ROYAL OAK, Mich., June 26, 2007 – What’s black and white and cute all over?   An endangered female Grevy’s zebra born June 24 at the Detroit Zoo!

The approximately 75-pound foal, named Phoebe, is the daughter of 13-year-old Candy and six-year-old ZZ, and can be seen close by her mother at the Zoo’s zebra habitat. 

Zebras are actually born with brown stripes and a mane which extends from shoulder to tail.  After a 13-month gestation, a newborn foal can stand on its feet within one hour of birth and can run after only a few hours, giving it a better chance of escaping from predators in the wild.

The foal is a welcome addition to the world population of Grevy’s zebras, which is currently estimated at fewer than 2,100.  Grevy’s zebras are part of Species Survival Plans (SSP), a captive-breeding program in which the Detroit Zoo participates. 

Grevy’s zebras are the largest of the three zebra species.  They inhabit the dry scrubland of Eastern Africa and subsist mainly on grasses and leaves.  Adults can weigh between 800 and 1,000 pounds.  They can live up to 25 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.

In addition to Candy and ZZ, the zebra foal joins her sister Zoë, 4, and Elvira, 15, in the Detroit Zoo’s African Grasslands.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 

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