Maryland Zoo Announces Birth Of Male Blue Duiker
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore announced the birth of a male blue duiker Wednesday.
The tiny calf was born to 3-year-old Flower on June 17. The calf weighed 12 ounces at birth, about the same weight as a can of soup.
"Flower and the baby are housed behind-the-scenes in our Africa Barn," said Erin Cantwell, mammal collection and conservation manager. "The baby is nursing well and gaining weight, and Flower is very protective and patient."
Blue duiker is a species of antelope found in the forest of western, southern and eastern Africa.
They normally weigh seven to 20 pounds.
"While they are currently not classified as threatened or endangered, their population is affected by over-hunting and loss of habitat," the zoo said. "The duiker gets its name from the Afrikaans word 'duiker' which means to dive, which relates to the animal's habit of ducking away into bushes when danger threatens."
The birth was a result of breeding recommendations from the Blue Duiker Species Survival Plan and was coordinating by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
