What’s black and white and cute all over? Lincoln Park Zoo’s newest addition.
The zoo’s 16-year-old Grevy’s zebra, Adia, gave birth to a “healthy, strong female foal” on Monday. The foal is Adia’s fifth offspring and her third with sire Wester, Lincoln Park Zoo announced Tuesday.
The yet-to-be-named foal joins three other zebras — including her parents — at the zoo and can be found at the Camel & Zebra Area. She’s easy to spot, with some reddish-brown stripes that will turn black once she is older.
She weighed just over 105 pounds when she was born and will grow to be around 850 pounds when she is an adult.
The foal was up and running an hour after her birth, but she will remain dependent on her mother for the first seven months of her life, the zoo said.
Grevy’s zebras are the largest zebra type and have thicker stripes than other zebra species, according to the zoo’s website. They also have a longer mane and larger ears.
Lincoln Park Zoo said the birth of the foal is notable because Grevy’s zebras are endangered, with fewer than 2,000 living in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting. Wild Grevy’s zebras are found in Ethiopia and northern Kenya, with a small number in southern Kenya.
“It’s amazing to see the population of these endangered zebras continue to grow,” zoo curator Dan Boehm said in a statement. “Mom and foal are hitting all of their postpartum milestones, and the newborn is quite spirited and very active.”
According to the African Wildlife Foundation, Grevy’s zebras are primarily hunted for their skins, but also occasionally for their meat and for medicinal uses in some regions. The population has declined 54% in the last three decades.
The birth is part of the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan, a collaborative effort between Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions to manage zoo populations, the zoo said.
