Spring has sprung and with it, the long-awaited rebirth of nature in NYC—the trees come back to life, the sidewalk are lined with blooming flower beds and, best of all, baby animals make their debut in zoos and parks around the city. If your little ones get just as excited about cute animals as we do, then here are the places you'll need to visit ASAP before they’re all grown up.
The Queens zoo just debuted one its newest addition to the pack: an Andean bear cub. This little cutie, born over the winter, is the first of his kind to be born in New York City and is part of the Species Survival Plan’s effort to fortify the vulnerable species.
Six bison calves were born just in time for Mother’s Day this year and four have made their public debut. The calves were born in late April to a herd of seven females and a male that were gifted to the zoo from the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes in Fort Peck, Montana. Four Père David's deer fawns can also be seen romping around the zoo along with teeny baby lemurs.
The Staten Island Zoo is celebrating quite a few births this season. Two ring-tailed lemurs named Jyn and Han that were born in February are now on display in the zoo’s Africa wing. These are the first lemurs to be born on Staten Island in zoo’s 80-year history. Pop in for a visit to be treated to these babies along with new geckos, a horned oryx named Beau, and fluffy Shetland lambs, including one named Baalthazar–emphasis on the “Baa.”
For more places that will have your kid getting up close and personal with some furry buddies, check out our favorite petting zoos near NYC. Don't forget to explore the best family attractions and our top things to do with kids in NYC!