NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 25, 2005

Baby Wildebeest Born at Zoo

A baby wildebeest was born Tuesday at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.

The mother gave birth unassisted on the African Veldt exhibit around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. The sex of the baby is unknown. This is the first wildebeest birth at the zoo in more than a decade.

“The baby seems healthy and strong,” says Animal Curator Mark Weldon. Just like its wild counterparts, the baby was able to stand and walk within just minutes of birth. Zoo visitors can view the baby wildebeest with the rest of the herd on the African Veldt exhibit.

Wildebeest are large antelope native to the grasslands of eastern Africa. They can weigh 350 – 600 pounds as adults.

A second female wildebeest gave birth on the veldt yesterday, but the calf was stillborn.

Another pregnant zoo wildebeest is expected to deliver her baby within a few weeks.

It is not unusual for female wildebeest to give birth within a few weeks of each other. In the wild, thousands of females give birth in a two or three week period. The births are timed to correlate with the onset of the rainy season, ensuring a plentiful supply of grass for the mothers to eat.

The new mother was among the wildebeest that escaped the zoo in October 2004 and recaptured in a nearby neighborhood.

The zoo is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 9. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children age 2-14 and for seniors over age 60. Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.

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