It's A Boy! Endangered Species Born At Detroit Zoo
ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - In the Detroit Zoo's African Grasslands, "Elvira" will have something special to celebrate this Mother's Day.
Zoo officials have announced that an endangered male Grevy's zebra, named Jimmy, was born on April 17.
"We're happy to welcome another important little individual to the global conservation program for Grevy's zebras," said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society Chief Life Sciences Officer.
"He's a very cute but also very important ambassador for his species, and reminds us that Grevy's zebras still face significant threats to their survival in East Africa," he said.
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Carter says Jimmie is already pushing his mother around.
"I mean, she's big, and if she senses danger, she will try to get between him and whatever she thinks is threatening. Especially when he's first born -- she might try to move him away from something, and he pushes right back... That's his little personality coming through. He is his own man," Carter said.
Jimmy is ready for visitors.
He can be seen with his mother, 19-year-old Elvira, along with 10-year-old father Z.Z. and 8-year-old half-sister Zoe in their habitat next to the giraffes.
The Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest of the three zebra species, with adults weighing between 800 and 1,000 pounds. Zebras are born with brown stripes that turn black as they mature. The striped pattern on each zebra is as unique as a fingerprint; no two are the same.
According to the Zoo, after a 13-month gestation, a newborn zebra foal can stand on its feet within an hour of birth and can run after only a few hours, giving it a better chance of escaping from predators in the wild.
Get Zoo hours and admission info at www.detroitzoo.org.
