BIOPARC actively participates in the preservation of the blesbok included in the red list of threatened species through the international breeding program.

This morning during the visit to BIOPARC it was possible to see the most wonderful moment of wild nature. The arrival of a new life It took place in full view of the people who walked through the space that recreates the savanna. A surprise and a great emotion when witnessing the birth of a blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi). As in a “live” documentary, around 11:30 in the morning, one of the females in the herd began to show signs of going into labor. This animal and another of the females were in a reserved area of ​​the enclosure, since the BIOPARC Valencia technical team was monitoring the progress of the pregnancy and awaiting the birth. This special care is aimed at guarantee the maximum well-being of the animals at such a delicate time.

People who visited the Valencian park today were moved to witness the birth of this characteristic African antelope that was on the brink of extinction in the 19th century.

The group that houses BIOPARC is included in an international program for the preservation of the species and they form it eight individuals: the breeding male, four adult females, two offspring from last year and the newborn. The blesboks coexist in BIOPARC's recreation of the African savanna with the giraffes; peculiar species of birds such as the jabirús, the sacred ibis and the Cape teal; and three other species of antelope: kobos, impalas and Thomson's gazelles. Blesbok are easily distinguished by the striking white markings that we see on their faces that contrast with the reddish brown of their bodies and by both males and females having long, curved lyre-shaped horns. All this life of the savanna takes place under the watchful eye of the lions who observe them from the rocks of the Kopje.

The blesbok They are diurnal animals that spend most of the morning and afternoon grazing, while they rest during midday and night. Gestation is about 240 days, they usually have one calf per birth and are generally concentrated in the last stage of spring at the end of June or beginning of July. They are included in the red list of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), they were in serious danger of extinction in the 19th century due to massive hunting, which reduced its population in nature to only about two thousand individuals. Thanks to conservation efforts, many populations have recovered and today are in a stable situation.