Guests at the Lehigh Valley Zoo's Party for the Planet were first to welcome a newborn baby scimitar-horned oryx.

The baby arrived on Planet Earth at approximately 3:04 p.m. April 25 and the Party for the Planet crowd cheered as the baby wobbled to its feet.

They also watched as the newborn bonded with its mother through its first feeding.

The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), a species of oryx now extinct in the wild, is one of 22 species at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan program.

Once widespread in northern Africa, the scimitar-horned oryx was hunted almost to extinction for its horns, hoofs and meat.

The animal can now only be seen in zoos, such as the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

It is because of the great work of AZA accredited zoos and their species survival program these amazing animals still have a place to live, grow and, hopefully one day, be released back into its habitat of origin.

The zoo's full-circle conservation projects spotlight the Eastern Spadefoot Toad (local), Mexican Gray Wolf (national), and African Penguin (international).

To learn more about Lehigh Valley Zoo, go to lvzoo.org or follow on Facebook and Twitter.