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Zoo Welcomes Three Wildebeest Babies

Three baby wildebeest born at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo were introduced to the African Journey exhibit this week.  The calves were born within a four-week span to three different mothers in our wildebeest herd.

The babies were born July 25, July 30, and August 17 to females Sophia, Chiquita, and Maria.  Diablo, our male wildebeest, is the father of all three babies.  This is the second time this group of wildebeest has produced babies since their arrival in 2001.  Two of the babies are males; one is a female.

A herd of five zebras normally shares the four-acre savannah exhibit with the wildebeest.  Now that the wildebeest calves are on the savannah, the zebras have been moved to their barn for several weeks.  This temporary measure gives the calves time to get accustomed to the exhibit with out interference form curious zebras.

The wildebeest calves are the third, fourth, and fifth babies to be born in the African Journey, which opened this summer.  The first, a swamp monkey, was born in January before the exhibit opened.  The second, a sitatunga (marsh antelope), was born July 14.

In the wild, wildebeest are constantly on the move as they migrate across the African plains searching for tender grasses.  Baby wildebeest stand and walk within an hour of birth and grow quickly so they can keep up with their migrating mothers.

The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is one of the area's major attractions and was recently named one of the country's "Ten Best Zoos for Kids" by Parents magazine.

The zoo is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from until October 11.  Admission is $12.00 for adults, $8.00 for children age 2-14 and $10.00 for seniors over age 60.  Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.

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