Endangered Grevy’s zebra born at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago
By Ashley R. Williams, CNN
(CNN) — A zoo in Chicago recently welcomed a stripey new addition to its family.
A 16-year-old Grevy’s zebra named Adia gave birth to a “strong, female foal” at the Lincoln Park Zoo on August 21, according to a news release.
The yet-unnamed baby zebra is Adia’s fifth offspring and the third with the foal’s father, Wester, zoo officials said.
Her birth brought the zoo’s total population of endangered Grevy’s zebras up to four.
The newborn and her mother are doing well and veterinary staff members will continue to monitor them, according to the zoo.
“The birth of an animal is always cause for celebration here at Lincoln Park Zoo,” spokesperson Anna Cieslik told CNN in an email. “We’ve been lucky enough to welcome multiple Grevy’s zebra foals in recent years, and we’re excited to play a part in the continued growth of this endangered species’ population.”
There are fewer than 2,000 Grevy’s zebras remaining in the wild as hunting and habitat loss have affected their population, according to the zoo.
The largest of the zebra species, Grevy’s zebras have experienced a 54% population decline over the past three decades, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
The foal was born as part of the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan, which zoo officials say is “a collaborative population management effort among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions.”
The baby zebra’s reddish-brown stripes will turn black when she’s older, and zoo officials expect her to grow to around 850 pounds as an adult – a big difference from her birth weight of 105 pounds.
Zebras nurse for about 275 days following an approximate 390-day gestation and birth, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo.
While the newborn could run just an hour after she was born, she’ll still be dependent on her mother for the first seven months of her life.
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