x
Breaking News
More () »

Rare African bontebok antelope calf makes debut at Oregon Zoo

Once numbering as few as 17 around the world, there are now about 3,000 bontebok antelopes on the planet, including this one just born in Oregon.

A rare African bontebok antelope calf born on February 2 made her public debut at Oregon Zoo on Thursday. The calf named Tutula bounded about its zoo enclosure in the zoo's African Savannah area under the watchful eye of her mother, Winter.

Zookeepers were initially concerned about Tutula's survival because she wasn't nursing, but supplemental bottle feeding helped her gain enough strength to return to her mother.

Tutula now weights 50 pounds.

Bonteboks were once one of the most endangered animals on the planet, with only 17 known to exist in 1837. But, Oregon Zoo says, sympathetic farmers enclosed the herd on their property, allowing the species to survive.

Today the bontebok population is estimated to be around 2,500 to 3,000.

Before You Leave, Check This Out