Animal world Offspring among the okapis and kudus at Basel Zoo
The newborn okapi Vijana at Basel Zoo.
Image: Keystone
Another offspring among the little kudus: Vitu was born at Basel Zoo on Friday.
Image: Keystone
The newborn okapi Vijana at Basel Zoo.
Image: Keystone
Another offspring among the little kudus: Vitu was born at Basel Zoo on Friday.
Image: Keystone
Last week, two baby animals were born in the antelope house at Basel Zoo. On the Sunday before last, a female okapi saw the light of day, and on the following Friday a baby kudu buck was born.
However, anyone wanting to see the two will have to wait a little longer: The antelope house will remain temporarily closed for the next few days, as the zoo announced on Monday.
Both okapis (forest giraffes) and the antelope species lesser kudu are so-called lurkers. The young hide in a safe place after birth. The mother only visits it every few hours to suckle and groom it. The two babies in the antelope house also often lie hidden in the straw and sleep a lot. This is also the reason why visitors will not get to see Vijana and Vitu until later, according to the press release.
Highly endangered species
The okapi girl named Vijana is the fourth litter of mother Ebony. The forest giraffe species is critically endangered. Although it is protected, the population is in sharp decline due to deforestation, poaching and mining. Basel Zoo has therefore been supporting the "Okapi Conservation Project" in the Democratic Republic of Congo for over 30 years, according to a statement.
For the second time this year, a cub was born to the lesser kudu. The little kudu buck is called Vitu and is the twelfth offspring of the mother, Jina. His father Leopold had to be euthanized in July of this year. After a claw treatment, the ten-year-old kudu buck could no longer stand up. He had irreversibly dislocated his hip, according to the zoo. The group of lesser kudus currently consists of nine animals.
SDA
