An endangered Addax antelope was born at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, and more are on the way.
There are only about 200 Addax living in captivity and 300 left in the wild, according to a Brookfield Zoo press release. The male baby calf weighed 19 pounds at birth. He was born in front of a zoo visitor audience who got to see the calf's first moments of life.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Addax Species Survival Plan (SSP) paired up the calf's Mom and Dad: Sara, 4; and Winston, 11. The SSP breeds Addax living in captivity in order to maintain a "healthy, self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable."
Brookfield Zoo has housed Addax antelope since 1935 and 141 calves have been born there, this particular calf is crucial to the survival of the species. About two thirds of the wild Addax population live in Niger. The species once had a large, thriving species, now only a few can be found in countries like Chad and Mauritania.
Addax are extremely well-adapted to the desert, they have wide hooves that allow them to walk on loose sand. Having shorter legs than most antelope, allows them to have a low center of gravity, keeping them steady.
The antelope are able to survive on very little water, they get most of the moisture they need from dew and small bits of sap from vegetation. If the Addax can't find these things for a while they don't have to worry, plenty of water is stored in their body fat.
Possibly the most impressive part of the Addax is their huge antlers. The large appendages can grow up to three feet long. The other three Addax at the zoo are: "Martha, 13; Mali, 5; and Mona, 15."
All three of them are expecting females, and should be giving birth this summer.
WATCH:
