GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — John Ball Zoo is welcoming a new member to the family! On Wednesday, the zoo announced the birth of an eastern mountain bongo.
The baby, who is yet to be named, was born on Aug. 13 around 10:30 p.m. He weighed 49 pounds and zoo officials say he's healthy. For now, he will be adjusting indoors with his mother, Carrot, and the zoo's other female eastern bongo, Penny.
Eastern mountain bongos are listed as being critically endangered, with fewer than 100 estimated to be living in the wild. Their population decline is partially attributed to poaching, trapping and habitat destruction.
John Ball Zoo welcomes baby eastern bongo
The zoo is working to grow the eastern mountain bongo population.
"At John Ball Zoo, we participate in a species survival plan (SSP) for eastern mountain bongos," reads a post on the zoo's Facebook page. "SSPs are just one of many focused conservation efforts that have put in place over the last few decades to help protect the species."
In the past, captive bongos have been reintroduced to the wild to help these efforts.
For more information on John Ball Zoo or their conservation efforts, click here.
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