Name Chosen for Detroit Zoo’s Zebra Foal

ROYAL OAK, Mich., March 3, 2008 – The people have spoken and the Detroit Zoo’s zebra foal has a name. 

With 994 votes cast in the Zoo’s online poll, Zahara won by a landslide with 439 votes.  Bella was a distant second with 250 votes, followed by Chloe with 139 votes and Holly with 109 votes.  Noel was the favorite of only 57 voters. 

Zahara is an Arabic word meaning “flower.”

The Zoo received over 2,000 name suggestions and narrowed the field to five.  The finalists were posted on the Zoo’s Web site where the public had until midnight February 29 to vote for the winning name. 

The Grevy’s zebra foal was born December 26 and is the daughter of 15-year-old Elvira and 6-year-old ZZ.  She currently is kept indoors at the zebra habitat most days due to cold weather, but can be seen outdoors near her mother on milder days.

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 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October.  Admission is $11 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 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. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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