The zoo celebrates the birth of the critically endangered Eastern Bongo species.

This adorable newborn is a great sign of hope for this critically endangered species.

It’s always a special day at the zoo when a new animal is born, especially when they’re part of an endangered species. Each new reproduction is an important step in ensuring the future survival of the species.

Now, a zoo is celebrating the birth of an adorable Oriental bongo, a critically endangered species. Potter Park Zoo, in Lansing, Michigan, recently announced that a female eastern bongo was born at the zoo on March 5 to a mother named Uzuri. The newborn calf is the fifth eastern bongo born in the zoo’s history and only the second since 2014

The eastern bongo is a species of antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are the third largest antelope in the world, distinguished by their yellow-white stripes and long spiral horns.

This species is listed by the IUCN as critically endangered, threatened in the wild by logging and poaching. There are currently fewer eastern bongos left in the wild than there are in captivity.

Due to their rarity, the zoo said their birth is good news for this highly vulnerable species. “Bongo is critically endangered, so every birth is special,” said Dr. Ronan Eustace, Director of Veterinary Medicine at Potter Park Zoo, in a press release. “The calf appears to be healthy and the mother has successfully nursed calves in the past.”

There are currently about 300 eastern bongos in AZA-accredited zoos in the United States, and Potter Park Zoo says breeding programs like theirs “play an essential role in preventing their extinction ”.

The eastern bongo is a unique and beautiful species. Both female and male eastern bongos develop separate horns, a rarity among antelopes. They also have impressive hearing abilities, the zoo says.

The new arrival could be a bittersweet moment for the zoo, which just endured the loss of one of their oldest eastern bongos, Bella, this week. In a Facebook post, they said that Bella was 14 and a half years old at the time of her death, well beyond the average lifespan of a bongo in human care.

The newborn calf is now bonding with its mother indoors and animal care staff say it is healthy and gaining weight. While she’s behind the scenes, visitors to the zoo will be able to see the newborn in the near future.

They wrote that they hope the exciting news of her birth will “inspire more people to take action to protect and conserve endangered species like the eastern bongo.”

What an adorable newborn eastern bongo and an inspiring sign of hope for this critically endangered species!