Now it’s Wiggins the Wildebeest (From St Helens Star)
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Now it’s Wiggins the Bearded Wildebeest
10:00am Monday 20th August 2012 in News
Wiggins the Wildebeest at Knowsley Safari Park.
MEET Wiggins, the Wildebeest, the new star addition to Knowsley Safari Park.
The baby is the first calf born since new breeding bull Rufus arrived at the park in 2011.
It has been named after Tour de France champion and Olympic time trial winner, Bradley Wiggins.
The Bearded Wildebeest originates from the grass plains and savannah of Africa.
Their numbers have rapidly declined due to threats posed by the spread of settlements and livestock, elimination of water sources, poaching for meat and the effect of migration barriers, including man-made fences and roads.
As with most animals at the park Wiggins has undergone initial inspection by the park’s vet to make sure he was making good progress, but there will be no more interference other than general observation to ensure the mother and baby bond is maintained.
Jason Doherty, rhino section keeper, said: “The birth of this first calf so soon after his arrival is hopefully a sign of things to come, and we look forward to the herd increasing. Both mother and calf are doing very well.”
The wildebeest herd are roaming on the 76-acre rhino section, the home of the important white rhino breeding programme.
