Baby Zebra Makes Mom Earn Her Racing Stripes
Published on November 27, 2013
She may be only four weeks old, but a rare baby zebra born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is already giving her mom, Henna, the runaround.
The as yet unnamed Grevy’s zebra, born on July 17, already has lots of energy. “Henna is doing a great job of looking after her new arrival, "said Africa section team leader Mark Holden. "It’s her firstborn so she’s very protective but both of them are doing really well. The foal can often be seen up and running with the rest of the herd or having a rest with mum.”
The leggy youngster was born with brown stripes that will turn black as she matures. Her striped pattern is as unique as a fingerprint. According to Zoo officials no two zebra patterns are the same.
In the 1970s and 80s the Grevy's zebra suffered declining numbers due to commercial hunting for their skins and have continued to be affected by habitat loss. The species is classified as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with only an estimated 2,500 animals remaining in the wild. The new little foal is the 27th to be born at the Zoo.
