AssetID: 53001756
Headline: Chicago's Brookfield Zoo's Nyala Calf Welcomes Adorable Baby Brother
Caption: **RAW VIDEO** For the second time in under a year, Brookfield Zoo’s nyalas—Zola and Hamilton—are parents! Their latest calf was born on Tuesday (29August2023) in the antelopes’ outdoor habitat. The 14-pound male calf joins his mum, and other members of the herd include Zola’s two other offspring, nearly three-year-old Leah and nine-month-old Zuri. The pairing of four-year-old Zola and three-year-old Hamilton was based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP). These plans manage the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Currently, there are nearly 100 nyalas in 16 accredited North American zoos. The nyala is one of the most sexually dimorphic antelopes in the world, meaning the males and females differ in appearance. The male, which is twice the size as the female, has a shaggy dark brown to slate gray coat with diminished body stripes, long hairs along its underparts, and a mane of thick black long hairs. Whereas, the female nyala is rust brown in color with distinctive vertical white markings. The male calf at Brookfield Zoo won’t get his adult coloring until he is 10 to 14 months old. Also, only the male has the impressive yellow-tipped spiraled horns that can grow to between 2½ to nearly 3 feet long. Native to southeastern Africa, the shy and cautious medium-sized antelope, lives in dense thickets, forests, and open-thicket woodlands in Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the nyala population is stable and is listed as “least concern.” However, the species still has threats, including habitat loss due to agriculture and cattle grazing and hunting.
Keywords: nyala,chicago,animals,natural world,brookfield zoo,calf,cute,feature,photo,video
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