Baby Boom Time At Zoos

Spring is synonymous with life, and nowhere is that more evident than at the zoo.

Dr. Debbye Turner Bell, the The Early Show's resident veterinarian,reported Wednesday from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., to talk about the bonanza of babies at zoos across the country.

"Zoos love it when babies happen," Bell said. "...Babies are good business for zoos because (they) increase the visitors."

Bell said that a panda birth four years ago brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to the capital's zoo.

But these births aren't just about having cute animals for visitors to see -- they're also vital additions to some species' populations.

The birth of animals like Kibibi, the first baby gorilla born in five years at the zoo, may help insure some species' survival. Kibibi is a Western lowland gorilla, which is considered critically endangered.

But The National Zoo, which has also seen the birth of two clouded leopard cubs, isn't the only place that's bursting with life.

The Dallas Zoo has seen the birth of an okapi calf, from the giraffe family, native to Central Africa.

And The San Diego Zoo has see an explosion of births with several animals including giraffes, cheetahs and even an Indian rhino.

"Spring is the season of blossoms and bees and birds, right? And so, the birds and the bees are doing it, and other animals - our animals - are doing it also," said Donald Moore, associate director for animal care at The National Zoo. "People need to get out in their parks and go visit their zoos and see all the babies of spring."

And The National Zoo may be expecting another addition soon - a baby giant panda.

The zoo believes that panda Mei Xiang may be pregnant. Giant pandas are known for false births, so the zoo has set up a 24-hour Panda-Cam for everyone to watch and see for themselves whether a baby panda will appear.