Endangered baby bongo born at UK safari park
Check out these pictures of an adorable baby bongo who was born at Worburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire earlier this month. The currently unnamed male calf has been seen dashing around its outdoor enclosure despite needing special treatment on his hips and rear legs shortly after birth. The physiotherapy seems to have worked well and the new calf is now said to be integrating with the rest of the herd. Under the overall care of the keepers at Woburn, the newborn is being fed and looked after by his mother Odongo and his father Sonny.
The eastern mountain bongo's birth is great news for the species as it is classified as as critically endangered. Breeding programmes in zoos and safari parks like Woburn are said to be playing a key role in conservation efforts.Another male calf was born last October - they named him Djembe. He is the new calf's cousin as their mothers are twin sisters.Keepers have said the two youngsters have already formed a bond with nose-to-nose greetings.Woburn's head of section Tom Robson said that after a six-year breeding gap "two healthy calves were born within months of each other, marking a major success" for the team."As a critically endangered species, every birth plays a vital role in securing the future of these beautiful animals."Odongo has embraced motherhood beautifully, it's just wonderful to see her offering her newborn the strongest possible start in life."
What is a bongo?
Bongos are a large species of African forest antelope, and are found in tropical forests and bamboo forests of Kenya.They stand out from other antelope species due to their distinctive stripes. An adult usually has between 10 and 16 stripes and most have a black belly. Males tend to have darker coats than females. They are vegetarian, eating mainly leaf tips, shoots, roots and the vines of a wide variety of other plants including bamboo, cassava and even sweet potato when in captivity. In the wild, their main threat is poaching - humans illegally hunt them for food and thier skins. Other predators include lions, pythons, leopards and hyenas.It is estimated that there are less than 100 bongos currently living in the wild.
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