The National Zoo announced today a lesser kudu calf was born in late March. Kudu mama Rogue (7) and dad Garrett (10) welcomed the healthy baby boy on March 28. This is the third calf for both parents. Older brothers Kushukuru and Toba were born in January and October of 2019, respectively. The latest addition to the family doesn’t yet have a name that has been made public.
Lesser kudu are antelope-like animals native to semi-arid areas of northeastern Africa. Males grow spiraling horns that can stretch up to three and a half feet long. Listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are roughly 100,000 lesser kudu living in the wild, but that population is decreasing due to habitat loss.
Visitors will be able to see the lesser kudu calf when the Zoo reopens on May 21. Reservations for timed-entry passes will launch on May 14 on the Zoo’s website.
Jane is a Chicago transplant who now calls Cleveland Park her home. Before joining Washingtonian, she wrote for Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and opera.
