NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org

Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Video Credit: © WCS

WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo Welcomes Miniature Zebu Calf

The zebu is one of the oldest breeds of cattle, dating back 6,000 years

Although a small breed, mini zebus can weigh up to 500 pounds

View footage here: https://youtu.be/k0WsEUMop7o

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Aug. 11, 2015 – A miniature zebu calf (Bos Taurus indicus) was born at the WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Prospect Park Zoo.

The calf was born on July, 21 and is nursing, but as a grazing animal, will move to a diet of mostly hay.

The zebu is one of the oldest breeds of cattle, believed to have originated in southern India around 6,000 years ago. Although a diminutive breed, adult mini zebus can weigh up to 500 pounds and measure three to four feet in length. Unlike larger breeds of cattle, mini zebus are slow to mature, reaching maturity in two to three years.

Characteristic of the breed, both male and female zebus have small horns on top of their heads. While zebus can be various colors such as black, reddish, gray, or white, the three at the Prospect Park Zoo all sport a light gray coat with white underneath. 

The Prospect Park Zoo’s zebu family lives alongside other domestic animals in the barn area including sheep, goats, turkeys, and miniature horses.

For more information or to speak with a WCS expert, contact Barbara Russo at 718-265-3428 or brusso@wcs.org.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; facebook.com/TheWCS;youtube.com/user/WCSMedia; follow: @theWCS.

Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to www.wcs.org.

 

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