Current:Home > MyA critically endangered newborn addax now calls Disney's Animal Kingdom home: Watch video-LoTradeCoin
A critically endangered newborn addax now calls Disney's Animal Kingdom home: Watch video
View Date:2024-12-24 10:23:57
An addax, a critically endangered animal, at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge just gave birth to her first calf just in time to celebrate Mother's Day.
Juniper was born in 2021, but when her mother passed away during the birth due to complications, keepers and animal care experts stepped in to provide her with the care she needed, according to a press release Walt Disney World Resort sent to USA TODAY.
Now, the 2-year-old is a first-time mom, and her calf, Julien, will be joining the herd at Animal Kingdom Lodge soon.
"Both Juniper and Julien have been nursing, nuzzling and bonding in a backstage area ahead of Julien’s debut on the savanna," states the press release.
'He just wanted to be loved':Video of happy giraffe after chiropractor visit has people swooning
Addaxs are a rare sight
Currently, there is an estimate of less than 100 addax in the wild. The critically endangered species is on "the brink of extinction," states the press release.
According to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the animal faces many threats, including:
- Drought
- Hunting
- Habitat loss from agricultural expansion and oil drilling
Their non-aggressive nature around humans also makes them easy targets for poachers, states the institute.
They are so rare that the lodge Juniper calls home is one of the only places folks can see the animal outside of Africa, said representatives from Walt Disney World in a statement.
What is an addax?
Addax are antelopes that are stocky, short and have slender legs, states the Smithsonian. The shy animal also has horns that curve and protrude out of the top of its head.
The desert creatures barely need to drink water and have a pale coat that reflects the sun, which keeps them cool in extreme heat, which helps them survive and live in their natural habitat, the Sahara Desert, one of the harshest regions on the planet.
veryGood! (57927)
Related
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- Majority-Black school districts have far less money to invest in buildings — and students are feeling the impact
- Rubiales arrives at Spanish court to be questioned over his kiss of player at Women’s World Cup
- Belgium requires a controversial class program. Now schools are burning and the country is worried
- Drone footage captures scope of damage, destruction from deadly Louisville explosion
- Donald Trump’s last-minute legal challenge could disrupt New York fraud trial
- Hurricane Lee on path for New England and Canada with Category 1 storm expected to be large and dangerous
- Rubiales arrives at Spanish court to be questioned over his kiss of player at Women’s World Cup
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul stirs debate: Is this a legitimate fight?
- Protecting Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffett, Bama and the Fight to Save the Manatee
Ranking
- Police capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway
- Americans sharply divided over whether Biden acted wrongly in son’s businesses, AP-NORC poll shows
- Horoscopes Today, September 14, 2023
- Missing plane found in southern Michigan with pilot dead at crash site
- Wildfire map: Thousands of acres burn near New Jersey-New York border; 1 firefighter dead
- Death toll soars to 11,300 from flooding in Libyan coastal city of Derna
- Lemur on the loose! Video shows police chasing critter that escaped in Missouri
- Why There's No Easy Fix for Prince Harry and Prince William's Relationship
Recommendation
-
McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
-
Arkansas officials say person dies after brain-eating amoeba infection, likely exposed at splash pad
-
Cyberattacks strike casino giants Caesars and MGM
-
Ohio parents demand answers after video shows school worker hitting 3-year-old boy
-
The boy was found in a ditch in Wisconsin in 1959. He was identified 65 years later.
-
Thailand’s opposition Move Forward party to pick new leader as its embattled chief steps down
-
Lahaina residents and business owners can take supervised visits to properties later this month
-
Boston doctor charged with masturbating and exposing himself to 14-year-old girl on airplane