Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomes baby zebra to its herd

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomed a baby zebra in July and now welcomes visitors to see the new addition. The baby zebra’s name will be decided through a public auction, the proceeds of which will go toward the care of the zoo’s zebra herd.

The baby zebra, called a foal, was born over Pioneer Day weekend on July 23. The zoo said the foal is a male and weighs 87 pounds.

24-hour cameras captured the foal’s birth and the milestones he later hit. The zoo said he had a normal birth and has been making all the progress he should be.

“It is so important that we give mom and baby space and time to naturally connect in this start of life. The 24-7 observation of the baby hitting its healthy milestones via cameras has taught us a great deal about these first moments that are rarely captured. We look forward to sharing our new addition with other children and parents and educating and connecting guests to the importance of preserving zebras in the wild,” said Bob Cisneros, associate director of Utah’s Hogle Zoo Animal Care.

Utah’s Hogle Zoo provided the photos below of the baby and his mother.

His parents are five-year-old Poppy and seven-year-old Scooby, who were paired based on a recommendation by the Species Survival Program.

The foal joins the Hogle Zoo zebra herd, which is made up of seven other Hartmann’s zebras.

Visitors to the zoo can see the foal starting today, August 1, at the African Savanna exhibit.

The zoo’s auction to name the foal is open until August 5. The winner will also get to meet the foal and have breakfast on a terrace in the African Savanna exhibit.

Related: Hogle Zoo welcomes new Red Panda in effort to conserve the species

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