One of the world's endangered species, the Arabian oryx gave birth to a calf at the Dehiwala National Zoo two weeks ago, National Zoological Gardens Director General Sharmila Rajapaksa said.

She said the baby Arabian oryx calf is in good health and has been on public display with its mother in a free zone, as the calf feeds on its mother's milk.

The Arabian oryx was one of the world's most endangered species in the 1970s, when it was restricted to 1,000 in the Arabian desert alone.

By 1980, there were about 6,000 to 7,000 animals bred in zoos, all of which were released into the Arabian Peninsula.

These animals are herbivorous and mammalian, with an average lifespan of about 20 years. The gestation period of a female is eight months, and she gives birth to only one offspring at a time.

The two long horns of these animals are naturally for self-defence, and about 20 days after the calf is born, the horns begin to mature and grow rapidly. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)