Baby Wildebeest Born at Busch Gardens

Visitors to Tampa’s Busch Gardens are invited to check out the park’s newest bouncing baby boy.

The 40-pound wildebeest came into the world on the morning of July 7 in the park’s Serengeti Plain area. Since baby wildebeests are able to stand up and run within minutes of birth, the newcomer is already on display along with the park’s more than 12,000 other animals.

Busch Gardens explained that wildebeest have a gestation period of 8 to 9 months with their calves born ready for action. “Additionally, calves will nurse for most of the first year and will follow their mothers as they move with the head,” an email from the park to media stated.

White-bearded wildebeests are found naturally in Tanzania and Kenya in eastern Africa. Adult males can weigh as much as 600 pounds while the females tip the scales at a slightly slimmer 500 pounds.

National Geographic offers some insights about the creatures, which are also called gnus.

“The ungainly gnu earned the Afrikaans name wildebeest, or ‘wild beast,’ for the menacing appearance presented by its large head, shaggy mane, pointed bears, and sharp, curved horns,” its website said. The creatures may look menacing, but they often end up as food for lions, hyena, cheetahs and other African predators, National Geographic noted.

Visitors to the park can see the baby and the whole wildebeest herd while riding the Serengeti Express Railway. The creatures are also one of the highlights on the Serengeti Safari, which is a tour offed at an additional price.

To learn more, visit Busch Gardens online.

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens