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John Ball Zoo announces birth of eastern mountain bongo

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — John Ball Zoo (JBZ) welcomed a new baby bongo to its family this week!

Zoo officials say Carrot gave birth to a boy this Sunday.

We’re told the four-legged bundle of joy weighs 49 pounds and will be at Mama’s side indoors for the next several days.

JBZ says eastern mountain bongos are critically endangered due to poaching, trapping and habitat. Fewer than 100 are believed to exist in the wild today.

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The zoo is a participant in a species survival plan designed to support the population of bongos and other animal species in its care.

The Kenyan Wildlife Service is credited for its significant role in protecting and boosting wild bongo numbers.

READ MORE: John Ball Zoo monitoring, preserving Michigan's only venomous snake species

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