National Zoological Gardens of South Africa Announces the Birth of a Plains Zebra Foal

By Angeliné Cronje-Schwan

Pretoria, South Africa - The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa has again been blessed with the birth of a Plains zebra foal! This is the second one since Christmas 2008. The birth brings the number of Plains zebra housed at the National Zoo in Pretoria to five – one male, two females, a juvenile male and youngster (whose gender is yet to be determined). Both mare and foal are in excellent health.

Plains zebra are one of the draw-card animals on the Zoo’s new Zoo Loop route that takes visitors along a specified route with views of all the most popular and charismatic animals housed here.

The Plains zebra is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra, once being found in the south of Ethiopia, across into east Africa and as far south as Angola and the eastern regions of South Africa. However, numbers have declined due to human encroachment on their habitats and hunting. According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) the Plains zebra is now regionally extinct in Burundi and Lesotho.

This zebra is mid-sized and thick bodied with relatively short legs. Adults of both sexes stand approximately 1,4-metres high at the shoulders and can weigh up to 290kg. Males generally weigh less than the females. Like all zebras, the bold black and white stripes running along their bodies are individualistic – no two animals’ patterns are similar.

To view National Zoological Gardens of South Africa's web page on Zo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-2476-National_Zoological_Gardens_of_South_Africa