Lehigh Valley Zoo welcomes birth of antelope and arrival of alpacas

Lehigh Valley Zoo officials have reasons to be thankful this season, welcoming the birth of a rare species of antelope and the arrival of two more alpacas.

Eclipse, the scimitar-horned oryx, was born Nov. 9, according to a news release. Both the calf and his mother, Too Haute, were doing well at the time of last week’s announcement. The calf and mother were expected to join the rest of the antelope herd on exhibit once the pair have bonded with the rest of the herd.

The oryx is considered a “critically endangered” species of antelope. The zoo in Schnecksville, North Whitehall Township, has been participating in the Scimitar Horned Oryx Species Survival Plan program, a cooperative effort among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facilities, which helps provide animals for reintroduction in the wild.

The zoo is part of a breeding program that helps to maintain captive populations that are both genetically diverse and demographically stable, zoo officials said.

In other wildlife news, two alpacas have arrived: 4-year-old Illuminati and 6-year-old Havoc.

They have joined White Lightning, a 15-year-old alpaca, and are native to the central and southern Andes Mountains of South America.

You can learn about the new animals and more at lvzoo.org.

VALLEY ZOO PHOTOS ABOVE: LEHIGH LEFT: Lehigh Valley Zoo has announced that another scimitar-horned oryx calf has joined the herd. Eclipse, shown with his mother, Too Haue, was born Nov. 9. The zoo’s newest alpacas are Illuminati and Havoc.