Houston Zoo Welcomes Greater Kudu Baby
September 13, 2011
This big eared baby kudu was born on Agust 31 in The African Forest at the Houston Zoo. She weighed approximately 15.9 kilos ( 35 pounds) at birth. Her keepers say, "She is bright eyed and quite curious - she's always looking around."
Gestation for Greater kudu is about 9 mo. Her mother, Clementine, has proven to be very good with her baby. "The birth was easy. It started in the afternoon and was all of two hours. And the baby nursed right away," the keeper continued. "The calf is doing well and being slowly introduced to the rest of her herd - dad Alfonzo and female Charlotte and her offspring Apollo".
She has yet to be named. The kudu share the habitat with a trio of Southern White rhinos in The African Forest. The newest member of the kudu family will be out in the exhibit after introductions to the rhinos occur.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo
You can view a full photo album on the Houston Zoo's website.
Greater kudu are most prevalent in the woodlands and thickets of southern Africa but also occur in smaller numbers in East Africa. Strictly herbivores, greater kudu feed on leaves, herbs, fruits, vines, flowers, and grasses. Here at the Zoo, our animals receive a nutritionally balanced diet of hay, produce, freshly cut leaves, and a compressed alfalfa pellet with added vitamins and minerals. In the wild, greater kudu may serve as prey for some of their carnivorous neighbors, such as lions, leopards, wild dogs, and spotted hyenas. These antelope have also been hunted by humans as a source of meat and also for trophies because of their impressive horns. Greater kudu are not currently endangered in the wild but their conservation status is routinely monitored to ensure they continue to thrive. Greater kudu are fairly common in zoos and adapt well to that environment.