In 2007, 8 giant otter cubs were born in german zoos - 3 in Hagenbeck and a litter of 5 in Dortmund. All are alive and a couple of months old, having survived the critical time. This has been a great year for giant otters in Europe! One zoo stated keeping them (Due de la Fointaine in France), they built a great enclosure. Let`s hope they will start breeding soon. Another zoo (Heidelberg) wants to keep them, they have selected the old malayan tapir enclosure, but I don`t know if construction work has already started.
It was also a pretty good year for south chinese leopards iin german zoos. The Tierpark Berlin and Hagenbeck in Hamburg swapped the males and both zoos produced a litter of 3 cubs each with the new breeding pairs. I am not sure about the gender of the cubs in Berlin; in Hagenbeck it was 2.1. One male died but the other 2 are doing well and live together with the father, the mother and the grandmother in the large outdoor enclosure. A small zoo (Limbach-Oberfrohna) also had a litter of 3 female cubs of this leopard species. I am just hoping that they take part in the EEP!
The Erfurt Zoo had recently a birth of a male spider monkey (ateles belzebuth hybridus - not sure about the scientific name). The birth was very difficult for the old mother (over 30) and unfortunately the baby must be handraised. Nevertheless an important birth for that rare species.