One of the world’s smallest species of wild cattle has been born at Chester Zoo.
Mum Oana welcomed the rare anoa calf, which has yet to be sexed or named, after a 10-month pregnancy.
The anoa, which is usually found in forests and swamps on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with just 2,500 estimated to be left in the wild.
Their falling numbers are largely attributed to habitat loss and overhunting for their meat.
Sometimes referred to locally as the ‘demon of the forest’, anoas can often be persecuted by farmers who wrongly believe that they leave the forests at night and use their horns to attack other cattle.
Tim Rowlands, the zoo’s curator of mammals, said: “The lowland anoa is a species that’s coming under real pressure in its fight for survival.
“Not only are they suffering from loss of their forest habitat, which is being chopped down to make way for agricultural land, they are also hunted for their meat.
"Anoas are also sometimes mistakenly killed by farmers who hold them responsible for puncturing their cattle at night. All of this is sadly contributing to an uncertain future for the species."
But Mr Rowlands added that all is not lost as they are actively supporting conservation efforts to protect the anoa and its habitat in Sulawesi.
"Our new calf can only help us to raise more awareness about this fantastic species," he said. “Looking at our latest arrival, it’s impossible to see how anyone could harm anoas or label them ‘demonic'.
"They’re a beautiful, shy and secretive animal that are misunderstood and often overlooked.”
