the ibex and baboons at Singapore are actually separated. I thought they were together as well but Zooish says that it just looks that way.
Ah, interesting. They do look as though they are together. So no examples of Hamadryas mixed with anything then? I know other baboons are, including Gelada with ibex, hyrax and geese at Zurich, and Olive or Guinea with hoofstock at a couple of places.