Orphan reedbuck rescued by Born Free in Ethiopia

Stock image of a reedbuck © Pixabay

Every species matters to Born Free and the remarkable team at our Ensessa Kotteh wildlife centre, in Ethiopia, has recently rescued a young reedbuck – a medium-sized species of antelope. Thought to be a bohor reedbuck (Redunca redunca), the male calf was found in the Bale Mountains National Park, over 300 miles from our centre. 

A member of the local community had spotted the youngster, alone in the same place for three days. Realising he was looking increasingly lethargic and would perish if she didn’t help, on the fourth day she took the starving youngster home to care for him. Her family warned her that taking wild animals from the wild is illegal in Ethiopia and she could risk being prosecuted, but she explained she could not let the calf die.

The kind lady bottle-fed the calf with cow’s milk, naming him Saudi, and reported the orphan reedbuck to the park administration team. They contacted the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, who alerted the Born Free Ethiopia team, and they arranged a rescue mission.

Bereket bottle feeding Saudi

Collecting the calf was a difficult journey over challenging terrain for our Country Director Bereket Girma and Vet Technician Hailu Dagnachew. The reedbuck was gently loaded into a large travel crate, and the caring lady gave them a supply of milk, to ensure Saudi had plenty for the journey home.

On the way back to our centre, the team stopped at regular intervals to feed the reedbuck. But then, they noticed he seemed to be getting anxious – understandable given the unfamiliar surroundings. They repositioned the crate so Saudi could see Bereket and the team, and he quickly calmed down. Happily, he is now settling in well at Ensessa Kotteh and is currently undergoing a quarantine period.

Saudi seems to be in good health and our team is giving him lots of care, conscious he had formed a close bond with the lady who cared for him. The reedbuck is already starting to graze on grasses and, once fully weaned, the team will begin to reduce the amount of human interaction and encourage more natural, species-specific behaviours. This is important as hand-reared male antelopes can be dangerous as adults and even attempt to spar if people enter their territory.

One day, the team hope Saudi can be gradually introduced to live with Ensessa Kotteh’s rescued female reedbuck. Although there are no guarantees this will work, such companionship would be beneficial for these herd animals.

Thank you for helping Born Free give Saudi the care he needs!