CINCINNATI — Cincinnati has welcomed its first zoo baby of the new year.
A yet-to-be-named lesser kudu calf was born Monday morning at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the zoo announced.
The baby, a female, is being provided supportive care by the zoo's neonate staff, after vets and zookeepers observed the interactions between her and her mother, Sabi.
"We didn't see nursing or much interest from first-time mom Sabi, so we stepped in and fed the calf," said Eric Byrd, zoological manager at the Cincinnati Zoo. "We were also able to give the baby plasma that had been collected from her mom and saved when she had a hoof procedure. That will provide passive transfer of antibodies."
While a temporary nursery has been set up in the barn so zoo staff can provide care, the zoo said its goal is to keep the baby with her mom and the rest of the herd.
Byrd said the baby is currently receiving six bottle feedings a day from staff, but she's spending much of her time with Sabi and Sabi's mother, Fjorda.
"The care team gets daily weights, socializes with her and makes sure that she stays safe with the adults," said Byrd.
Sabi herself is a 2-year-old and a first time mother. She and her mother came to the Cincinnati Zoo in April 2023 from the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. The new baby's father, Hobbes, is a 10-year-old who has been living at the Cincinnati zoo since 2017.
Lesser kudu are sexually dimorphic animals, meaning males and females exhibit different physical characteristics. Males typically have a gray-brown hide and horns, while females are more reddish brown and they have no horns.
There is no fixed breeding season for lesser kudu, the zoo said. Births can occur at any time of the year, though pregnancy lasts around seven to eight months and results in the birth of a single calf.
The zoo said it will post updates about Sabi and her new baby on social media moving forward, since the herd will remain behind the scenes at the zoo during the cold months.
Watch Live:
