Dublin Zoo welcomes baby scimitar-horned oryx

Dublin Zoo has welcomed the birth of a scimitar-horned oryx, a species classified as extinct in the wild.

The male calf was born on Wednesday and brings the total number of scimitar-horned oryxes at the zoo to seven.

Dublin Zoo houses a breeding group for the species, which is classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as there has been no definitive evidence of their presence in nature since the early 1990s.

Speaking following the birth, team leader at the zoo’s African Plains Helen Clarke-Bennet said: “We are so pleased to welcome our newest addition to the scimitar-horned oryx herd and recognise the impact this birth makes on the conservation efforts being made to protect this species.

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“Both mother and calf are doing extremely well — we are delighted to report he was up and running about just one hour after birth.”

In June, three California sea lion pups were born within two weeks at the zoo, the first California sea lion pups to be born there for six years.

The zoo has approximately 200,000 visitors during the summer months.