Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens welcomes baby bongo

Jacksonville, FL — Just in time for the new year, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has welcomed a new addition to their family.

An Eastern bongo calf was born December 28th, and- after being cleared in her neonatal exam- the baby is already on exhibit.

The Zoo says the bongo feeds in to their Bongo Species Survival Plan, which is a cooperative breeding program between accredited zoos. The species is native to the mountains and tropical forests of sub-Saharan Africa, and it is critically endangered because of a loss of habitat, due to logging.

The baby, her mother 18-year-old Molly, her father 10-year-old Tambo, her half-sister, and her aunt are all on exhibit, which is an enclosure they share with two yellow-backed duikers.

If you want to see the baby out on exhibit, you can buy an adult ticket to the Zoo and get a children’s admission for free on weekdays through January.