'Extinct in wild' antelope calf born at Marwell Zoo

A rare antelope, declared extinct in the wild, has been born at a zoo.

The one-month-old, scimitar-horned oryx calf, named Freya, is "thriving", Hampshire's Marwell Zoo said.

It shares a paddock with its parents, Christina and Tenzi, as well as white rhinos, Grevy's zebra and ostrich.

The zoo is responsible for registering scimitar-horned oryx under human care, and has been instrumental in creating international conservation strategies for the threatened antelopes.

Declared extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2000, the species is reliant on captive breeding and reintroduction efforts for its continued survival.

Conservation biologist Dr Tania Gilbert said: "The scimitar-horned oryx was one of the first species we brought to Marwell Zoo in November 1971.

"Since, we've had 378 births here, making the species one of our biggest success stories in terms of breeding and conservation success."

Since 1985, groups of oryx have been reintroduced into protected areas in Tunisia to re-establish them in their natural habitat.

The reintroductions began with 10 scimitar-horned oryx from Marwell Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo, coordinated by Zoological Society of London.

There are currently almost 300 oryx across five protected areas.

Tim Rowlands, from the zoo - which is currently closed due to coronavirus restrictions, said: "The calves will hide for the first few days, which is why their pelage is sand coloured and replaced with a white coat as they grow."

While Freya is not old enough yet to venture too far on her own, Mr Rowlands said calves are able to run as fast as the adults from as early as 20 days and "she has been enjoying running around in the paddock".

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