LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the first time in four years, the Louisville Zoo is welcoming a new addax calf. 

The 19-pound female baby was born between 1 and 2 a.m. Aug. 23 to 6-year-old mother Reesie. Six-year-old Winfield is her father. 

The zoo said both the calf and Reesie are doing well and are off exhibit as they bond. A name will be announced in the coming weeks. 

With numbers declining, the zoo said some think the addax may be on the verge of extinction. It has had a successful breeding program, however, with 61 addax births since opening in 1969. The last calf born was Jira in 2020. 

"It is important to note these births are all recommended and carefully planned via the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan," said Dan Maloney, Louisville Zoo director. "Aimed at maintaining the genetic diversity of managed animal populations in human care, the SSP contributes to the conservation of various species. We look forward to celebrating the arrival of all our newborns at the Zoo with our guests."

Found within isolated pockets of the Sahara Desert in Africa, addaxes live in small groups of five to 15 led by a mature male, the zoo said. Researchers estimated in 2016 less than 100 remain in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species said the addax is "critically endangered," with their primary challenges being drought, hunting and expansion of pastureland.

The Louisville Zoo is open daily year-round except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Summer hours, which run through Sept. 22, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out its website for more information.