Posted July 24, 2020 in New Arrivals
Tiny calf is born!
We are pleased to announce that on the 1st July our female Kirk’s dik-dik gave birth to a tiny calf!
Mum Daenerys and dad Demetri have been very attentive over the last few weeks and the youngster is doing well during this early stage. Both mum and dad are experienced parents, having had previous offspring together including last year’s calf Dario. Dario is currently still with us at Colchester Zoo but will be leaving to join another collection soon.
The dik-dik is one of the smallest members of the antelope family measuring a maximum of 45cm high! Our new arrival is already nearly the same size as mum and dad after just a few short weeks. This species has a distinctive prehensile nose which can be moved freely and is used to grasp food when picking leaves and food. Blood is also pumped into the nose through veins, where it is cooled by evaporation, before it is re-circulated to the rest of the body. This is one of the several mechanisms that the dik-dik uses to reduce water loss in its environment.
Kirk’s dik-dik are currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
See if you can spot our new arrival and the rest of the family at the Edge of Africa along with our Crowned Cranes who they share their home with!
