Vienna, Austria - December 17, 2025 A special holiday surprise has arrived at Schönbrunn Zoo, the oldest zoo in the world, with the birth of a Kirk's dik-dik on Tuesday, adding to the zoo’s growing family of Africa’s smallest antelopes. This brings the number of young dik-diks at the zoo to two. Adult Kirk's dik-diks are only about the size of a European hare. Visitors can see the youngsters daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including during the Christmas holidays, near the elephant house. Patience is advised, as the babies spend their first weeks hidden in the grass, visiting their mother regularly to nurse. Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck explains, “Even now, they often follow their parents around the enclosure.” Schönbrunn Zoo worked for years to assemble a suitable breeding group. “Our group now consists of two females and one male. All three get along very well, and so we were delighted to welcome our very first offspring a year ago,” says curator Dr. Folko Balfanz. Since then, breeding has been successful, with another baby born on December 5th. After a gestation of almost six months, Kirk's dik-diks give birth to a single offspring weighing about half a kilogram. The young are nursed for six to eight weeks. Balfanz notes, “The tiny dik-diks are easy prey for leopards, wild dogs, and birds of prey. If the animals spot potential predators, they emit an alarm call that sounds like a high-pitched ‘dsik-dsik’.” The new arrivals offer visitors a heartwarming glimpse of wildlife during the festive season, highlighting the zoo’s ongoing conservation and breeding efforts.