Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's herd of slender-horned gazelles welcomed a new calf in late June, and guests will be able to see her beginning August 1 exploring her outdoor exhibit in the African Savanna.
The little female calf has been off exhibit for about four weeks to give her time to bond with her mother, Francis. The calf is the first offspring at the Zoo for Francis, who came to Cleveland in 2009 from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and for her father, Ziggy, who came to the Zoo in 2010 from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. The calf brings the number of slender-horned gazelles at the Zoo up to five. The other members of the herd are adult females Bullet and Ella.
Slender-horned gazelles (Gazella leptoceros) are a medium-sized gazelle species averaging about 30 inches tall and weighing about 60 pounds. The have large ears and slightly oversized hooves for walking in sand. Both males and females have horns.
Slender-horned gazelles were once one of the most common gazelles in the Sahara Desert. While they still have a wide range, including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia, their populations are small and fragmented. They are classified as �endangered� by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for slender-horned gazelles. SSPs are cooperative breeding and management groups for endangered or threatened species including black rhinos, lowland gorillas, polar bears and African elephants.
Northeast Ohio's most-visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with hours extended to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $12.25 per person, $8.25 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children younger than 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 90 and 480.
To learn more, visit clemetzoo.com or call (216) 661-6500.
