At the Buffalo Zoo, New Yorkers now have a rare up-close look at a species on the edge of extinction after an addax calf was born.
With only about 100 addax antelope believed to remain in the wild, each healthy birth in conservation care carries added importance.
What happened?
Born on July 4, the calf is the offspring of 4-year-old mother Patricia and 3-year-old father Dune, the Buffalo Zoo said. Officials say the young addax is doing well with its mother and was visible to visitors in the zoo's addax habitat on many mornings starting August 5.
The arrival is a notable one: It is the 25th addax birth at the Buffalo Zoo since 1991, according to the Buffalo Zoo.
Native to North Africa's deserts, addax are antelope known for the white X-shaped marking on their faces. Adults can weigh nearly 250 pounds and survive in arid conditions by feeding on desert grasses.
Why does it matter?
Unfortunately, their numbers in the wild have quickly declined after facing a multitude of threats. Drought, poaching, and habitat loss linked to oil drilling have all contributed to the species' steep decline.
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Scientists have also found that climate change is disproportionately affecting these animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature now classifies the addax as critically endangered, and the Buffalo Zoo says the wild population is down to roughly 100 animals.
In that context, every successful birth in a managed conservation program becomes especially significant.
What's being done?
The Buffalo Zoo said Patricia and Dune arrived in Buffalo through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, a coordinated breeding program intended to maintain genetically healthy populations of endangered animals in human care.
While breeding programs cannot replace habitat protection, they can help buy time, preserve genetic diversity, and raise awareness as larger recovery efforts move forward.
"This addax birth marks an extraordinary feat of conservation, helping save a critically endangered species from extinction," Buffalo Zoo President and CEO Lisa Smith said in the zoo's press release on the birth, adding, "The Buffalo Zoo is proud to have such a successful history of addax breeding, and this calf will serve as an integral ambassador for their wild counterparts."
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