MELBOURNE, Fla. – At almost three weeks old, a Grévy’s zebra foal made his debut in one of his habitats at the Brevard Zoo on Wednesday, according to a news release.
Ziggy was born on June 30 to 11-year-old Iggy, and he weighed 84 pounds, the zoo said. The baby took his first steps and a gallop or two in the Veldt, which is a habitat in the zoo’s Expedition Africa section.
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Since his birth, Ziggy and Iggy remained behind the scenes to bond. Grévy’s typically separate themselves from the herd after giving birth, so the zoo took steps to to closely imitate this, officials said.
Another Grevy’s zebra, 8-year-old Lauren, gave birth on June 1. This was the zoo’s first baby zebra, according to the zoo.
Brevard Zoo said it’s excited by these foals because Grévy’s zebras are endangered due to habitat loss, human hunting and competition for resources with domestic hoofstock.
Grévy’s zebras’ population has declined by 54% in the past three decades, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. Today, there are about 2,800 Grevy’s Zebras whereas in the 1980s, there were 5,800, according to the foundation.
Ziggy and Iggy are still primarily living behind the scenes, but they will make occasional visits to Expedition Africa as Ziggy grows more confident.
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