Addax Calf Born at Brookfield Zoo

The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, is happy to announce the birth of a male addax on July 2. The birth of this African antelope is a welcomed addition as the species is critically endangered and on the brink of extinction in the wild with an estimated population of possibly less than 100 individuals.

For the next few weeks, the calf, born to 5-year-old Simone and sired by 8-year-old Ishnala, will spend a majority of his time in a nesting area, which is behind the scenes. However, he has begun to venture outdoors where guests can see him in one of the 31st Street habitats on the northwest side of the zoo.

The pairing of Simone and Ishnala was based on a recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Addax Species Survival Plan (SSP). An SSP is a cooperative population management and conservation program for select species in accredited North American zoos and aquariums. Each plan manages the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.

The Chicago Zoological Society has been an active participant in the Addax SSP since its inception in 1989. Currently, there are 163 addax in 22 accredited North American institutions. Brookfield Zoo has exhibited addax since 1935, and in 1941 was the first zoo in North America to have an addax birth.