Critically endangered baby bongo calf born at zoo

Staff at a wildlife park in England are celebrating the birth of a type of antelope listed as critically endangered in the wild.

The little male eastern mountain bongo calf was born on 16 October in Woburn Safari Park.

He is the first bongo calf to be born at the park in more than 10 years.

In the wild, the rare species has almost been hunted to extinction, with fewer than 100 left.

Staff at the wildlife park have been keeping an eye on the mother and calf to make sure they are doing well, and are keeping them inside until the calf gets a little bigger.

"The baby has been spotted walking around the stable exploring his environment, sticking close to mum while he grows steadier on his hooves," said the park.

The eastern mountain bongo species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with populations hugely impacted by poaching and habitat loss.

Woburn Safari Park said the birth "is both a major success for both the park, as well as for global conservation efforts".

It is estimated the species, found in forested areas of Kenya, could be extinct in the wild within two decades after years of poaching.