Keepers have welcomed the birth of a critically endangered male Addax on August 8.  For the first couple of weeks the little antelope’s mother had hidden him, like they would in the wild, to protect him from predators.  Now that he is a little older he is venturing out with his protective mother and the other Addax and can be seen on exhibit.  The calf has been named Zuberi, meaning strong in an African dialect.  Keepers chose this name because he was born in winter during the wet cold weather Dubbo had been experiencing and figured he needed to be strong to cope with it all.  He is very shy staying close by his mother but over time will become more independent and start to explore his exhibit on his own.  This birth brings the Zoo’s  Addax herd to five.  Addax are listed as critically endangered with the estimated population at less than 300 individuals across the range, with the majority located in Niger, therefore every birth is important. The population in the wild continues to decline due to habitat loss and over-hunting.  The Addax calf and mother can be seen on exhibit next the Giraffe exhibit.