Baby Animals in the ‘Burgh

Some cuteness to get you through the week: the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium recently welcomed its second new baby gorilla, Bo — joining Charlotte, who was born on Valentine’s Day.

If you make a trip to the zoo in Highland Park, you might be able to spot the two infants, but not together. Zoo officials told the Trib that each will remain with a separate family troop.

🎧 Before you go, make sure to listen back to our City Cast Pittsburgh podcast about its 150 years of history.

It’s mating season, and the zoo is getting ready to welcome new baby penguins. Check out NEXTpittsburgh’s Yinzer Backstage Pass where host Boaz Frankel shows how the penguins get fed. He met Mickey, a macaroni penguin who is one of the oldest birds at U.S. zoos and aquariums at 38 years old. In the wild, they typically live 15 to 20 years.

Fun fact: During mating season, penguins nest by forming small mounds of rocks. Mickey hasn’t mated with anyone, but aquarist Justine Curley told Frankel that she loves to steal others' rocks to make her own nest.

Each female penguin typically lays two eggs, and they take around 35 days to hatch. Once the chicks arrive, they’ll remain beneath their parents for warmth and protection, but you might catch a glimpse of them at feeding time. By the end of summer, they should be full size and growing their adult feathers.