COLUMBUS – The first three animals born in 2023 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium were endangered dama gazelles, the rarest of all gazelles.
The first arrival in the zoo’s Heart of Africa region of the year was a female calf born on January 21 to first-time mother, Kix, followed by another female on Jan. 31 and a male calf on Feb. 7. All are thriving, thanks to support provided by the zoo’s care team.
“While the dama can weigh up to 165 pounds and is the largest of all gazelle species, the small calves sometimes require additional care and medical attention when they’re first born,” Heart of Africa curator Shannon Borders said.
The three calves have not been named yet.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, dama gazelles are critically endangered, with fewer than 300 remaining in their native range in Chad, Mali and Niger.