Just like I force (obviously adorable) pictures of my pet on both friends and strangers, the pictures of a newborn lowland nyala calf Yara will be no exception: just look at her! Edinburgh Zoo shared the very first images of the nyala calf yesterday (January 23), who was born to parents Arnold and Arya on Tuesday, January 3.
The exciting announcement made yesterday stated that Yara is growing in confidence every day in the safety of her mother’s side. The birth also brought the small lowland nyala number at Edinburgh Zoo to four in total. We’re excited to see what kind of personality the wee one will develop, and it makes for the perfect opportunity to plan a visit to the zoo.
Lowland nyala are a species of antelope native to South-Eastern Africa. These majestic animals live in forests and woodland and have seen successful repopulation in the wild by effective habitat protection, species management, and re-introductions.
Fun facts about nyala
In the wild, spotting nyala is no easy task, as they are usually quite timid and don’t come out in the open much. What is more, unlike other antelopes, nyala are quite slow, so they rely on camouflaging deep within the forest.
Surprisingly, they are friends with monkeys and baboons: while we’re not sure what monkeys get out of this interesting friendship, nyala feed on the fruit that is dropped from the trees by the unique friends, as well as recognise their alarm calls.
In the wild, female nyala would hide deep in the woods with her newborn calf for around three weeks, as the species is an easy prey for predators, making the young even more vulnerable. Thankfully, Edinburgh Zoo will not be having this problem, so our wee Yara can thrive and shine bright for everyone to see.