Rare bontebok antelope born at Oregon Zoo
WeirdNews
The zoo said the calf was born April 1 to Winter.
OREGON (Web Desk) - The Oregon Zoo announced the birth of a rare African bontebok calf, an arrival that was welcomed as a sign of the antelope species' dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction.
The zoo said the calf was born April 1 to Winter, an 8-year-old bontebok living in the Africa savanna area of the zoo.
"This cute little guy is living proof of the impact people can have if we work together for wildlife," Kelly Gomez, who oversees the zoo's Africa section, said in a news release. "A couple hundred years ago, there were only 17 bontebok left on the planet, and the species was headed for almost certain extinction."
The global bontebok population is estimated to be around 2,500 to 3,000 today, a vast improvement from the 17 living when the first preserve for the species was established in 1837.
"It's an incredible conservation story," Gomez said. "And hopefully, we can inspire more successes like this for the future."
