What's the latest birth at the Jacksonville Zoo and the Harry Potter connection?
The name given to a male greater kudu calf born July 9 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens was borrowed from the "Harry Potter" book series.
Neville is the latest addition to the zoo's growing herd of antelope species.
In the books and subsequent movies, a character named Neville attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Harry Potter. And the new calf's brother, born in 2022, is named Potter and shares his July 31 birthday with his namesake.
Some animals' names are auctioned off at special fundraisers, others are selected by name submission and voting contests. Neville was the winner of a naming contest among area animal care specialists and apparent Potter fans, according to the zoo.
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So what is a greater kudu?
The largest of the antelope family, they are "greater" as compared to the "lesser" kudu, which is considerably smaller. "Greater kudu are almost twice the size of lesser kudu and are up to 2 feet taller at the shoulder," Janel Jankowski, the zoo's senior mammal care specialist, said.
They have six to 10 vertical white stripes on their bodies and a white V-shaped band between the eyes. The males have large spiraling horns and thick beards running down their throats; female greater kudu do not have horns.
Greater kudu are found throughout Southern and Eastern Africa and can run 60 miles per hour when escaping a predator. They are herbivores — typically eating grass, leaves, roots and produce — and at the zoo are also hand-fed lettuce, carrots and apples by their keepers, according to the zoo.
Can the public see Neville?
After spending his first few weeks bonding with his mother behind the scenes, the calf is now on exhibit with his family in the zoo's Africa Loop exhibit, Jankowski said.
Older brother Potter can be viewed as well. "He is the male with the smaller horns, straight in shape with no turns yet," she said.
Who are Neville and Potter's parents?
Neville, 45 pounds at birth, is the fourth offspring of father Sam and mother Trixie. Sam, 10, came to the zoo in 2015, while Trixie, 5, arrived in 2019.
Neville was the 28th greater kudu calf born at the zoo since 1986. Currently the zoo has five kudu, Sam and Trixie and three of their offspring. They share space in the Africa loop with southern white rhinos and east African crowned cranes, Jankowski said.
Do other antelope species live at the zoo?
The zoo has three species of antelope — the greater kudu and, in another Africa loop exhibit, eastern bongos and yellow-backed duikers. The latest bongo, a female named Kimani, was born June 25.
"Around the world there are believed to be 91 species of antelopes," Jankowski said. "Most of them live in Africa."
Are greater kudus endangered?
The population is currently considered stable, with 300,000 to 350,000 in Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species lists greater kudu as of "least concern."
But the lesser kudu population is decreasing, with only 80,000 to 100,000, according to the International Union, which lists the species as "near threatened." Threats include habitat loss from farming and ranching; being hunted and trapped; "human intrusions" such as civil unrest; and invasive species and diseases, according to the organization.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Zoo: Greater kudu calf named after Harry Potter character
