Published 9/26/2007By Rachel Davis
-->
The Lee Richardson Zoo welcomed a rare new addition to its African Plains yard Saturday -- a baby addax.
Kathy Sexson, director of the zoo, said addax are a critically endangered species in the wild.
She said between 50 and 200 addax survive today with the majority of them found in Niger, Africa.
The zoo baby weighs 17 pounds, which is six pounds larger than normal, but is healthy.
Sexson said the mother was brought to the zoo in November 2006 and the father, a month later.
She said the gestation period is nine months, so the breeding more than likely took place in December.¬
Native to the Sahara Desert, addax are well adapted to the extremes of the desert environment.¬
They survive on the sparse vegetation that appears after rare rainfall, and can survive for weeks or months without actually drinking water.¬
Sexson said their body temperature increases several degrees during the heat of the day to delay sweating, thereby reducing water loss. Broad hooves support their stocky bodies while walking on soft sand.¬
She said the birth of the male calf was the result of a breeding recommendation by the Addax Species Survival Plan (SSP).¬
SSP's coordinated efforts for captive breeding among accredited zoos for rare and endangered species, with the captive populations, serve as a hedge against extinction. These cooperative programs involve zoos from around the globe, with the goal of maintaining healthy, genetically diverse captive populations.¬
Sexson said the calf's mother is on loan from the St. Louis Zoo and the male was donated by the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The baby is the fourth addax at the zoo. ¬
Sexson said the family is on public display in the west side of the African Plains yard.
The extra male addax also is on public display in the former zebra yard.¬
-->
The Lee Richardson Zoo welcomed a rare new addition to its African Plains yard Saturday -- a baby addax.
Kathy Sexson, director of the zoo, said addax are a critically endangered species in the wild.
She said between 50 and 200 addax survive today with the majority of them found in Niger, Africa.
The zoo baby weighs 17 pounds, which is six pounds larger than normal, but is healthy.
Sexson said the mother was brought to the zoo in November 2006 and the father, a month later.
She said the gestation period is nine months, so the breeding more than likely took place in December.¬
Native to the Sahara Desert, addax are well adapted to the extremes of the desert environment.¬
They survive on the sparse vegetation that appears after rare rainfall, and can survive for weeks or months without actually drinking water.¬
Sexson said their body temperature increases several degrees during the heat of the day to delay sweating, thereby reducing water loss. Broad hooves support their stocky bodies while walking on soft sand.¬
She said the birth of the male calf was the result of a breeding recommendation by the Addax Species Survival Plan (SSP).¬
SSP's coordinated efforts for captive breeding among accredited zoos for rare and endangered species, with the captive populations, serve as a hedge against extinction. These cooperative programs involve zoos from around the globe, with the goal of maintaining healthy, genetically diverse captive populations.¬
Sexson said the calf's mother is on loan from the St. Louis Zoo and the male was donated by the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The baby is the fourth addax at the zoo. ¬
Sexson said the family is on public display in the west side of the African Plains yard.
The extra male addax also is on public display in the former zebra yard.¬
