PREVIEW

A UK zoo is celebrating the arrival of a newborn endangered Grevy’s zebra foal.

At just three days old, the foal is already charming visitors at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire as it energetically explores its paddock.

Keepers report that Khumba, now a second-time mother, is excelling in her care for the new foal, which represents a critical addition to the threatened Grevy’s zebra population.

Marwell Zoo has played a key role in shaping Kenya’s national conservation strategy for Grevy’s zebras and manages both the International Studbook and the European Ex situ Programme (EEP) for the species.

Tanya Langenhorst, Senior Conservation Biologist, expressed her excitement: “As EEP coordinator, I am very excited about the birth of this Grevy’s foal Monday morning. It has been a long wait since this species is pregnant for a minimum of 13 months. The EEP has been through several tough years with many older animals dying and only a few foals being born.

“The European population currently only has 208 individuals. I am trying to grow it back to 250 so every foal counts and this one born at Marwell is only the fifth to be born this year."

In the wild, Grevy’s zebras are primarily found in Northern Kenya, with isolated groups in Ethiopia. Fewer than 3,000 of these majestic animals are believed to remain.

Their numbers declined due to habitat loss, prolonged droughts, and poaching, but there are signs that the population is stabilizing.

Tanya added: “The Grevy’s zebra in the wild, in Kenya, are doing reasonably well with many reports of births. We are cautiously optimistic that the wild population has survived the terrible drought that lasted over two years, when Marwell and its partners in Kenya worked hard to keep them alive with supplementary hay feeding.”

Foals typically stand within an hour of birth and take their first unsteady steps shortly thereafter. They possess the largest ears of any zebra species, which can rotate independently to detect predators from different directions.

The new foal is a younger sibling to Windsor, a female born in July 2022 following celebrations for the late Queen’s Jubilee.

Phil Robbins, Hoofstock Team Leader, shared: "The foal was born on Monday morning and has been running around in the paddock, staying close to Khumba who is a very good mother. She is being extremely protective and attentive towards the foal."

Marwell Zoo proudly remains the only zoo in the UK to house all three zebra species: Grevy’s, plains, and Hartmann’s zebra.