Como Park Zoo & Conservatory announced the birth of its first nyala calf in a Facebook post Tuesday, welcoming the female antelope now on display with her family.
The calf, which has yet to be named, weighs just over 8 pounds, was standing within 35 minutes of her birth and is now basking in visitors' "oohs and aahs," the St. Paul zoo said in its post.
She was born Jan. 6 to mother Stevie and father Stanley. Photos showed the calf, with white stripes along her sides, receiving affection from her mother.
Nyalas are an antelope, native to southern Africa, with males that grow spiral-shaped horns. The species' endangerment status is listed at the level of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The calf's parents were brought to the zoo in 2023 on a species survival plan breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The plan "identifies population goals and recommendations to manage a genetically diverse, demographically varied and biologically sound population," according to the association's website.
The plan can change from year to year, said zoo spokesman Matt Reinartz. The association makes recommendations for when a pair of animals should mate and whether more should be born, but there's not an ultimate goal for the total number of offspring, he said.
"It's like a big Rubik's Cube behind the scenes with zoos, what animals get paired up with what animals, and when they're allowed to breed and not," he said. "That's to keep the genetic lines clean, and prevent overpopulation or underpopulation."
