Female lesser kudu born at Cincinnati Zoo

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Officials at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Ohio announced the birth of a female lesser kudu calf currently being cared for by zoo staff.

The zoo said in a news release that the kudu was born Monday and zookeepers decided to step in and care for the newborn after first-time mother Sabi appeared uninterested in the baby.

"We didn't see nursing or much interest from first-time mom Sabi, so we stepped in and fed the calf," Eric Byrd, zoological manager at the Cincinnati Zoo, said in the news release. "We were also able to give the baby plasma that had been collected from her mom and saved when she had a hoof procedure. This will provide passive transfer of antibodies."

Officials said the baby is being kept close to her mother in the hopes that the pair will bond.

"She's receiving six bottle feedings a day right now and spending days with her dam and the other female, Sabi's mom Fjorda," Byrd said. "The care team gets daily weights, socializes with her, and makes sure that she stays safe with the adults."