LV ZOO WELCOMES A NEW ORYX, WHILE MOURNING THE LOSS OF A WALLABY
Lehigh Valley Health Network is the Official Motherhood Partner of the LV Zoo

(Schnecksville, PA) – Lehigh Valley Zoo, along with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), is excited to have welcomed a scimitar-horned oryx calf on Aug. 4.  This calf born to mom Donnar is the 10^th oryx calf born at LV Zoo since 2014. LVHN is the Official Motherhood Partner of the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Since its birth on Aug. 4, the yet-to-be-named, male oryx calf has spent several weeks apart from the herd with his mother, Donnar, to allow for bonding, nursing and rest. Donnar — who has been a member of LV Zoo’s oryx herd for nearly 10 years — has successfully raised several other calves and has proven herself to be a nurturing and protective mother. The oryx herd was integrated with the eland herd this past spring, making this the first time a calf has been born in the zoo’s multi-species setting. As always, the Animal Care and Veterinary teams have been diligent in monitoring all the antelope to see how they are handling the new addition.

Oryx gestation lasts approximately nine months, after which a single calf is born weighing approximately 20-30 pounds. For comparison, adult males weigh between 300-400 pounds and adult females weigh between 200-300 pounds. Calves are born with a yellow coat that lacks the distinguishing marks of the adult oryx. Calves start to wean around 3.5 months, at which time they become fully independent. Both males and females have long thin horns, which can grow more than three feet in length.

As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), LV Zoo has participated in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Scimitar-Horned Oryx for more than 10 years. Since bringing this species to Schnecksville in 2007, the Zoo has served as a successful breeding facility for this endangered antelope. In the 1980’s, the scimitar-horned oryx was declared extinct in the wild. Since that time, global efforts have been ongoing to aid in their conservation and reintroduction to the areas in Africa that they once roamed.

Unfortunately, LV Zoo is saddened to announce one of its Tammar Wallabies, Mose, unexpectedly passed away in early August at eight years old. Mose arrived at LV Zoo in 2015 with his half-sibling, Dwight, from Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Neb. They lived together in the habitat adjacent to the emus. Like many wallabies, Mose was timid and a bit skittish, but he would make his way over to Animal Care staff for his diet and to investigate new enrichment items. He also enjoyed taking naps in his exhibits’ bamboo forest, where he was very good at hiding in plain sight and having an occasional snack on nearby bamboo leaves. During the construction of Habitat Madagascar, the mob of Red Kangaroos moved in with the wallabies, creating a dynamic environment for the two species.

Mose will be dearly missed by all staff and guests. LV Zoo officials are hopeful to introduce another wallaby to both the habitat and to Dwight in the upcoming months.

Guests can visit all of the Australian and African species, along with the rest of our residents during LV Zoo business hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Tickets can be purchased at lvzoo.org. 

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Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 13 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Lehighton and one in Dickson City, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children, burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance, an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the community’s only children’s hospital, provides care in more than 30 specialties and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest is ranked as the region’s No. 1 hospital for nine straight years and has been recognized among Pennsylvania’s top 10 hospitals for nine consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the Lehigh Valley region’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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As a member-supported non-profit organization, Lehigh Valley Zoological Society was founded in 2004, but it has been treasured community landmark for centuries. Located in the Lehigh Valley’s Trexler Game Preserve, the mission of the Lehigh Valley Zoo is to connect its community with nature to empower people to protect wildlife. We have achieved our mission and educated more than five million people. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Lehigh Valley Zoo hosts year-round, family-friendly events and activities, educational programs, and camps. To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, we invite you to visit our website, www.lvzoo.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.