It was over 11 years ago, but recently the moment finally arrived once again. A zebra foal was born at Blijdorp Zoo. The newborn foal and its mother, Eva, are doing well.
Photos: Ronald de Groot and Celine Alders
Rotterdam Zoo has a long tradition of housing zebras. In the case of the zoo, the species in question is the Chapman’s zebra. This subspecies of the plains zebra is classified as vulnerable in the wild, due to poaching and habitat loss. It lives in the southern region of Africa, including northern South Africa, Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana.
Chapman’s zebras differ from other subspecies in that their stripes extend beyond their knees. In addition to black, they also have slightly brown (shadow) stripes. This is clearly visible in foals, which have brown stripes during the first few months of their lives. This makes them less conspicuous on the savannah.
The young animal is being allowed to go outside and can therefore be seen by visitors straight away.
The young animal has the option to go outside and can therefore already be seen by visitors. Father Kitoko is temporarily kept behind the scenes due to slightly aggressive behaviour towards the expectant mother at the time.