The COVID baby boom continues at the Cape May County Zoo! The County Zoo is very excited to announce the birth of two Grant’s Zebra foals born on April 16 and on May 7.
“First time mom ‘Lydia’ gave birth to a healthy female foalon Saturday April 16. Because this was her first foal,.Lydia and her baby have been separated from the herd and kept in a quiet paddock in the back of the Zebra barn. Lydia has been an excellent mother and her foal is strong and growing quickly”, reported Dr. Alex Ernst, Associate Veterinarian at the Zoo
“On May 7, three weeks later, we had another foal, a vibrant little filly, born to ‘Gretta’ another Zebra in our herd. ‘Gretta’ and her foal are doing great and they can be viewed in our Zebra habitat daily. ‘Ziggy’ is our herd Stallion and is the sire of both foals”, Ernst added.
At birth, both foals weighed in at around 50-60lbs and can stand and run within hours after birth.The gestation period for a Grant’s Zebra is 12 to 13 months. Like all mammals, these foalwill nurse off mom and will be dependent on her milk for sustenance until they wean at around 10 months of age.
“The County Zoo is thriving and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome two zebra foals to our Zoo family. I encourage everyone to come out and see the new additions and improvements at our Zoo and Parks. A trip to the Zoo is a great learning experience for visitors of all ages” said Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, liaison to the County Parks and Zoo.
Grant’s zebra are the smallest of the seven subspecies of the plains zebra and are part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Grant’s zebra are not considered threatened, with more found in the wild than any other species or subspecies of zebra.
“Conservation Day will be held this Saturday, May 14th from 10:00am – 2:00pm. The Zoo staff will be highlighting various Conservation efforts that are helping save our animal species in the wild. There will be display and informational tables set up throughout the Zoo on Saturday to help raise awareness and money for these critical efforts. So please join us on Saturday to learn more about the conservation work we do and to see our brand new additions”, Hayes added.
The Cape May County Zoo is open daily from 10 am until 4:30 pm, the County Parks are open daily from 7 am until dusk. www.cmcZoo.com
