In Pictures: The Adorable Zoo And Aquarium Additions Of 2012
By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 28, 2012 2:45PM
The Shedd Aquarium\'s beluga whale Mauyak gave birth in August to a 150-pound, 4 1/2-foot baby. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/08/27/beluga_whale_born_at_shedd_aquarium.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos and video\<\/a\>.
This little itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, thing is a Bolivian gray titi monkey born this summer at the Lincoln Park Zoo. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/08/21/lincoln_park_zoo_welcomes_newborn_t.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
This kitten was born at Brookfield Zoo in February. The black-footed cat is the smallest of the African felines at about half the size of a domestic house cat. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/03/28/brookfield_zoo_welcomes_black-foote.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
This male giraffe calf was born on Nov. 12 at the Brookfield Zoo. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/22/photos_brookfield_zoo_welcomes_baby.php#photo-2\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
A baby aardvark was born at the Brookfield Zoo in February. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/02/22/baby_aardvark_born_at_brookfield_zo.php#photo-5\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
The Lincoln Park Zoo hatched 18 new ornate box turtle hatchlings. Each of these things was the size of a quarter. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/08/07/lincoln_park_zoo_welcomes_turtle_ha.php#photo-5\"\>See more photos and video\<\/a\>.
This Berkshire piglet is a less exotic, but no less cute, addition to the Lincoln Park Zoo\'s farm area. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/06/22/lincoln_park_zoo_piglets.php\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
The Shedd Aquarium welcomed a new Pacific white-sided dolphin in May. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/06/01/more_photos_video_of_baby_dolphin.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
Meet Kito, born in August. Lincoln Park Zoo fans voted for the name, which means \"jewel\" in Swahili. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/08/31/lincoln_park_zoo_names_new_zebra_ki.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos and video\<\/a\>.
This southern hairy-nosed wombat joey is eight months old in this photo, but she only just came out of her mama\'s pouch in October. When she was born, she was the size of a bumblebee, then went in the pouch to sleep and nurse. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/01/brookfield_zoo_welcomes_baby_wombat.php#photo-1\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
The Shedd Aquarium adopted this orphaned baby sea otter named Cayucos and nursed it back to health. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/01/26/shedd_aquarium_adopts_abandoned_bab.php#photo-5\"\>See more photos\<\/a\>.
The Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed not one, but *two* baby gorillas this fall. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/20/lincoln_park_zoo_welcomes_another_n.php#photo-1\"\>See photos and video of this one\<\/a\> and \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/10/17/lincoln_park_zoo_welcomes_newborn_g.php#photo-1\"\>the other one\<\/a\>.
On a sad note, the Lincoln Park Zoo lost its lion king Adelor (at left) this year. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/02/01/lincoln_park_zoo_mourns_loss_of_its.php\"\>The male African lion was 18 years old\<\/a\>. Myra, at right, is the sole remaining African lion at the zoo. Photo credit: \<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordfailington/6247803224/\"\>Soulflare007\<\/a\>.
Sorry to bring you down with that last one. Here is a photo of Brookfield Zoo\'s male rhino trying to eat a pumpkin. \<a href=\"http://chicagoist.com/2012/10/25/brookfield_zoo_animals_enjoy_tasty.php#photo-1\"\>See more zoo animals with Halloween treats\<\/a\>.
From aardvark to zebra, see photos of 2012 baby animals born at Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo and Shedd Aquarium.