And the baby makes four: Zoo has newborn wildebeest

A wildebeest born Thursday afternoon in the Franklin Park Zoo has already had an eventful few days.

The calf was born in full view of a crowd of visitors gathered outside the wildebeest exhibit, zoo officials said.

And yesterday morning, before the zoo opened, the unnamed newborn became separated from its mother while entering the exhibit, causing zoo employees to swoop in and determine the animal's sex and weight in a 5-minute exam.

The results? A healthy female, tipping the scales at about 40 pounds, said David Hirschberg of Zoo New England.

The zoo is now home to four wildebeests: the calf; its mother, Juanita; and two adult males.

"This calf, as with all babies born at the zoo, presents a great opportunity for us to teach people about animals from all over the world, because people always get excited to see baby animals," said Hirschberg, who is the zoo's vice president for institutional advancement. "The calf is on exhibit for everyone to come and see."

Juanita was bred through the Wildebeest Population Management Plan, a national program to ensure the long-term survival of captive animal populations.

Juanita and her calf will largely be left alone by the zoo's staff unless health concerns emerge, Hirschberg said.

Wildebeests are horned animals related to antelopes. Adults can be as large as 8 feet tall, 4 1/2 feet wide at the shoulders, and weigh as much as 600 pounds, according to the National Geographic Society's website.

The last major birth at the zoo was Seamus, a Baird's tapir born March 16. Seamus, who was born the day before St. Patrick's Day, survived a bout with pneumonia in April.

Ryan Haggerty can be reached at rhaggerty@globe.com.