ZooParc celebrates birth of mhorrgazelles, crested grouse and hammerhead cubs

Two mhorrgazelles were born in ZooParc. This species is highly endangered in the wild: there are only about 250 left. With the birth of these animals, the zoo contributes to the preservation of this species. In addition, a tufted grouse and four hammerhead cubs were also born in the Overloon park.

The mhorrgazelles, two males, were born last week: two females gave birth to 1 young each. They are the first healthy calves since the arrival of this species at the Overloon Zoo in 2022. It is also the first time that a crested fowl coot has hatched in ZooParc.

Important
Head zookeeper Steven van den Heuvel is very happy with the arrival of this boy. "Mhorrgazelles have a hard time in the wild, which is why it is important that we as zoos work to maintain a good reserve population. We do this through the management program, in which over 300 zoos in Europe cooperate. It is very nice that in this way we can contribute to maintaining a stable reserve population in zoos and also support conservation projects in the wild."

The next few weeks will remain exciting for a while, Van den Heuvel points out. "It's the first time the mhorrgazelle females are becoming mothers. Then it is always to be seen if they pick it up well, but so far they are doing super well."

Rescue
The mhorrgazelle is one of the subspecies of damagazelles, the largest among the gazelles. Originally, these gazelles lived mainly in Morocco, Senegal and Sudan. They are shy animals and are mostly found in open and dry areas, such as on the Sahara Desert. They migrate a lot in these areas to get enough food.

Half a century ago, mhorrgazelles nearly became extinct because they were hunted by poachers. Spanish army captain and photographer José Antonio Valverde came across the species during his research trip in Africa. He set up a rescue operation in 1971. Today, thanks to the European management program, there are several hundred animals again, spread over 27 zoos in Europe, two special centers in Spain and the United Arab Emirates, and some areas in the wild.

Crested Grouse
The crested coot is related to ducks and geese. These animals, found in Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia, among others, can swim well, but their feet do not have such large flippers as their distant cousins. They prefer to walk on the ground. They eat seeds, leaves and roots of plants.

The hamerkop is a water bird native to rivers, swamps and lakes in Africa. Pairs stay together throughout their lives. They build a very large nest consisting of tens of thousands of twigs. They are strong enough to support the weight of a human being.

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