By Adam Dutton via SWNS
Hidden cameras at a UK zoo have captured the first ever recorded footage of a rare anoa birth – the world’s smallest species of wild cattle.
Chester Zoo says they have become the first in the world to film on camera the incredible moment an anoa calf was born.
The never-before-seen footage shows mom Darcy safely delivering her female calf
at the attraction following a 10-month-long pregnancy.
Several minutes later, the heartwarming video goes on to show the newborn stumbling to her feet and taking her first steps.
Now, the tiny youngster, named Kasimbar by zookeepers, has stepped outside of its cozy den to explore the outside world.
The anoa is the world’s smallest species of wild cattle and is found only on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, where only 2,500 remain in the wild.
The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – meaning it faces a high chance of becoming extinct without intervention.
Callum Garner, keeper at Chester Zoo, said: “Very few people, if any, will have ever seen an anoa give birth.
“Anoa are incredibly shy and elusive animals and so to be able to witness a calf being born and then see those magical first moments between mum and baby is very special indeed.
“We’re privileged to be able to share this remarkable footage with the world.
“Some of the information we’ve gleaned from the footage may be useful in the conservation breeding of this endangered species in the future.
“Mum Darcy and her new baby, Kasimbar, are doing really well.
“Having spent the first few weeks of life bonding together in their den, the little one has now gained in confidence and is bursting with energy.
Anoa can be found in the forests and swamps of the island where their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss and overhunting.
Conservationists at the zoo say the animals are ‘largely misunderstood’ as they are often mistakenly persecuted by farmers.
The farmers believe anoa leave the forest at night and use their horns to attack livestock – leading them to be known locally as ‘demons of the forest’.
Garner added: “Anoa are in real trouble in the wild, owing to them being largely misunderstood and having developed a reputation among local people in Sulawesi that leads them to being persecuted and targeted by farmers.
“Not only that, but their habitat is ever shrinking and they are hunted for their meat.
“That’s why we’re working with the Indonesian government and the wider conservation community to protect precious habitats in Southeast Asia so that species like the anoa can go on to thrive.”
The zoo says it has joined forces with more than 50 international organizations as part of a global plan to protect the anoa, known as Action Indonesia.
Experts are leading efforts to reverse the decline of the species, as well as three of Indonesia’s other most threatened animals – the banteng, babirusa and Sumatran tiger.
The new calf can be seen by visitors in the zoo’s Islands zone, an area that showcases threatened species from across Southeast Asia.
