On the 14th October Kirk’s dik-dik Aluna gave birth to a healthy calf, the little one is a female and has recently been named Daphne by her keepers!
Aluna was born in February 2013 and is a first time mother, her keepers will be keeping a close eye on things but so far both mother and baby are doing well.
The dik-dik is one of the smallest members of the antelope family measuring a maximum of 45cm high with a maximum body length of 80cm making Aluna’s calf tiny!
Aluna and the new arrival currently share their enclosure with two other dik-diks, female Dalila and male, Sien. Males are easily distinguished from the females as they have horns which can grow to 11cm in length!
Another feature which makes this small antelope so distinctive is its prehensile nose, which can be freely moved around and is slightly forked at the end. This helps the dik-dik to grasp food when browsing on bushes.
Kirk’s dik-dik are currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Our dik-dik’s can be seen at the Edge of Africa, and share their enclosure with four Demoiselle Cranes.
Find out more information on how to adopt one of our Kirk’s dik-dik here.