10 Cute Zoo Babies Around The World

What's cuter than an exotic zoo animal? A baby exotic zoo animal! This summer, zoos across the world welcomed the arrivals of a number of new babies. Plan a trip to see them now, before they grow up! By Caroline Morse, SmarterTravel.com

Cheetahs, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

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Three-month-old cheetah cubs made their public debut this July at the National Zoo. The pair was named after the fastest American male (Justin Gatlin) and female (Carmelita Jeter) in the 100-meter dash at the London Olympics. Visit to see them sprint around their yard and you'll see how fitting the monikers are.

Sloth, Burgers' Zoo, Netherlands

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Just like a human baby, this young sloth named Sjakie needed a teddy bear after being separated from his mother, who doesn't have enough milk to feed him. The poor baby sloth wanted something to cling to, since he would usually hang on to his mother until he started crawling. One of the zookeeper's daughters donated her stuffed animal, which is working nicely for Sjakie as a maternal substitute.

Siamang Ape, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Australia

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Surprise! The appearance of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo's newest siamang ape was a bit unexpected, as zookeepers weren't even sure that the mother was pregnant. Born in June, this is the fifth baby for Puteri and Saudara, the ape's parents.

Giraffe, Dublin Zoo, Ireland

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Born on July 4, Dublin Zoo's new star attraction, a Rothschild giraffe calf, still needs a name. If you have an idea, the zoo is accepting suggestions via Facebook. Although the giraffe is still a baby, she's already six feet tall. According to the Dublin Zoo, fewer than 700 Rothschild giraffes live in the wild, so we're glad to see this addition to the species.

Elephant, Indianapolis Zoo, Indiana

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There's nothing small about a baby elephant—the Indianapolis Zoo's newest calf popped out at a whopping 244 pounds! We can't help but feel sorry for Ivory, the African elephant calf's mother, who was pregnant for 22 months with Nyah. (The baby was named Nyah by a Facebook vote of more than 3,500 fans. The name, meaning "purpose" in Swahili, won with over 63 percent of the vote.)

White Lions, Yalta Zoo, Ukraine

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The five snowy-white lion cubs born at the Yalta Zoo are among the rarest kinds of lion—and zookeepers were shocked at their appearance. The cubs' parents are traditional tawny colors, but recessive genes caused the cubs to be born all-white. The cubs, which look just like the ones pictured above, are being raised in the zoo director's office for now and hand-fed from a bottle every two hours. Tough job, huh?

Zebra, Baton Rouge Zoo, Louisiana

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Born in mid-July, a baby plains zebra (similar to the one pictured above) weighed in at around 70 pounds. The not-so-tiny cutie can be seen at the Baton Rouge Zoo with the rest of the herd.

Tigers, Peoria Zoo, Illinois

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It's quadruplets for the Peoria Zoo! Four Amur tiger cubs arrived in June, making them the first tigers to be born in the zoo in more than 30 years. These cubs won't be ready for their public debut for a few more weeks, but check back with the zoo in August or September about visiting.

Marmosets, Eberswalde Zoo, Germany

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Get the zoom ready on your camera: Germany's Eberswalde Zoo's new marmoset monkeys are so tiny that they'll fit in the palm of your hand. Three monkeys were born in the litter but one was having trouble nursing, so the zoo is hand-raising the baby.

Polar Bear, Ranua Wildlife Park, Finland

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Even Pentu, the Ranua Zoo's newest polar bear cub, is getting into the Olympic spirit. The polar bear's enclosure has been decked out with tires painted to resemble the Olympic rings, and the young cub loves to play with them. He's clearly rooting for his home team as well, as he likes to carry around the Finnish flag.

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