The Houston Zoo welcomed the arrival of a baby giant on October 11.  A baby Giant Eland, that is. Mom Dorothy gave birth to an as yet unnamed male calf between noon and 1 p.m. on Monday, October 11.  The calf was standing on his own at 1:30 and was nursing 10 minutes later.  He weighed 60 pounds at birth.

Photo credits: Stephanie Adams

Dorothy and the calf may be seen on exhibit daily, but you may have to look for the little guy.  In the wild, giant eland hide their offspring in tall grass or woods to protect them from predators and return from grazing to feed the baby during the day.  Dorothy’s care of her babies at the Houston Zoo is no different than that of her counterparts in the wild.
 
The largest species of antelope, mature Eastern giant eland can weigh over 1,000 pounds and stand nearly six feet at the shoulder.  Eastern giant eland may be found in the bush savannahs of central Africa browsing on the leaves and branches of their favorite plants.  The Eastern giant eland is not considered endangered in the wild.