Cute new arrival at Kessingland’s Africa Alive
This is the baby antelope that is sure to bring beaming smiles to visitors' faces at Africa Alive at Kessingland, near Lowestoft.
Lionel the addax antelope is the first antelope of its kind to be born at the Suffolk wildlife park.
He was born on April 12 and his four legged parents Perry and Lucy are sure to keep a close eye on him. There are fewer than 300 addax left it in the wild in parts of the Sahara Desert and northern Shamel.
The antelope are on the critically endangered list and their decline is mainly due to illegal hunting.
Lionel was born as part of the European endangered species breeding programme to try and help safeguard the species' future.
There are about 860 addax in captivity.
A spokesman for Africa Alive said: 'Staff are overjoyed at the birth of their first baby Addax. Hopefully this will be the first of many babies born to Perry and Lucy.
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'They will continue to play a crucial role in assisting with the European breeding programme.'
Because of their harsh African habitat addax antelope live most of their life without drinking and can draw enough moisture from dew on plants if feeds on.
Scientists believe addax has a special lining in their stomach that stores water in pouches
