One of the smallest types of antelopes can be seen at the ZOO for the first time in its history!
Dik-diks, adorable little antelopes weigh up to 5 kg and their strange name comes from the whistling sound the female makes when she is in danger. When she whistles through the nose, you can hear a sound similar to “zig-zag” or “dik-dik.” In addition to her alarm call, males can also produce a shrill whistling sound.
Dik-diks stand up to 30-40 cm and can run up to 42 km/h. They are adapted to living in Eastern Africa, so they drink very little water. Males have small horns and females are mostly bigger than males. According to Wikipedia, “a bare black spot below the inside corner of each eye contains a preorbital gland that produces a sticky secretion. Dik-diks insert grass stems and twigs into the gland to scent-mark their territories,” so it looks like they’re pressing their heads against the plants and shrubs.
The one-year-old female arrived at the ZOO from France last spring, and the male (two months older than the female) arrived from Germany. The zookeepers have fallen in love with the adorable animals right away, and the female and the male seem to be getting on well with each other.
Zagreb ZOO, Facebook
“Our male and female have been spending time together, and now they’re inseparable. Their relationship is similar to the relationship dik-diks have in nature – unlike other antelopes that normally live in herds, dik-diks are monogamous and love living in pairs,” ZOO director Damir Skok said.
The pair can be found in the aviary, where they spend time with cattle egrets, herons, ibises, common shelducks, storks, African spoonbills, crowned cranes, and hamerkops.
Zagreb ZOO, Facebook
Translated from ZOO.hr.
