BIOPARC VALENCIA, SPAIN – This is the fascinating moment a Blesbok antelope (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) gives birth to a newborn at the zoo. The birth was captured in a video recorded at Bioparc Valencia in Spain on 9th June. The footage shows the whole process of natural birth and without the external help of a Blesbok female after a gestation period of about 240 days (8 months). The Zoo staff wrote in a statement: “At around 11.30 a.m., one of the females in the herd began to show signs of going into labour. This animal and another of the females were in a reserved area of ​​the enclosure since the BIOPARC Valencia technical team was watching the evolution of the pregnancy and awaiting the birth. These special cares are aimed at guaranteeing the maximum welfare of the animals at such a delicate moment.” According to the park, Blesboks were in serious danger of extinction in the 19th century due to massive hunting, which reduced their population in the wild to only about two thousand individuals. Today, their numbers are stable.