News comes from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge that a baby Addax, a rare species of African antelope, has been born at the resort.
The Details
Mom Lavender delivered her third calf, a baby girl, a little earlier than the Disney animal care team expected, but the calf is healthy and the new duo is already bonding on the savanna.
Lavender has given birth to two other addax calves, the most recent in October 2022.
About the Animal
The baby is a member of the addax family, also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, and it is native to the Sahara Desert.
Once widespread across North Africa, the addax population has been severely reduced due to over-hunting and long periods of drought. It is now only currently native to the countries of Chad, Mauritania, and Niger.
The animal is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment team says births like these are made possible thanks to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, ensuring the responsible breeding of animals in managed care like the critically endangered addax.
