By james art First mother Otaya gave birth to the male East Mountain bongo calf on October 16, marking the first bongo calf born in the park in more than 10 years.
Woburn Safari Park said the birth “is a great success for both the park and global conservation efforts”.
The eastern mountain species of bongo has been hunted almost to extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining.
Reserve manager Tom Robson said: “After a long labour, the big healthy male calf was born and was soon seen standing on wobbly legs in the deep straw bed prepared for his arrival. Both mother and calf are doing very well.
“Sonny, the calf’s sire, joined the park’s four-strong bongo herd last November and successfully mated with the females, wasting no time in going about his business and displaying breeding behaviour.
“The bongo is part of a crucial breeding program and we hope that in the future our new calf will travel to another wildlife collection and establish its own breeding group.”
Papa Pesaka, known as Sonny to his keepers, arrived in Woburn last November as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) Endangered Species Management Programme.
Woburn Safari Park said the mother and calf are currently being kept inside to give them time to bond and grow stronger.
“Meanwhile, the bongo calf completely stole the hearts of the keepers with its huge ears, timid but increasingly confident character,” the park said.
“The baby is seen walking around the stable exploring its environment, clinging close to mum as it grows more steadily on its hooves.”
Keepers keep a close eye on the mother and calf to make sure the baby is nursing properly and that the mother is feeding and recovering well.
The eastern mountain species of bongo is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with populations drastically affected by poaching and habitat loss.