Virginia Zoo Keepers are delighted to share the birth of a new baby bongo Friday morning. The calf, a male, was born to mom Betty on Friday, March 23, 2018.
NORFOLK, VA: Virginia Zoo Keepers are delighted to share the birth of a new baby bongo Friday morning. The calf, a male, was born to mom Betty on Friday, March 23, 2018.
He weighed 50 pounds at birth, and is the sixth offspring for Betty and second for father, Bob. The calf joins parents, two adult female bongos and Joy, the female calf who was born on December 25, 2017. Betty and new baby are out on exhibit with the rest of the herd and can be seen in their exhibit in the Africa – Okavango Delta at various times throughout the day, depending on weather conditions and their activity levels.
The Zoo is asking for your help to name the male calf! Zoo Keepers have selected 4 names, Blarney, Bugs, Buster and Baxter, and you can vote for your favorite on the Zoo’s Facebook, facebook.com/thevirginiazoo. Voting ends Tuesday, March 27 at 3 pm.
About Bongos
Bongo are large-bodied, relatively short-legged antelope with long spiraling horns that make one complete twist from base to tip. In general, the bongo inhabits lowland forest for most of its range; the subspecies in Kenya lives in montane forests at (6,560-9,840 feet) altitude. They have a rich chestnut coat that is striped with thin white vertical lines along the sides. The face and legs have patches of black and white, with white chevrons on the breast and below the eyes. Herds are comprised of females and calves, while males are typically more solitary. Females give birth to one calf per year and the gestation period is nine months. Weaning of the calf occurs at about six months.