Hogle Zoo has welcomed a new baby zebra, an 84-pound male that visitors will be able to see this Labor Day weekend.
On Aug. 29 at 11:12 p.m., female Hartmann’s mountain zebra Poppy gave birth to a healthy foal after a normal yearlong pregnancy, according to a news release from the zoo. Animal keepers observed the birth’s progression without disturbing the natural progress through the use of cameras. This was Poppy’s third successful birth at Hogle Zoo, the release said.
Within a half-hour of being born, the baby zebra was standing and nursing, the release said. The zoo said he is showing signs of getting used to his long legs, kicking, jumping, and exhibiting a playful behavior called “zoomies” — which is natural for young zebras in the wild that must be able to gallop away from predators soon after being born.
(Hogle Zoo) A new baby Hartmann's mountain zebra is shown at Hogle Zoo.
If you want to see the new foal, which doesn’t have a name yet, he can be viewed in the east side yard of the zoo’s African Savanna exhibit.
He joins Hogle Zoo’s herd of Hartmann’s mountain zebras, which includes his mother; his father, Scooby; brother Corkeey; half-brother Wallace; and female zebras Bryce, Ziva and Zibby.
The baby zebra’s name will be selected through a sealed-bid donation to the zoo, according to the release. For information on naming the zebra, email champions@hoglezoo.org.
Hartmann’s mountain zebras, which are considered vulnerable, can be found in the deserts and semi-deserts of southwestern Africa.
Hogle Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Labor Day. For more information, visit HogleZoo.org.
