And the baby makes four: Zoo has newborn wildebeest

[Ian David]

By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent | July 29, 2007

A wildebeest born Thursday afternoon in the Franklin Park Zoo has already had an eventful few days. The calf was born in full view of a crowd of visitors gathered outside the wildebeest exhibit, zoo officials said.

And yesterday morning, before the zoo opened, the unnamed newborn became separated from its mother while entering the exhibit, causing zoo employees to swoop in and determine the animal's sex and weight in a 5-minute exam.

The results? A healthy female, tipping the scales at about 40 pounds, said David Hirschberg of Zoo New England.

The zoo is now home to four wildebeests: the calf; its mother, Juanita; and two adult males.



Watched by an ibex, the 40-pound newborn nursed from Juanita, a white-bearded wildebeest. The newborn joins her mother and two male wildebeests at the zoo. (George Rizer/ Globe Staff)

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