Baby Pronghorn Fawn, Saved From New Mexico, Has New Home At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

SAN DIEGO, CA — A tiny American pronghorn fawn found in New Mexico has a new lease on life at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, a spokesperson for the park tells Patch.

The little American pronghorn is doing very well. He has almost doubled in weight since we have had him here at the Safari Park. He is a strong nurser and will be on formula until early September. He has adjusted to his new settings and has a very playful nature.

His journey began in mid-June, Senior Public Relations Representative Amanda Martinez said. At that time, they received news that a pronghorn fawn — underweight, dehydrated, and barely a few weeks old — had been found in central New Mexico.

The baby pronghorn, known as the "American Antelope," was orphaned, and there was no suitable place in New Mexico that could adequately care for it in the long term.

What followed was a multi-state rescue effort to bring the orphaned animal to the Wildlife Alliance's care.

The Wildlife Rescue, Inc. of New Mexico, was the first to help the rancher get the pronghorn out of danger, they said. The little pronghorn was tiny inside a large animal crate.

"Our facility was not set up for animals such as this, so we made a makeshift run for it in the education room," they said. "Once it arrived, Dr. Skylar checked it out and worked on hydrating it some. We then transferred it to the New Mexico Wildlife Center, which aided in the rescue."

There, the animal was further taken care of, before the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team was brought in.

"The young fawn was unable to survive in the wild," a spokesperson for the New Mexico Wildlife Center said over Facebook. "Rehabilitation of orphaned pronghorns is impractical and dangerous to the animal without a specialized facility for the species, and their development and well-being depend significantly on the social dynamics of living in a herd."

Experts at the center said they were only equipped to stabilize the fawn and care for him in the short term. That's where the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance came in.

"They have a great team of experienced pronghorn keepers who will be able to give this youngster the care he needs," they said. They also thanked the Wildlife Rescue, Inc. of New Mexico, who initially took in and triaged this fawn before transferring him to us - this rescue was truly a team effort.

The San Diego Zoo's Wildlife Alliance team thanked the quick work of everyone involved, from the local landowner who discovered the fawn to the multiple institutions, the young pronghorn survived and is now healthy, adjusting to his new home in San Diego. The baby pronghorn is currently in their care.

That's not the only new zoo baby at the Safari Park!

"The Safari Park recently welcomed a trio of wobbly baby wildebeests to the herd," they shared. "Calves can typically stand within 7 minutes after being born, and can keep pace with the rest of their family in just a few days. Take a ride on the Africa Tram to see if you can spot the newest members of the crew."