The first baby of a tiny African antelope species has arrived at the Chattanooga Zoo, according to a news release.
The Zoo’s female blue duiker, Poppy, gave birth Tuesday night to a calf weighing a pound – the same size as a can of soup – which is normal for the species. Full-grown adults typically weigh 10-20 pounds.
The calf is doing “extremely well” and is alert, successfully nursing and exploring its habitat with Poppy and father Branch. Its weight, length and gender will be determined during a veterinary exam, the release states.
An official name for the calf has not yet been given.
“It’s always an incredible thing to see the birth of a new zoo resident,” General Curator Lacey Hickle said in the release. “To know that the cute face you see represents conservation work being done is both moving and motivating.”