Denver Zoo Visitors Can See Baby Zebra In The Yard
DENVER (CBS4)- Visitor to the Denver Zoo can see the newest member of the Zebra herd running around the yard. Bosley was born on Thursday.
The little guy is an adorable Grevy's zebra. His mother, Farasi, gave birth while on exhibit in the yard around noon on Thursday.
Zookeepers say the mom and baby bonded instantly. Bosley was in the yard on Friday for all the visitors to see.
Additional Information from the Denver Zoo:
Farasi is not a first-time mother, but yesterday marked the first time she has given birth at Denver Zoo. The father is 15-year-old Punda, who is the only male in the herd. The mother and foal seemed to bond instantly, and the newborn is already beginning to walk on its long, wobbly legs. Punda and Farasi mated under recommendations of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which ensures genetic diversity and healthy populations among zoo animals.
There are three different species of zebra: plains or common zebra, mountain zebra and Grevy's zebra. Grevy's zebra were named for Jules Grevy, a former president of France, to whom the first known specimen of the animal was sent in 1882. The largest of all wild equine species, they can be distinguished from other zebras by their longer legs, more narrow stripes, white, stripeless underbellies and large rounded ears.
Grevy's zebra are considered "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with a wild population estimated at fewer than 2000 individuals. Their largest threats come from loss of habitat, competition with livestock and poaching. They have disappeared from most of their former habitats and are now only found in dry deserts and open grasslands in northern Kenya and south eastern Ethiopia.