Posted March 21, 2023 in New Arrivals
With Spring almost sprung, Colchester Zoo has welcomed to the world a new arrival – a very sweet Kirk’s Dik-dik calf!
On 16th February 2023, female Kirk’s Dik-dik, Daenerys, gave birth to a healthy female calf. The Animal Care Team have since named the newborn ‘Daffodil’, a perfectly fitting name with the spring season just around the corner!
Daenerys is an experienced mother with this newborn being her seventh offspring to date! After a successful birth, the young calf started to find its feet, trying to stand, and following mum so that it could suckle.
The Kirk’s Dik-dik is one of the smallest members of the antelope family, measuring a maximum of 45cm high at the shoulder with a maximum body length of just 80cm! This species comes from eastern and southwest Africa and likes to eat shoots, twigs, leaves, fruit, and flowers. In the wild, they are so well adapted to the conditions of the African bush that they do not need to drink. Instead, they get all the water they need from the plants they eat! On the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Kirk’s Dik-dik is classes as ‘Least Concern’.
On your next visit, do stop by Edge of Africa to see if you can spot the family of Kirk’s Dik-dik here at Colchester Zoo.
