A rare Takin calf was born on May 6 at the Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic, and these photos show the baby just hours after its birth.
The male baby is genetically valuable to the European Takin breeding program because his grandfather was born in the wild. Zoo Praha has exhibited Takin since 1998, when a small herd arrived from the Berlin Zoo.
Native to the eastern Himalayas, Takin are in the same family as goats and sheep. Stocky and sure-footed, these goat-antelopes easily navigate high mountain terrain.They tavel in herds of 20-30 individuals, and graze on vegetation.
Takin are unqiue in that they secrete an oily, strong-smelling substance all over their entire body. As adults, males Takin can weigh up to 770 pounds (350 kg). Females are slightly smaller.
Due to overhunting and habitat destruction, Takin are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.