African antelope calf born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

This past weekend there was a surprise arrival at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – the birth of a rare species of African antelope.

The baby arrived in the morning hours of Sunday, a little earlier than expected, according to Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment division at Walt Disney World.

Mom, Lavender, gave birth to her second calf. The pair are nuzzling, nursing and bonding. The calf joins four other addax at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge got to see some of the special moments leading up to the calf’s delivery. Mom and calf are doing well and resting safely together under a shaded and protected canopy under the watchful eyes of our dedicated veterinarians and animal keepers.

The animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge are part of a separate savanna than what you find over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Once widespread across North Africa, the critically endangered addax population has been severely reduced due to over-hunting and long periods of drought.