by Asif Mahmood
The only female Kudu antelope in Punjab has given birth to a baby at Jallo Wildlife Breeding Center in August 2022.
The Kudu is a rare species of antelope that resembles the nilgai and sambar antelopes, but is larger than them and has longer horns. The species is of African origin.
Not only different types of deer are found in large numbers in the Wildlife Park Jallo, it has a kudu family which does not exist anywhere else in Punjab.
According to Park management, the baby Kudu is quite healthy and animal lovers are flocking to Jallo Park to see it.
Assistant Director of Jallo Wildlife Park Adil Nadeem said that this pair of kudu was brought here in 2018 as part of the development project of Jallo Safari Park.
Six kudus were brought here in 2018, including two males and four females. One of these kudus died during transportation, while another died a few days after being brought to the park. Subsequently, two more Kudus were seriously injured in a fight between them, later succumbing to their injuries.
Now there is only one male and one female at the park, though with the birth of the baby, the number of Kudus has increased to three.
The couple had given birth to two babies in the last three years, but they died along with other deer due to ulcers in the mouth and around the hooves.