Grevy???s Zebra foal born at U.S. zoo

With only 2,500 animals surviving in the wild, the Grevy’s zebra is one of the most endangered equine species in the world. This month, a Grevy’s zebra named Trinity gave birth to a colt at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Approximately 185 of the zebras reside in zoos in the United States.

The Great Plains Zoo welcomed another Grevy’s zebra colt in September of this year after six years without a Grevy’s zebra birth at the zoo. It now houses a small herd of five of the endangered zebras.

Grevy’s zebras are distinguished from the more common plains zebras by their larger size, narrower stripes, white bellies and large, round ears. They are named for Jules Grévy, who was president of the French Assembly during the 1870s and received one of the zebras as a gift from the government of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). Wild Grevy’s zebras can be found on the plains of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia where they are protected by hunting bans. Their numbers have suffered due to competition for land with humans and livestock as well as poaching for their skins.

The Great Plains Zoo will be open for suggestions on the new colt’s name beginning early next year. For more information, visit GreatZoo.org or facebook.com/GreatPlainsZoo. Photos of the mother and colt are posted at www.zooborns.com.