First baby born in 2016 at the Houston Zoo

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - A special birth announcement from the Houston Zoo -- meet January, a female gerenuk calf who weighed 3.5 kilograms when she was born. She was named for her birth month after emerging on Saturday, Jan. 9. January began nursing within an hour of birth.

Houston Zoo visitors can see January along with her mother Josie, her father Mr. Lee and her brother Julius. Gerenuk are a species of long-necked gazelle and are native to the Horn of Africa. The word "gerenuk" means "giraffe-necked" in the Somali language. Not only do gerenuk have a different appearance, but also a unique ability that sets them apart from any other antelope or gazelle species. Gerenuk can stand and balance themselves on their hind legs to reach the higher leaves that many other animals cannot reach. The species has been known to stand on its hind legs at just two weeks old.