Bouncing baby bongo born at Jacksonville Zoo; third calf of endangered species since June
The newest member of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens' herd of critically endangered eastern bongo recently arrived, the third such calf born locally since June.
About 48 pounds at birth, the as-yet unnamed male bongo was born on April 20 to mother Shimba and father Mickey. The calf is slowly being introduced to the herd and likely will be out on habitat as much as possible over the next few weeks, according to the zoo.
"He is continuing to nurse and grow well," senior mammal care specialist Charley Shepherd said.
The eastern bongo is part of the forest antelope family native to Kenya. Because of habitat loss, illegal logging and poaching, only 47 to 140 are estimated to be left in their natural habitat, zoo officials said.
The new calf is the second born to Shimba and the third to Mickey, currently the zoo's sole breeding male. He arrived in 2019 based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.
"As of last year when we got breeding recommendations again, our females were still recommended to breed with Mickey, so he stayed here to continue breeding and producing offspring," Shepherd said. "It is typical to have only one breeding male because they will fight and spar with one another for access to females. He and the girls live together 24/7 along with a few calves that have grown up here over the last two years."
Since 2009, 27 bongos have been born at the Jacksonville Zoo, with many of them relocated since to other facilities. The zoo's current bongo herd has seven members. None is likely to be released into the wild, at least in the short term, Shepherd said.
"There could be plans in the future to do so, but as of right now, there are facilities in other parts of the country that hope to do this," she said. The Loxahatchee-based Rare Species Conservatory Foundation "has a large bongo herd, she said, and may "send individuals to Africa to be introduced to the wild population, but that can be a long process."
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The name for the new calf will probably come from a donor, she said.
Two bongo calves were born at the zoo in 2023, females Mojo in August and Kimani in June. Both were sired by Mickey, but have different mothers.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Zoo has third endangered bongo calf born since June
