TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – One of Zoo Miami’s recent additions has finally made its exhibit debut.
According to the South Florida zoo, it welcomed a baby slender-horned gazelle on Aug. 21. The calf, named Bubba, has been in seclusion with its parents to give it time to properly bond and ensure it had a healthy start to life. But on Friday, the calf took its first steps on the habitat with its parents.
The calf’s mom, Gladys, and dad, Pip, were named in honor of the legendary performers Gladys Knight and the Pips.
At birth, Bubba weighed just over 3 pounds and currently has the body size of a Chihuahua with very long legs.
With less than 2,500 believed to exist in the wild, Zoo Miami said the endangered slender-horned gazelle is found in isolated pockets of the Sahara in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria.
The species’ greatest threats are hunting and human activity in their range. Their most common natural predators are lions and jackals.
Weighing between 40 and 60 pounds, Zoo Miami said they selectively feed on a variety of flowers, fruits, and young leaves from the plants found in their habitat.
