Newquay Zoo welcomes an adorable new antelope

Newquay Zoo has added a new nyala antelope to its herd.

The female calf was born to parents Arnold and Arya last month and she has been named Nadja, which means ‘hope’.

Nyala antelope are shy animals that inhabit areas of dense thicket and forest in southern parts of Africa. They are herbivores, meaning that they spend much of their time grazing on shrubs, leaves and grass.

Nyala are known as one of the most alert species of antelope in the world. They anticipate danger with their exceptional hearing (helped by their large ears), smell and sight.

Dave Rich, Keeper Team Leader atNewquay Zoo, said: “Nadja is the latest addition to our African Savannah in Newquay. She’ll live with our herd of seven other nyala, alongside our zebras and wildebeest.

“Nyala are born with the same markings as adults – a mixture of spots and stripes – but they have to grow into their big ears, which are disproportionally large when they are born. At present, Nadja sits no more than 45cm tall!”

While some species of antelope are able to walk shortly after birth, nyala calves remain hidden away for the first few weeks of their lives to build up strength before joining the rest of the herd.