Marwell Zoo: The zoo has welcomed the birth of a critically endangered addax - here are six photos

On March 15, Amelie, the critically endangered addax, went into labour, and shortly after 12:30pm in the zoo’s Arid Lands exhibit a male calf was born.

Zoo visitors were able to watch the birth through the viewing window and although the new arrival has not been named it is reported that he is feeding well having found his feet shortly after he was born.

In the wild, addax have been hunted to near extinction, with their meat, horns and hide prized by hunters and their habitat eroded as a result of oil exploration and cattle farming.

They are now listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that it is illegal to trade the animal or any of its body parts.

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It’s thought there are only 30 to 90 mature individuals left in the wild with numbers continuing to decrease, and this is Amelie’s second calf since she arrived at Marwell Zoo in 2020.

Both of the births are significant to the species to ensure that they survive in the future.

Whilst the new arrival and its mother bond, we would ask guests to be particularly quiet in this building and please do not tap the glass.