Virginia Zoo announces birth of baby bongo Emma

NORFOLK

The Virginia Zoo this morning announced the birth of a bongo.

The bongo, born Monday, was named Emma, according to the announcement.

Three bongos were born last year at the zoo. The herd now includes the calf, three juveniles, an adult male and three adult females, according to the zoo.

The zoo’s director, Greg Bockheim, wrote in the announcement that zookeepers are hoping the other adult female bongos will bear calves this year.

“It may seem as though we have an abundance of bongos, but in reality these forest antelopes are highly endangered,” Bockheim wrote.

The herd is managed through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, according to Bockheim. The animals, native to Africa, are hunted for meat and for their horns. Their habitat also is being destroyed by encroachment.

To learn more about the bongos, visit the Virginia Zoo’s website.