TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa at Lowry Park on Wednesday announced that it is celebrating the birth of a critically endangered eastern bongo calf, the zoo’s first animal birth of the year.
What You Need To Know
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is celebrating the birth of a critically endangered eastern bongo calf, the zoo’s first animal birth of the year
The female calf was born on Jan. 9, according to ZooTampa officials, and weighed 38 pounds at birth and stands about 2 feet tall
She is the fourth Eastern bongo calf born at ZooTampa since 2021
The female calf was born on Jan. 9, according to ZooTampa officials, and weighed 38 pounds at birth and stands about 2 feet tall. She is the fourth Eastern bongo calf born at ZooTampa since 2021.
The calf’s mother, 4-year-old Binti, and the calf are healthy and bonding well, the zoo stated.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park said that a critically endangered Eastern bongo calf was born on Jan. 9, 2026, the zoo’s first animal birth of the year. (Courtesy of ZooTampa)
Binti was born at ZooTampa in May 2021, and the father, 6-year-old Marvin, is from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in 2023, according to ZooTampa, and both were paired as part of the Eastern Bongo Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is an effort by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions to protect and sustain endangered species.
ZooTampa now has a total of eight eastern bongos: two males, Marvin and Mac, and six females, Blitzen, Lottie, Binti, Millie, Mira and the new calf.
“We’re thrilled to welcome another healthy bongo calf into our herd,” said ZooTampa Senior Vice President and Chief Zoological Officer Chris Massaro. “I’m incredibly proud of our animal care team and the exceptional care they provide to all of our animals every single day.”