Another year is in the books for the Detroit Lions, and fans are once again left watching as the top teams head to the playoffs. Will 2026 be our year? True Lions fans know the answer is: probably not, but we will damn sure be ready to believe again 😉
The Detroit Zoo shared these photos at the end of December writing “Mamma Amirah cuddled up with her trio of cubs warm your winter heart. At five weeks old, we can now determine that she has two girls and one boy. Her cubs are healthy and growing fast – gaining almost a pound each in just four days! They have also started to venture out of the den to other spaces. Amirah is being a very attentive mother and seems eager to show off her cubs to the rest of the pride. Stay tuned for more lion cub love from the Detroit Zoo.“
More from Michigan zoos (including a baby gorilla) on Michigan in Pictures and you know I’m gonna compare cougar & lion cubs…
There have been 97 armadillo occurrences in Indiana since 2013 with the northernmost sighting in Porter County about five miles from the Michigan border.
…Armadillos are considered established in 17 states including Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky. There have been occasional reports of armadillos in Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, and Virginia but no evidence of armadillo detections in Minnesota, Wisconsin or West Virginia.
The report says there is evidence to suggest that armadillos are likely about 56 miles away from reaching Ohio and that they are most likely to first reach the southwest corner of the state along either the Whitewater River or Ohio River. “It will be interesting to monitor when armadillos begin to regularly reach and establish in new states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Virginia,” the report said.
Michigan could be reached by armadillos coming north through Indiana or northeast from Illinois, experts say, but the state’s cold and harsh winters are the biggest deterrent to the species survival. The (armadillo) expansion will be slowed and eventually stopped as they encounter winters with extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures, according to the DNR.
The photographer shares that these are pictures of a southern three-banded armadillo, also known as the La Plata three-banded armadillo from South America. Like the 9-banded armadillo (link to Animal Diversity Web) its shell is made of keratin, the same protein that is in human fingernails. As seen here, the armadillo can roll itself into a ball, only exposing its shell, to protect itself from predators. This armadillo is named Dodge, as in “dodge ball.”
The Detroit Tigers home opener on Friday, April 4 against the Chicago White Sox is less than a month away, and I have to agree with one of baseball’s greatest showmen on this perfectly rational method of dividing the year.
Apparently, there are only 500 Amur tiger (formerly Siberian tiger) in the world, so zoos are an important method of conservation. They’re totally chill in the cold & you can learn more about Amur tiger from BBC Earth.
First-time mom Bandia brought her beautiful baby into the world at approximately 2 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. The baby is healthy and thriving under her attentive care. Our dedicated animal care team is ensuring that Bandia is receiving the best care during this time and that critical developmental milestones are being observed. Father Mshindi and the rest of the gorillas received extra “baby training” in anticipation of the birth. They are currently keeping their distance but seem very curious about the new addition to the troop.
They share that the Great Apes building & the outdoor gorilla habitat are temporarily closed, but the outdoor chimpanzee habitat will remain open. Follow them on Facebook & at detroitzoo.org for updates!
A few weeks back, the Port Huron News-Herald reported that the town of Marysville, Michigan has banned a long list of animals as pets including badgers, cougars, coyotes, kangaroos, pheasants, and even tigers. Apologies for the delay in reporting & please adjust your pet plans accordingly. 😉
Joe took this photo at the Detroit Zoo back in 2010 & shares that this tiger wanted to play badly, but his mate was definitely NOT interested. Shot through the trees which explains the out of focus branches running through the foreground. Head over to his Flickr for more.
Michigan in Pictures 