The Los Angeles Zoo is celebrating the birth of a male Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi). The zebra foal was born this spring and is the first Grevy’s zebra birth at the LA Zoo since 2019.
The foal has spent his first weeks since his birth behind the scenes to allow him to bond closely with his mother. The young zebra has been intermittently on public view as he has been getting used to his surroundings and will be regularly on exhibit beginning next week, weather permitting.
“This is an exciting birth for the Zoo and for the entire animal care team,” said Dominick Dorsa II, director of animal care, LA Zoo. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a Grevy’s zebra foal at the Zoo, and now guests will be able to see the behaviors of a juvenile zebra that they may have not experienced before.”
Like all Grevy’s zebras, the new foal features a stripe pattern as unique as an individual human fingerprint. Native to the semi-arid and open scrub grasslands of southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya, the Grevy’s is the largest of the three zebra species. Adult males stand five feet tall at the shoulders and can weigh nearly 1000 lbs., with females being about 10% smaller. While their life expectancy in the wild is 12 to 13 years, Grevy’s zebras can live 22 to 30 years in zoos.
This birth also brings an opportunity to raise awareness of the species’ population decline. Grevy’s zebras are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Populations have decreased by 54% over the last 40 years due to habitat loss, unregulated hunting, diseases and predation, and it is estimated that fewer than 2,000 remain in the wild.
“This birth not only helps support the Grevy’s zebra’s population in North America, but it will undoubtedly help educate guests about this important animal,” said Dorothy Belanger, curator of mammals, LA Zoo. “Guests visiting the Zoo will have the unique opportunity to observe this young animal and build a connection with the species. We’re thrilled for this new zebra and how it will help shape the minds of our guests and hopefully inspire them to be a part of the conservation of wildlife and nature.”
The LA Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.