Lincoln Park Zoo has welcomed its newest resident, a baby zebra yet to be named.
Grevy’s zebra Adia gave birth to the female foal Monday — 16-year-old Adia’s fifth offspring and third with dad zebra Webster, according to the zoo press.
The baby zebra weighed in at around 105 pounds and can be seen, along with her parents and another zebra, in the Camel and Zebra Area at Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St. Aside from being the smallest zebra at the zoo, the foal is easy to spot with her reddish-brown stripes, which will turn black as she grows, according to the zoo.
The little one will receive a name in the coming weeks, said Jillian Braun, director of public relations and communications at the zoo.
For now, “there aren’t any current plans for a public vote” on her name, Braun said.
The zoo has held public naming contests for its newborn animals before, including its African spoonbill chick.
The zebra foal is part of an endangered population of Grevy’s zebras. She was born out the efforts of the Grevy’s Zebra Species Survival Plan, an animal population initiative involving the Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions, according to a zoo press release.
There are fewer than 2,000 of such zebras in the wild.
Despite showing early healthy signs — the foal was able to run around an hour after her birth — she’ll be dependent on her mother for the next seven months, according to the zoo.
“It’s amazing to see the population of these endangered zebras continue to grow,” Curator Dan Boehm said in the press release. “Mom and foal are hitting all of their postpartum milestones and the newborn is quite spirited and very active.”
