Busch Gardens Tampa is celebrating the birth of a white-bearded wildebeest.

The male calf was born on the morning of July 7 on Busch Gardens’ Serengeti Plain and weighed approximately 40 pounds.

He joins the more than 12,000 animals that call the park home.

The gestation period for wildebeest is between 8-9 months.  Wildebeest calves can stand and run within 3-7 minutes after they are born.

The calves will nurse for most of their first year, following their mothers as they move with the herd.

White-bearded wildebeest are native to Kenya and Tanzania in eastern Africa, and adults can weigh as much as 600 pounds for males and 500 pounds for females. Busch Gardens’ guests can see the baby, along with the rest of the wildebeest herd, by booking a Serengeti Safari or by taking a ride on the Serengeti Express Railway.