A seven-year-old-Indian gaur, Lakshmi, gave birth to a male calf at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur on March 7. The calf, which weighs around 22 kg, and the mother are healthy and both are getting special care from zoo veterinarians.
With the birth of the cub, the total number of gaur in the zoo has increased to 18, including eight females. On March 2, 12-year-old Geetha gave birth to a male calf. Earlier, a four-year-old gaur, Kaveri, gave birth to a male calf in May 2013 and a few months before that, six-year-old Lakshmi gave birth to a female calf. The gestation period for the species is 275 days, according to zoo authorities.
“The infant is on a special diet including coconut, bananas and greens, in addition to milk. The mother and the calf are being kept away from other animals as a precaution, said a zoo official.
