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A Michigan zoo is celebrating a new addition – a rare, critically endangered one, at that.
Calling the animal “one of the most majestic and endangered members of the antelope family,” the Potter Park Zoo welcomed a female eastern bongo calf on March 5.
This is the second time an eastern bongo was born at the zoo since 2014. It’s the zoo’s fifth overall, the zoo said on its website.
Staff at the zoo in Lansing said the calf is healthy and putting on weight. For now, she’s indoors with her mother but the zoo plans to update social media users when she’s able to go outside.
“Bongo are critically endangered, so each birth is special. The calf appears healthy and the mother has raised calves successfully in the past,” said the zoo’s Director of Animal Health Dr. Ronan Eustace in a news release.
The zoo offered social media users a glimpse at the calf as well, posting footage and photos of the calf.
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More on eastern bongos
Eastern bongos, also called mountain bongos, are found in Kenya and are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
They can be up to 4 feet tall and over 8 feet in length, the zoo said. Both males and females have long, spiraling horns.
There are around 100 eastern bongos left in the wild. They are often sought by hunters and poachers for their horns and orange coloring, the zoo said.
“With approximately 300 eastern bongos residing in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums … across the nation, captive breeding programs like the one at Potter Park Zoo play an essential role in preventing their extinction,” the zoo said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757 – and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
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