Shorelands Wildlife Gardens in South Norfolk have just received three Western Sitatunga Antelope from Chester Zoo. The Sitatunga is a widespread forest antelope found in central Africa. The Western population is however rare and endangered, occurring along river and swamps in the Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

Staff from Shorelands have visited national parks in Senegal to assess the population of large ungulates and found small fragment populations of Roan Antelope and the critically endangered Western Giant Eland, but no Sitatunga. The species is thought to have stronghold in the wetlands of Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring Guinea.

The Sitatunga at Shorelands are part a European Breeding Program and join the wildlife garden’s other West African wetland species Crowned Cranes and Hartlaubs Ducks.

Shorelands Wildlife Gardens are open Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm from April to October and at other times by appointment.

More information is available on their website.