Foal Born on August 14 Is a Female; Continues to Surpass Milestones

Chicago (August 18, 2020) – Lincoln Park Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of a striped addition this summer. On August 14, 13-year-old Adia, a Grevy’s zebra, gave birth to a healthy foal after a gestation period lasting more than a year.

The newborn foal has yet to be named. Her stripes are reddish-brown and will gradually turn black. The youngster will continue to nurse for about 275 days. Newborn zebra foals can walk after 20 minutes and run after just an hour—a critical survival adaptation in the wild for this endangered grazing prey species.

“It’s hard not to smile when seeing this energetic foal,” said Curator Dan Boehm. “Not only is the zebra foal a joy to visit, but its birth is significant for this endangered species.”

Adia was recommended to breed with 9-year-old Wester as part of the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a collaborative population management effort among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions. This is Adia’s fourth offspring, and her second offspring with sire Wester.

The foal joins three other zebras at the Camel & Zebra area. Grevy’s zebras—named by a French naturalist after the fourth president of France—are the largest of the three zebra species. They are also the world’s largest wild equine, inhabiting semi-arid grasslands in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.

This species is endangered in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss.

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