BAKER — Last month, the Baton Rouge Zoo welcomed a baby Scimitar-horned oryx, an animal that went extinct in the wild more than 25 years ago.

The calf was born in late July and is the latest of the BREC zoo's hoof stock births over the past year. The zoo has most recently had two bison calves and two Nubian Ibex kids.

The Scimitar-horned oryx, native to North Africa, went extinct in the wild in 2000 due to both habitat loss and general overhunting. However, in 2023 the species was saved by captive-breeding programs and successfully reintroduced into their natural habitats, now classified as endangered, the zoo noted.

The Baton Rouge Zoo oryx herd only consists of three adult oryx.

For the first few weeks, the newborn oryx will likely be hiding in the grass or plants within the enclosure, but zoo attendees may see them coming out to nurse. Zoo staff are currently working to determine the gender and name.