Baby Zebra Boom! New Jersey Zoo Welcomes Two Zebra Foals Born Weeks Apart
A New Jersey zoo is seeing double!
On Thursday, the Cape May County Zoo announced that the facility welcomed two new Grant's zebras born just weeks apart. First-time mom Lydia gave birth to a zebra foal on April 16, while another mom, Gretta, gave birth to a foal on May 7.
"Because this was her first foal, Lydia and her baby were separated from the herd and kept in a quiet paddock at the back of the Zebra barn," Dr. Alex Ernst, associate veterinarian at the zoo, said in a release. "Lydia has been an excellent mother, and her foal is strong and growing quickly."
"Gretta and her foal are doing great, and they can be viewed in our Zebra habitat daily," Ernst added.
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Both foals are females and fathered by the zoo's stallion, Ziggy. Zookeepers said both baby zebras weighed between 50 and 60 pounds and were able to run within hours of being born. The babies will nurse from their mothers until around ten months, when they begin to wean.
The Grant's zebra is the smallest of the seven subspecies of the plains zebra and are part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in the wild, according to the zoo.
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"The County Zoo is thriving and we couldn't be more pleased to welcome two zebra foals to our Zoo family," E. Marie Hayes, liaison to the County Parks and Zoo, said. "I encourage everyone to come out and see the new additions and improvements at our Zoo and Parks. A trip to the Zoo is a great learning experience for visitors of all ages."
Hayes also encouraged visitors to attend the zoo's Conservation Day on May 14, where zookeepers will raise money and awareness for conservation efforts to help animal species in the wild.