Baby bongo Tambo is Taronga's new arrival

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has welcomed the birth of one of Africa's rarest and strangest looking animals. Source: AAP

HE may look strange and share a name with a percussion instrument but Australia's newest bongo is extremely important.

Born at Taronga Zoo on November 29, the zebra-like antelope is one of only 500 eastern bongos in captivity.

So endangered is the eastern bongo that only 100 remain in the wild at Mount Kenya.

Taronga's ungulate keeper Natalie Dunn told AAP the zoo's recent arrival may one day be released into the wild population to breed.

"There's a reintroduction program in Mount Kenya," she said.

"If he had the genes that were missing in the wild population ... there's every chance he could end up in the program."

The new calf, named Tambo, meaning vigorous, was up and walking within half an hour of his birth.

He's the second calf for "textbook mum" Djembe, joining 18-month-old sister Kiazi, who Ms Dunn says was initially hesitant to have a stranger in her enclosure.

"She (Kiazi) was quite shocked to turn around and see there was a calf on the ground," she said.

"But the good thing about having her ... (with him) is that she gets exposed to all this mothering behaviour.

"She'll definitely be a breeder."

Ms Dunn says Tambo is a curious bouncing baby boy, "jumping like a spring lamb" and chasing birds.

"He's the cutest thing ever," she said.

"We end up running very behind because we stand and watch him far too long."

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