Adorable Kirk's dik-dik born at Longleat Safari Park weighs less than a kilo

Zookeepers said it is still too early to tell what sex the calf is. Credit: Tom Anders/Longleat

A small type of antelope that only grows to around 40cm tall has been born at Longleat Safari Park.

The Kirk's dik-dik calf was born to first time parents, Daenerys and Dario, who have been residents at Longleat since 2020.

The species originates from Eastern and Southwest Africa, and is mostly found in Savannah areas.

Animal Adventure keeper, Nadia Rozkoszek, said: “We’re so excited to have a new arrival here in Jungle Kingdom.

"We don’t yet know the sex of the calf. They are quite shy and timid, so at the moment we cannot go in and sex them.

"The easiest way to tell is waiting to see if they grow horns or not, which will tell us if they are male or female."

Maple with dad Dario. Credit: Tom Anders/Longleat

Calves tend to weigh between 500 and 800 grams at birth, with adults weighing anywhere between three to six kilograms.

Ms Rozkoszek added: “Maple currently looks like a mini Daenerys, so we have a sneaky suspicion she may be a girl, but only time will tell.

"Dik-dik's do like to hide to make them feel safe, meaning they can be hard to spot in amongst the foliage, but we’re really excited for guests to be able to see the little calf.”