On Sunday, October 16th, 2022, Lion Country Safari welcomed a baby Plains zebra to its herd. The foal and mom are visible to guests from their cars in the Hwange section of the safari, along with the rest of the zebra herd. Lion Country Safari is home to largest herd of zebra on record in the United States with nearly 60 zebras under its care.
Zebras give birth to one foal weighing 55 – 88 pounds (25-40 kg) after a gestation period of 11 to 13 months. Foals are born with soft, fuzzy fur and white and brown stripes and each zebra’s stripe pattern is unique. Foals can walk and run within approximately an hour after birth.
Plains zebra are listed as Near Threatened with a decreasing population by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Of the three species of zebra (Plains, Mountain, and Grevy’s), the Plains zebra is the most abundant, but all 3 species are in peril due mostly to poaching and habitat loss.