Sandy feeds one of her charges.
When we receive a baby, we take its temperature and weight; this information is recorded daily in a log along with the baby’s daily consumption, health, and any important observations. It can take some time for babies to learn to drink from a bottle, but they eventually get the hang of it. Depending on a baby’s dietary needs, each baby gets its own blended formula made up of different milks and powders. Feeding amount and frequency depends on the age, weight, and species.
The babies are weaned from their bottles at three to four months of age, by which time they are eating plenty of solid foods such as pellets, hay, and browse. Once weaned, they graduate from the nursery to a transitional pen, where they can get bigger and stronger before they return to their herds or are moved to another zoo. We are currently bottle raising several hoofed species such as beautiful impala gazelle, pronking springbok antelope, jumping markhor goats, and much more!
A fringe-eared oryx calf at the care center.
The Animal Care Center is home to many babies, and we never know when a new addition will arrive, so stay tuned for more to come!
Sandy Craig is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Read a previous post about the Park’s Animal Care Center, Where the Deer and the Antelope Roam.
Sandy, you and your fellow surrogate moms do an amazing job of raising these lovely babies and readying them for return to the big fields. Thank you for all you do and for sharing a bit of your experience with us.
What kind of milk formulas do you use for the hoofed animals? Do they all drink the same formula or different ones, and depend on what?
I wonder why the baby oryx could not be returned to its mom in the exhibit???
#2 Jessy
It depends on the species of animal and its dietary needs. We work with our experienced nutritionists to come up with a formula that most resembles Mom’s milk. The majority of the formulas are made with whole goat’s milk. This milk is blended with a powdered milk to give it the appropriate solid, carbohydrate, and caloric ratios. Hope this answers your question, thanks for your inquiry!
#3 Elly
Good question! It depends on the animal and the each individual case as to whether a baby is returned to its mother. With this particular baby oryx, she was being harassed by one of the rhinos that shares the exhibit with her family. She wasn’t strong enough to be returned to the exhibit, knowing that there was the potential for the rhino to pick on her again. Also, her mother no longer showed interest in her. It is always best for mothers to raise their young, so we do make all efforts to make that happen. Hope this answers your question, thanks.
I am very interested in making this my career. I am currently in community college and wonder what steps I should take to get into this wonderful field that is my dream and passion.
Thank You,
Nicole
#5 Nicole
I’m glad to hear that you are currently expanding your education; we like to encourage as much education as possible and preferably with a science background or animal-related courses. Along with education, it is highly recommended that you get as much hands-on experience with animals as possible. Volunteer at your local shelter, veterinary hospitals, nonprofit organizations, etc. Check out our Web page on zoo careers to help give you some more helpful tips on guiding you to your dream career. I’m happy to help you in anyway I can; the most important thing of all is your determination, so you’re on the right track.
We are currently nursing a baby Copper Springbok whose mother died and were wondering how much milk it should be drinking per feed? Can you perhaps give me some advice. We estimate that the baby is 2 weeks old.
Sandy responds: We have hand raised many South African springbok here. Generally we feed 5 times a day at about 11% body weight. A 2-week-old usually weighs 6-7 kilograms, so an average feeding amount per feeding is between 180 and 200 ml per feeding. If you need more detailed information, please let us know. Hope this helps, good luck!
We have 3 baby springbucks that got seperated from their mothers ages 3 – 5 days. Help!!! What should they eat/ how much? You say 5 times a day, does that mean during the night aswell? What should the nursery look like? Should I take them out during the day? Any and as much details as possible. Please!!!
Thank you
Maryna
Moderator’s note: Your question has been forwarded to our Customer Service team.