Photo: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo is welcoming two new baby animals. A male zebra foal was born March 11th. It's name is Dakota. The Zoo says a male addax
(antelope) calf was born April 5th. It's name is Perkins, in honor of students from Perkins Elementary School that witnessed the birth of the calf while on a field trip to the Blank Park Zoo. Perkins weighed 11-pounds at birth and has doubled in size since then. Both new zoo babies are now available for viewing.
“Dakota is quirky and independent, often found exploring without mom,” said Kayla Freeman, supervisor of large mammals.
“Addax are functionally extinct in the wild and zoos hope to one day reintroduce the addax back to their natural habitat and every addax birth helps us get one step closer to that goal,” said Anne Shimerdla, president and CEO of Blank Park Zoo.
Photo: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo