Newborn Zebra Up And About At Brookfield Zoo
(STMW) -- Even though she was just born two days ago, visitors can already see the Brookfield Zoo's newest addition — a Grevy's zebra baby.
Visitors can view the 100-pound foal on exhibit with her mom, Kali, in the northwest corner of the Brookfield Zoo, according to the statement announcing the zebra's birth.
Newborn zebras can stand, walk and even run up to 40 miles per hour within an hour of birth, according to the zoo. The foal's stripes are reddish-brown at birth, and may turn black by the time she is one year old.
The foal is the first Grevy's zebra born at the west suburban zoo since 1998, according to the statement. Her mother Kali, 5, arrived at the zoo in 2011 on a breeding loan. Her father is 15-year-old Nazim, who has been at the zoo since 2001.
"We are thrilled with this recent birth as it brings awareness about a species that is in need of conservation efforts," Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of zoo programs, said in the statement.
Grevy's zebras are an endangered species, and there are fewer than 200 of the animals currently living in less than 50 North American zoos.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
