The Virginia Zoo welcomed two new babies for Christmas!
Two Eastern bongos showed signs of being in labor around the same time. Juni, a 12 and a half-year-old bongo, gave birth to a male calf on December 26.
The calf, who zookeepers have named Johnny, weighs 44 pounds and stands about 2 feet tall. He is the eighth offspring for momma Juni and a third for his father, Bob.
Last year, Bob and Juni had a baby bongo named Joy on Christmas Eve!
The second bongo in labor was 3-year-old Jesi. She started to show signs of labor on Wednesday. In about an hour, zookeepers noticed that Jesi was having problems.
The Zoo’s Animal Care Team decided that a Cesarean section was the safest option for both mom and calf. Jesi and her female calf, who is being called Charlie, made it through surgery.
“Jesi had some complications since her C-section, but for now, she is stable and we are continuing to watch her closely,” said Colleen Clabbers, the Virginia Zoo’s Veterinarian in the Zoo's blog. “The calf appears strong and has been eager to take a bottle. Even though the first month is a critical time for her, we are hopeful that she will continue to thrive under our care.”
Due to the c-section, Jesi is unable to care for Charlie. Zookeepers have stepped in to hand-raise the calf. According to the zoo, the first month of life is the most critical. Zookeepers are carefully monitoring Charlie as she grows.
Charlie weighs 48 pounds and stands at about 2 feet tall.
The Zoo's bongo herd is now up to eight in the Africa – Okavango Delta. the calves are not on exhibit yet.
According to the zoo, Bongos can grow 4 to 5 feet tall. The average male weighs 650 lbs and the average female weighs 530 lbs. The Eastern bongo species is critically endangered. The biggest threat to bongo populations is habitat destruction.
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